As my time in Washington starts to diminish, I have established a sort of modified bucket list. There are not a lot of items on it- I have been fairly diligent about getting things done that seemed to be worth doing, but this latest installment really kicked off the holiday season.

It was tricky. The master distillers at the reconstructed Mount Vernon Distillery, located on the site of the one that former president George Washington operated in retirement on his plantation on the Potomac.

George’s rye whiskey made the bucket list for a reason: it is one of the ultimate small-batch whiskey runs in the country, and the only one that is distilled in copper over wood fires, just as it was done in 1797. They only bottled 1200 of them on this run, and word gets around: in order to fairly accommodate demand, a voucher system was implemented.

A couple nice ladies from the Mount Vernon Ladies Association that operates the plantation are there to hand out certificates- up to ten per customer- reserving the real product for sale during regular operating hours at The Shops at Mount Vernon.

It worked like a charm, and I had my whiskey by mid-day, in time to start another adventure. I would tell you about that, but I have to get over to Arlington National Cemetery and help decorate the graves of the fallen with wreaths for the season.

I may get to tell you about that tomorrow, but I fully intend to have a sip of the other thing I bought on impulse, the Peach Eau De Vie:

It is a little pricey for daily drinking, but perfect for a special occasion. I am putting a bottle of Rye down for my grandson to sip on his 21st birthday. I don’t now if I will be there to see it, but I can hope. There are times that life along the Potomac is just fine. Happy Holidays!

Copyright 2014 Vic Socotra
www.icsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303