Owens Illinois (O-I) has donated two unique whiskies from the George Washington Distillery in Mount Vernon, raising $26,000 for educational and charitable organisations. The whiskies are the first Scottish-style single malts crafted at the distillery since it began operating again in 2006, nearly 200 years after the original facility was damaged in a fire. O-I's stately and elegant Pinch Grandeur bottle, from the company's Covet Classics collection, was chosen to present the distinguished whiskies (pictured), which were created through a partnership between George Washington Distillery, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), and the Scotch Whisky Association. n 2012, the three organisations brought together a select team of Scottish and American distillers that included Dr. Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling for The Glenmorangie Co.; Andy Cant, Distillery Manager for Cardhu Single Malt Distillery, heart of Johnnie Walker blended Scotch Whisky; John Campbell, Distillery Manager for Laphroaig Distillery; Mount Vernon Master Distiller David Pickerell (former Maker's Mark Master Distiller), and Steve Bashore, Mount Vernon's Director of Historic Trades. Together, the team came up with a recipe and a process that celebrated the heritage of the distillery, which Washington built in 1797 at the urging of his farm manager, a Scotsman named James Anderson. Using 18th-century methods, the distilling team produced 10 gallons of whisky of such fine quality and proof that a second distillation was unnecessary.
