Centuries-old bottles found at Mount Vernon may have held George Washington’s cherry brandy drink
MOUNT VERNON - The centuries-old bottles recently unearthed by archaeologists at George Washington’s Mount Vernon may have held a brandy-based cherry flavored drink popular in the eighteenth century – and a favorite of the nation’s first president.
The find was made during an excavation project in the cellar of the estate’s mansion. Officials say the two intact European-manufactured bottles were recovered from a pit in the basement. The bottle shapes are characteristic of styles from the 1740s and 1750s. The flasks may have been forgotten in the cellar and covered over by a floor in the 1770s. The dark green glass bottles each contained liquid and were upright and sealed when they were found, officials said.
Cherries, including stems and pits, were found preserved in the liquid contents of the bottles. Surprisingly, the contents still gave off the recognizable scent of cherry blossoms.
Centuries-old bottles found during excavation at Mount Vernon may have held George Washington’s favorite cherry-flavored brandy drink (Mount Vernon Ladies Association)
The bottles and their contents will be shipped to a lab for analysis and testing.
While not confirmed, the presence of cherries in the bottles might mean they contained what was left of a popular brandy-based cherry-flavored drink known as Cherry Bounce.
The recipe for Cherry Bounce is among the few known to have been used by the Washington family and known to have been enjoyed by George Washington himself.
Making Cherry Bounce requires plenty of effort. But the results were so good, Washington was said to have take some with him during a trip across the Allegheny Mountains in September 1784.
While we wait to find out exactly what the bottles held, you can make your own modern-version of Cherry Bounce using this recipe from the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant found on MountVernon.org.
Cherry Bounce Recipe
Ingredients
10 to 11 pounds fresh sour cherries, preferably Morello, or 3 (1-pound, 9-ounce) jars preserved Morello cherries
4 cups brandy
3 cups sugar, plus more as needed
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
2 to 3 whole cloves
1 (1/4-inch) piece fresh whole nutmeg
Directions
Pit the cherries, cut them in half, and put them in a large bowl. Using a potato masher, carefully mash the fruit to extract as much juice as possible. Strain the juice through a large fine-mesh strainer, pressing the fruit with a sturdy spoon. You should have about 8 cups. Reserve the mashed cherries in the freezer or refrigerator for later use. If using jarred cherries, drain the fruit and set the juice aside before halving and mashing the cherries. Add any pressed juice to the reserved juice.
In a lidded 1-gallon glass jar, combine the juice with the brandy and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cover with the lid, and set aside in the refrigerator for 24 hours, occasionally stirring or carefully shaking the jar.
Bring 2 cups of the juice to a simmer over medium heat. Taste the sweetened juice and add more sugar, if desired. Stir in the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg, then cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool at room temperature. Strain and discard the spices.
Stir the spiced juice back into the 1-gallon glass jar with the reserved sweetened juice. Cover loosely with the lid and set aside for at least 2 weeks before serving, occasionally shaking the jar with care.
Serve at room temperature in small cordial or wine glasses. Store the remaining in the refrigerator.
Makes about 3 quarts