“Whiskey production became an important part of the history of George Washington's business activities at Mount Vernon when he built a successful distillery after he left the presidency.”
Even if GW does decide to take up the ancient art of distilling grain into fine liquor (or the even older tradition of making potatoes into rotgut moonshine for drinking on the porch) we, the general public will never find out in our lifetime. Not out of the fact that no-one but his family will know about it... Oh no, but because a thing like that in the newspapers could cause serious political damage to the office of the president.
Imagine the furore that would be caused by the Russians for one. For years America laughed at their country and made thinly veiled remarks about their pisshead president as he staggered his way through speech after speech. "Good Old Boris... Smashed again..." They'd say during UN gatherings, and other summit meetings, with not even the slightest thought to whether the translator would have the savvy not to relate the very same slur to the sloshed supremo.
Now, thankfully, there's no longer a Yeltsin dancing in the Duma and no more Dunce drinking in a darkened oval office. Today, there's an ex KGB operative making sure that no more of the former Soviet Union neighbour states stray from the path and, for once, there is a decent man in charge at the White House.
I wish him all the luck in the world. He's going to need it.
