Virginia Explorer - Demo - (Page 4)

Virginia’s Spirited Spots Lead to American Whiskey Trail By Sharon Cavileer T ake a toast-worthy tour of the Old Dominion. From the ﬁrst founding of the Colony, Virginians were happy to raise a glass in honor of their guests, good health, good fortune, or plain old good cheer. In fact, our ﬁrst settlers were suspicious of drinking water. They believed it could cause disease. So, the ﬁrst English colonists sailed to the Virginia coastline with their grapevines at the ready. Jamestown produced its ﬁrst wine 400 years ago in 1608. Thomas Jefferson grew grapes at Monticello, believing that a good glass of wine improved a meal and was one of the original “health foods.” Today, Virginia has more than 120 operating wineries. Virginia is also the home of a smattering of spirits and gateway to the American Whiskey Trail (www.discus.org/ trail). It’s a cultural heritage and tourism initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council in cooperation with George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Even teetotalers agree that whiskey played an important economic and social function in US history. When the British blockaded our ports during the Revolution, our source of ingredients for rum dried up. Whiskey was the answer. Colonial farmers produced corn by the bushel. And, a barrel or bottle of spirits was easier to transport from the frontier than a wagonload of corn. Not only was it an economic boon, whiskey was a medium of exchange and a social, me- demonstrates the 18th century process from sowing to storing (www.mountvernon.org). Visitors can begin at George Washington’s pioneer farm and see the grain sown and harvested by slaves, Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria provides Colonial History along with fine food, spirits, and lodging. dicinal, and military necessity. Revolutionary soldiers and sailors received a regular ration of spirits! The Distilled Spirits Council funded the reconstruction of George Washington’s Distillery, which opened in high style in March 2007, with bagpipes and colonial re-enactors. Open for tours from April through October from 10am to 5pm, the distillery is the only site in North America that threshed in the octagonal barn, ground at the gristmill, distilled, and barreled. The distillery is adjacent to Washington’s water-powered gristmill, just three miles from the estate. Costumed interpreters are at work at both sites to answer questions and create a living, breathing spirit world. Washington’s distillery was the largest in the country at 2250 square feet. Five copper stills produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey in 1799, valued at $7500. In today’s dollars, the enterprise would earn more than $120,000 annually. Gadsby’s Tavern in nearby Alexandria is the next stop on the Whiskey Trail (www.funside.com). It was the place to see and be seen in Colonial America as it hosted presidents, diplomats, and brilliant society balls. The tavern is open today as a museum wreathed with a centuries-old reputation for providing the country’s ﬁnest food, spirits, and lodging. Group tours are led by a costumed guide who can provide a food- and beverage-focused tour upon request. Evening lantern tours are a popular option on Fridays. Groups can also dine at Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant in a Colonial atmosphere enjoying American fare and sipping spirits or wine for conviviality. The restaurant has revived an old American tradition with their Rum Punch Challenge to be held on March 24, 2008. The beverage, made from Caribbean rum, citrus, spices, sugar, and water, was the most popular drink of its time. Bar-keepers and hostesses added their own personal touches and kept their recipes a secret. Evoke the spirits of Vikings and Celts, Beowulf and King Arthur, and lift a tankard of mead at Smokehouse Winery in Sperryville (www.smokehousewinery. com). Once thought of as the source of magic, knowledge, and enlightenment, mead is made by fermenting honey with yeast and water and adding appropriate fruits and spices. The winery offers a variety of these honeyed wines steeped with currants, apples, honeysuckle, or berries. It also creates an English-style hard cider made from old time apple varietals. Taste the cider in the fall in the heart of horse Make Room for the Memories. An adventure of historic proportion is waiting for your groups—at two living-history museums that explore America’s beginnings. They can board replicas of colonial ships. Grind corn in a Powhatan Indian village. Try on English armor inside a palisaded fort. And join historical interpreters at a Continental Army encampment for a ﬁrsthand look at the Revolution’s end. Take part in guided tours and hands-on programs. Tell them not to forget their cameras. Because the history here is life size. And their memories will be even bigger! 1-888-868-7593 4 • Winter/Spring 2007-2008 www.grouptournews.com http://www.funside.com http://www.mountvernon.org http://www.mountvernon.org http://www.discus.org/trail http://www.discus.org/trail http://www.smokehousewinery.com http://www.smokehousewinery.com http://www.historyisfun.org http://www.grouptournews.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Virginia Explorer - Demo

Virginia Explorer - Demo ABA Marketplace to Land in Virginia Beach in February Tracing Our Ancestors' Footsteps along the Wilderness Road From the Publisher Virginia's Spirited Spots Lead to American Whiskey Trail Dine Around Tidewater: Virginia's Seafood Style On the Road With Dylan and Pop-Pop: A Mountain Experience Sightseeing Tours: Seashore, Settlers, Steeples, Spirits, Shopping Celebrate Virginia Garden Week's 75th Anniversary in April Meet the People Making Virginia such a Wonderful Place to Visit Virginia Advertisers Specializing in Group Business

Virginia Explorer - Demo

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