How much do you know about George Washington? Did he wear wooden false teeth? Or throw a silver dollar across the Potomac River? Did he chop down a cherry tree? Test your knowledge of the first president by taking this George Washington Alcohol Quiz. Good luck!

George Washington Alcohol Quiz.

1. George Washington considered himself primarily:

A. a statesman.

B. a farmer.

2. Washington oversaw thousands of acres of farm at and around Mount Vernon. That was his home on the Potomac River. He always sought ways to make his vast operation more profitable. Thus, he ditched tobacco, a labor-intensive crop that depleted the soil, in favor of:

A. peanuts.

B. grains.

3. Washington grew grain and operated a commercial, water-powered gristmill. He was the only founding father to:

A. own a bakery.

B. own a distillery.

4. In Colonial times, alcohol was an important part of the social and economic fabric of life. It was used for medicinal purposes, during social occasions, and for trade. (The Jamestown Colonists uncorked their first keg of beer two years after arriving.) Candidates for public office often offered voters a drink at the polls. When Washington made a run for the House of Burgesses in 1755 , he did not follow this custom. In that election, he:

A. won.

B. lost.

5. Washington served beer, rum punch, wine, strong cider and brandy to voters during his 1758 bid for a burgess seat. In that election, he:

A. lost

B. won

6. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington worried in writing about the morale and condition of his troops.  They needed comfort when “marching in hot or Cold weather, in Camp in Wet, on fatigue or in Working Parties.” Washington said it was “so essential” that troops have “moderate supplies” of:

A. coffee.

B. spirits.

President Washington

7. In 1783, the war with Britain ended. And in 1789, George Washington became the first president. The country’s coffers were empty after the long war with Britain. One of the early challenges to the authority of the fledgling government involved:

A. an excise tax on tobacco.

B. an excise tax on spirits.

8. In 1793, residents attacked federal tax collectors in Pennsylvania. They were outraged that the whiskey they had been making for years was being taxed. In addition, much of it for their own consumption. Washington sent about 13,000 militia to end the rebellion. About 150 people were arrested and two were condemned to death. Washington:

A. had them executed.

B. pardoned them.

Washington Retires

9. In 1797, Washington’s presidential term ended. His last official act was to pardon the Whiskey Rebellion participants. He was 65 years old. He returned to Mount Vernon to:

A. retire and collect Social Security.

B. run his estate and continue to seek ways to make it more profitable.

10. By the late 1700s, whiskey was overtaking rum as the most popular spirit in America. Sugar and molasses, products of the British West Indies essential in making rum, were hard to get. They also had the taint of being pro-British.. Washington’s farm manager, James Anderson, got him to build a distillery next door to the mill. It would provide ground rye and corn, the primary ingredients in whiskey. At that time in Virginia, there were 3,500 distilleries. At its peak, Washington’s was:

A. an average-sized distillery.

B. the largest in the United States.

11.

In 1799, Washington’s distillery operated year round. It made almost 11,000 gallons of whiskey. It would be worth about $150,000 in today’s dollars. (Yes, he paid the excise tax.) Anderson oversaw the operation. He had learned to make whiskey in his native Scotland,

There were five copper stills producing two grades of whiskey. The twice-distilled “common” whiskey was sold for about 50 cents a gallon. The finer spirit was distilled at least four times and cost twice as much. In addition, Washington’s whiskey was aged:

A. for one year in custom-made oak barrels.

B. not at all.

Washington Dies

12. Washington died in December of 1799. By then the distilery sold the whiskey as fast as it dripped out of the copper coils. Anderson continued to distill spirits until Martha Washington died in 1802. A Washington nephew inherited the distillery and leased it out. The last record of spirits sold from the facility was in 1808 . The distillery burned in 1814 and was:

A, immediately rebuilt, as whiskey consumption continued to climb.

B. largely forgotten.

13. In 1932 the state of Virginia bought the property where Washington’s gristmill and distillery once stood. The mill and the miller’s cottage were reconstructed. However, it wasn’t until 1997 that historical and archaeological work began on the distillery. Construction was completed in:

A. 2001.

B. 2007.

14. The distillery and gristmill machinery were reconstructed to look as much as possible as they did in Washington’s day. And that’s down to the width of the mortar between the stones and the hand-wrought nails. The site:

A. is being preserved in its pristine state. No visitors are allowed.

B. is open to the public.

15. Because of Washington’s distillery, Virginia is:

A. for lovers.

B. the “gateway” to the American Whiskey Trail. That’s a series of attractions exploring the cultural heritage and history of spirits in America.

See very bottom of page for answers to the George Washington Alcohol Quiz.

George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill is located on Route 235, three miles south of Mount Vernon.

Visitor information is at George Washington’s Distillery.

The distillery works, and visitors can watch costumed guides. They do the same tasks that Anderson oversaw more than 200 years ago. In fact, this is the only place in the country where you can see how whiskey was produced long ago.

Facts about George Washington

You probably didn’t realize that George Washington was his new country’s biggest distiller. That he was a distiller at all. Or that he enjoyed drinking alcohol. You certainly didn’t learn any of this in school.

That’s not surprising because the temperance movement worked long ago to erase this knowledge from our cultural memory as seen in the following example.

This Currier and Ives print of 1848. George Washington bids farewell to his officers. He has a toast in his hand and a supply of liquor on the table.

Reflecting the power of the temperance movement, a re-engraved version in 1876 removes all evidence of alcohol. The glass in Washington’s hand disappears. Also, a hat replaces the liquor supply. (Temperance activists wouldn’t have wanted you to do well on the George Washington Alcohol Quiz!)

George Washington was a very popular president. The nation’s capital, 120 other cities and towns, and one state are named after him. Also 33 counties, 10 lakes, nine colleges and universities and seven mountains carry his name. ¹

Resources: George Washington Alcohol Quiz

Web Pages

George Washington: His New Nation’s Largest Whiskey Distiller

The American Whiskey Trail

American Whiskey Trail Top Tourist Destination