P E A C H B R A N D Y WRITTEN BY ANDY GARRISON
“W
e abound in the luxury of the peach,” bragged President and Founding Foodie Thomas Jefferson about the 38 varieties grown on his estate. “If I had my little way, I’d eat peaches every day,” exclaimed the other Presidents of the United States. Indeed, there is something magical, perhaps even presidential, about the perfect peach. Peaches are of Asiatic origin, but they are deeply entrenched in American history. Thought to have arrived in Florida with Spanish settlers in the 16th century, they were brought north by missionaries and Native Americans, eventually becoming so established as wild and cultivated plants that some Europeans took them to be indigenous to North America. Settlers in Virginia planted them in enormous quantity, and as a fruit that produces abundantly but stores and ships poorly, it wasn’t long before peach cider (sometimes called mobby) and peach brandy were in production. Peach brandy was much beloved by colonial drinkers, and found its way into several classic tipples like Fish House Punch, but the industrialization of
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brandy in 2014 and two newcomers, to share their experiences.
A LINK TO HISTORY
American distilling and agriculture caused peach brandy production to dwindle. By the mid-19th century it was more profitable to market fresh and canned peaches, and by 1908 a mere 13,649 gallons were produced. Prohibition was just about the final nail in the peach brandy coffin, and for quite a while authentic peach brandy was more often encountered in books than on store shelves. With the craft spirits movement in full swing, a few upstarts are now working to bring this American spirit back from the edge of extinction. I spoke with four producers, two who started making peach
At the George Washington Distillery at Mt. Vernon, Director of Historic Trades Steve Bashore and consulting distiller Lisa Wicker are a perfect picture of the ‘what’s old is new again’ spirit of the peach brandy revival. The distillery’s small wood-fired pot stills and tri-corner hats are a great introduction for tourists to this historic spirit. Washington operated a large whiskey distillery on his estate, but records from 1798-1799 indicate he also produced a small amount of peach brandy (although it seems like most of this was for “entertaining” at the manor rather than for sale). Inspired by the records and their success producing George Washington’s Rye Whiskey, the first batch of peach brandy was made in 2014 with input from Ted Huber of Huber’s Starlight Distillery and Brian McKenzie of Finger Lakes Distilling. They continue to produce a limited amount. The distillery is a living history project, with wooden fermenters and 18th centuryWWW.ART ISANSPI RI TMAG.CO M