George Washington's Rye Whiskey George Washington's Rye Whiskey George Washington’s Rye Whiskey is distilled at George Washington’s reconstructed distillery at Mount Vernon from a recipe discovered by scholars examining the distillery ledgers for 1798 and 1799. It is distilled in limited quantities and only available for purchase in person. In 1797, urged on by his farm manager, James Anderson, Washington ramped up production and it produced 600 gallons in 1799, the year Washington died, the distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons, making it the largest whiskey distillery in America at that time. On March 22, 2017, Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a bill sponsored by Virginia
Rye whiskey Rye, the whiskeys must be made from at least 75% New York State-grown rye, be distilled at a single New York State distillery, be at least two years old and be aged at the relatively low barrel entry proof of 115 or lower. The original distilleries to produce Empire Rye were Black Button Distilling, Coppersea Distilling, Finger Lakes Distilling, Kings County Distillery, New York Distilling Co., Tuthilltown Spirits/Hudson Whiskey and Van Brunt Stillhouse. Rye grain is known for imparting what many call a spicy or fruity flavor to the whiskey. Bourbon, distilled from at least 51% corn, is noticeably sweeter