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History of A Favorite Drink at Mount Vernon
Chocolate seems to have been a favorite drink at Mount Vernon in George Washington's lifetime. Washington's first recorded order for chocolate was for 20 pounds of the product, which arrived from England in 1758. He continued to buy chocolate throughout his life, in quantities as small as one pound and as large as the 50 pounds purchased three months before his death in 1799.
Chocolate was a typical breakfast beverage, not only at Mount Vernon but throughout British North America. It was made by grating a small amount of chocolate into boiling water, milk and water, or wine and water, and later adding sugar. In a letter to his wife in Scotland, tutor John Harrower at Belvidera Plantation wrote that breakfast with his employer usually consisted of warm bread and either coffee or chocolate. In 1794, a friend wrote to George Washington requesting two or three bushels of chocolate shells "such as we've frequently drank Chocolate of at Mt. Vernon, as my Wife thinks it agreed with her better than any other Breakfast....". Martha Washington's daughter-in-law admitted to one of her daughters that "the more simple food I have is best" and went on to say that "I breakfast on Chocolate....". Chocolate could also be served at supper, although there is no evidence for that practice at Mount Vernon.
Special ceramic forms were used to serve this beverage. Among the 309 pieces of white and gold French china acquired in 1790 for the presidential mansion were 12 chocolate cups and saucers, which were brought to Mount Vernon upon Washington's retirement. The Washingtons purchased three sets of tea china and six chocolate cups in 1793, further evidence that chocolate, although popular, was not served as often as tea. A covered, two-handled chocolate or caudle cup, probably intended as a display piece, survives from the "States" service given to Martha Washington in 1796 and is exhibited in the museum at Mount Vernon.
 Today, the history of chocolate is brought alive at Mount Vernon through the American Heritage Chocolate program, a unique recipe that combines all-natural ingredients and handcrafted processes consistent with those used in the Colonial Era. Its distinct flavor and authentic form brings you a centuries-old, genuine colonial chocolate experience today! American Heritage Chocolate is handcrafted using techniques adapted from traditional colonial chocolate making. Eighteenth-century chocolate was made by first roasting cocoa beans, shelling them, and crushing them in a large bowl. Then, using a “metate” (a headed grinding stone) and a “mano” (an iron rolling pin), the beans were ground and spices set to cool. Finally, the hardened chocolate was grated and added to milk or water and consumed as a beverage.
Visitors to Mount Vernon can watch the chocolate-making process, learn more about this divine plant we enjoy but take for granted, and even sample the cocoa at various stages in the process. Gail Cassidy, Mount Vernon's manager of interpretations (in photo), gave a recent demonstration of this time- and energy-consuming process, presenting the materials and tools that would have been used in Colonial times. She showed her audience a cocoa bean, discarded shells, and the metate, as well as the spices that would have accompanied the cocoa - anato, anise, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmet and vanilla.
As Ms. Cassidy explained, our forefathers had not yet discovered the wonders of cocoa in foods, merely in beverages. In addition to enjoying cocoa, the Washingtons often made a healthful tea from the shells, which they even served to guests. These same shells also make great mulch, enriching the soil and imparting a wonderful scent to any yard!
Ms. Cassidy even threw in a tip for today's cook: a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in any chocolate recipe - including a store-bought cake mix - can enhance the flavor of the chocolate.
Visitors who want to take home a tasty memento from their visit can purchase chocolate bars, sticks, and spiced drink mix from The Shops at Mount Vernon.
George Washington's home is in Northern Virginia, down a picturesque drive just 16 miles from the nation’s capital.
Hours of operation: April-August, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; March, September, October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; November – February, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Regular admission rates: adults, $15.00; senior citizens, $14.00; children age 6-11, when accompanied by an adult, $7.00; and children under age 5, FREE. Admission fees, restaurant and retail proceeds, along with private donations, support the operation and restoration of Mount Vernon.
For more information, visit www.MountVernon.org.
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To read more about contemporary Christmas at Mount Vernon, including a 5-foot wide gingerbread replica of the president's mansion created by White House Chef Roland Mesnier, click here.
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