George Washington's Beer: A Founding Father's Beverage Of Choice

George Washington, America's first president, was a lover of beer. In fact, he was both a drinker and a maker of drinks. Beer was a favourite drink of Washington, as it was for many people living in eighteenth-century America. Washington favoured dark beers, particularly porter, which was produced by a brewer in Philadelphia named Robert Hare. In addition to drinking beer, Washington also brewed his own at Mount Vernon with the help of enslaved workers.

George Washington's favourite beer was Porter from Philadelphia

George Washington, America's first president, was a drinker and a maker of drinks. He was particularly fond of dark beers, and his favourite beer was Porter from Philadelphia, brewed by Robert Hare.

Washington's love of beer is well documented. Beer was a favourite drink of his, as it was for many people living in eighteenth-century America. It was common for people of all ages and social classes at Mount Vernon to drink beer during this time. Washington himself noted in a letter that his white servants customarily received a bottle of beer a day, with each bottle containing one quart of liquid. Beer was also one of the items provided for voters when he was a candidate for political office.

Washington not only drank beer himself and served it to his guests, but he also brewed it. A recipe for small beer, a weak beer consumed by servants, enslaved people, and children, was found on the last page of a manuscript notebook kept by Washington in the late 1750s. He also brewed "strong beer", likely with the help of enslaved workers.

Washington also purchased beer, both from English brewers and within America. In March 1760, he bought a "Hogshead [of] fine old Porter" from London brewer Benjamin Kenton. In 1757, he ordered a hogshead of beer, and in 1759, he ordered 144 bottles of "best porter". In 1762, he purchased four casks of "Dorsett Beer" (492 bottles) from London brewer Thomas Dale.

Washington's fondness for Porter from Philadelphia is evident in a letter from his secretary, who wrote to brewer Robert Hare requesting:

> Will you be so good as to desire Mr. Hare to have he continues to make the best Porter in Philadelphia 3 gross of his best put for Mount Vernon as the President means to visit that place in the recess of Congress and it is probably there will be a large demand for Porter at that time.

Unfortunately, Hare's brewery burned down in 1790. Despite this setback, Washington continued to enjoy beer, both as a drinker and a brewer, throughout his life.

He added molasses to his beer

George Washington, America's first president, was a lover of beer, and he added molasses to his beer. In fact, he was so fond of beer that he not only drank it himself but also served it to his guests and provided it for voters during his political campaigns. Beer was a common beverage in colonial America, and Washington had a variety of beer glasses, mugs, and drinking vessels at his disposal.

Washington's preference for dark beers, specifically porter, is well documented. He is known to have favoured the Porters produced by a brewer in Philadelphia named Robert Hare. A letter from Washington's secretary to Hare requested that he continue to make his best porter for Mount Vernon, as the President intended to visit and anticipated a large demand for the brew.

Washington also had a recipe for "small beer", a low-alcohol beer, which included the addition of molasses. The recipe, titled 'To Make Small Beer', was recovered by the New York Public Library and provides detailed instructions for brewing. It specifies the use of a "large Sifter full of Bran Hops", which are to be boiled for three hours. After straining the mixture, three gallons of molasses are added while the beer is still hot. The recipe instructs brewers to let the mixture stand until it is "little more than blood warm" before adding yeast and allowing it to sit for 24 hours. Finally, it is to be bottled a week after brewing.

Washington's small beer recipe was likely influenced by the colonial-era practice of drinking beer with breakfast. "Small beer", with its lower alcohol content, would have been a suitable morning beverage. Additionally, beer was often safer to drink than water, as potable water was scarce in colonial times, and most available water carried harmful diseases.

Washington's love of beer extended beyond just drinking it. He also understood the political and social value of beer in his time. He provided it for voters during his campaigns and used it to foster camaraderie and strengthen alliances, such as when he and French major-general François-Jean de Chastellux bonded over their shared enjoyment of alcohol.

In conclusion, George Washington's addition of molasses to his beer was part of his larger appreciation for the beverage. Beer played a significant role in his personal life, his social interactions, and his political career. His small beer recipe, with its inclusion of molasses, provides a fascinating glimpse into the drinking habits and cultural norms of colonial America.

He had a recipe for 'small beer'

George Washington, the first President of the United States, was a lover of beer. He was also a maker of drinks, including beer. On the last page of a manuscript notebook kept by Washington in the late 1750s is a recipe for small beer, a weak beer with a low alcohol content that was consumed by servants, enslaved people, and children. The recipe, titled "To Make Small Beer", is as follows:

> Take a large Sifter full of Bran Hops to your Taste. Boil these 3 hours. Then strain out 30 Gallons into a Cooler, put in 3 Gallons Molasses while the Beer is scalding hot or rather drain the molasses into the Cooler & strain the Beer on it while boiling Hot. Let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm. Then put in a quart of Yeast if the weather is very cold, cover it over with a Blanket & let it work in the Cooler 24 hours. Then put it into the Cask “” leave the Bung [hole] open till it is almost done working “” Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed.

This recipe was recovered by the New York Public Library and is believed to be Washington's homebrew recipe for small beer. Washington's fondness for beer extended beyond just drinking it himself; he also served it to his guests and provided it for voters when he was a candidate for political office. Beer was also made at Mount Vernon by enslaved workers and purchased for use at his table.

Beer was a staple of the liquid diet for soldiers during the Revolutionary War

Beer was a favourite drink of George Washington, as it was for many people living in eighteenth-century America. It was also one of the items provided for voters when he was a candidate for political office. In 1758, Washington's election to the House of Burgesses cost him 39 pounds, 6 shillings, which bought him a hogshead and a barrel of punch, 35 gallons of wine, 43 gallons of strong beer, cider, and dinner for his friends. Washington also drank beer himself and served it to his guests. He also added molasses to his porter.

Washington not only drank beer but also brewed it at his Mount Vernon estate, where he established a distillery that produced nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey in a year. He also grew hops on his estate, presumably for beer-making. Washington was known to buy large quantities of beer and porter before the Revolution, both from England and within America. He continued to buy comparable amounts of American porter after the Revolution, although he appears to have made only two purchases of beer during this period. Given his fondness for beer, it is likely that beer was being made at Mount Vernon in sizable quantities for "home use" after the war.

Washington's favourite brewer was Robert Hare Jr. of Philadelphia

George Washington, America's first president, was a drinker and a maker of drinks. Beer was a favourite drink of his, as it was for many people living in eighteenth-century America. Washington's fondness for beer was such that he would regularly have it shipped to wherever he was stationed at the front during the Revolutionary War and tried to recreate his favourite brews himself when he retired to Mount Vernon.

Hare's porter was popular with many of the Founding Fathers, but Washington was its biggest fan. In a letter, Washington's secretary requested:

> Will you be so good as to desire Mr. Hare to have if he continues to make the best Porter in Philadelphia 3 gross of his best put up for Mount Vernon as the President means to visit that place in the recess of Congress and it is probable there will be a large demand for Porter at that time.

Washington loved Hare's porter so much that he would often request it be waiting for him at Mount Vernon when he returned during a break from governing. Unfortunately, Hare's brewery was lost in a fire in 1790, the same year as the above letter was sent.

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