George Washington's 1757 beer recipe brought back to life ahead of America's 250th birthday

FOX News ^ | June 04, 2026 | Teresa Mull

[Red Badger]

TALEA Beer Co used molasses-based recipe from Washington's Seven Years' War notebook to craft historic brew

VIDEO AT LINK.......

The New York Public Library (NYPL) is giving visitors a chance to "taste history" by recreating George Washington's beer recipe from the first president's 1757 military journal, which is housed in the library's research collections.

The library collaborated with New York City-based TALEA Beer Co. to recreate the brew, along with a Liberty Lager to appeal to modern palates.

"The initial response to [the library] reaching out was obviously awe," LeAnn Darland, TALEA co-founder and co-CEO, told Fox News Digital. "Just to be considered to work with the New York Public Library is huge for us."

Washington's beer recipe was written in a journal he kept as a young colonel in charge of the Virginia militia during the Seven Years' War, the library's website says, adding that he likely served it to his troops while stationed at Fort Loudon, Virginia.

The "notebook, mostly in Washington's handwriting, contains the daily notes of the military commander: outlines for letters and orders, a list of officers' commissions, the names of wagon horses and a recipe for 'small beer.'"

"Small beer," according to the library, derives its name from the small amount of alcohol it contains.

It was quick to make, safer to drink because the brewing process helped eliminate bacteria in the water — and it was an "everyday, mainstay beverage," according to the library.

[Bigg Red]

😊

You can buy GW’s whiskey from Mt Vernon. Very expensive, though.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Franklin was in Boston where Sam Adams was a brewer. Maybe something That he brewed? Perhaps he used Malt from Sam Adams?

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/the-surprising-drinking-habits-of-our-founding-fathers

Though he may have been the most temperate among his fellow Founders, Ben Franklin said, “Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy.” A brewer and distiller in his own right, he’s also famous for coming up with The Drinker’s Dictionary, over 200 euphemisms for getting tore up. Among my favorites: “Piss’d in the Brook,” “Wamble Crop’d,” and “Been too free with Sir John Strawberry.”

Among the many lines on his resumé, one of them was brewer. Specifically, Sam Adams was a maltster in his father’s brewery, the guy who made the malts that would eventually become beer. He was also a master politician, and is credited with organizing the Revolution from inside New England taverns by getting would-be Minute Men mad as hell over the high price of rum.

[ansel12]

It means that the evidence points to his serving it to the troops but it isn’t proven, sometimes the evidence makes you pretty sure of something but you can’t put it down as confirmed history, but the reader still should have the information of what the historians think about it.

[ansel12]

I used to have the recipe for a Ben Franklin orange liqueur (shrub?) made with rum and oranges that took about 3-6 weeks to reach great taste, I would make it in an old (150 years?) 5 gallon whiskey jug and we would drink it during my election BBQ parties.

[ChronicMA]

So in 1757 a loyal subject of king George II named George Washington made a recipe for beer to be enjoyed by other loyal subjects of George II.

Earth shattering news

[glennaro]

I thought it tasted pretty darn good when I dined at Philadephia’s historic City Tavern during a business trip decades ago. I understand the landmark restaurant closed as an economic casualty of the Fauci Flu, but I hear there is a summertime garden at the site that serves “colonial-style” food and drink. Cheers!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Red; Interesting....Thanks for posting!

Going with the Germans here....Water, Malt, and Hops (and yeast) is the requirement of the German Reinheitsgebot for beer. (Under this German purity law St.Louis Budweiser does not actually qualify as beer, just as a Malt beverage. )

I do not see any malt in this recipe. He was using what he had on hand to take care of his troops? (Presumably to prevent dysentery from bad drinking water?) Not really beer...a type of beer perhaps. Leave out the hops and distill the result and you would have rum. (You Tube has videos on this...rum = quick way to make alcohol.)

Here the "sifter" of hops acted as a disinfectant until the yeast kicked in and started pumping out alcohol.

(Brave search summarizer_) Hops contain iso-alpha acids and essential oils that act as potent natural preservatives by inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Clostridium species. These compounds disrupt bacterial nutrient uptake by interfering with the proton motive force, effectively starving the bacteria and preventing them from multiplying.

This antimicrobial activity is highly effective in low-pH, alcoholic environments like beer, where concentrations as low as 10 IBU (Iso-Alpha Units) can completely inhibit many spoilage bacteria. While hops are generally considered safe for use in food and beverage preservation without toxic effects on humans, their primary application remains as a biological control agent in brewing rather than a general-purpose surface disinfectant."

[ptsal]

bkmk

[Red Badger]

#0 gallons isn’t that big of a container. Heating it to boiling might me a small problem..............

[Red Badger]

30!.......

[Red Badger]

This beer should have no gluten. And it should taste like RUM!

Grog is Watered down rum ..............

[Dr. Franklin]

George Washington. “To Make Small Beer.” From his 1757 notebook.

Funny but that was Napoleon's last request, "Make mine a short bier".

[Red Badger]

This apparently was a ‘quick’ beer, so that it could be enjoyed quickly. But if you let it ferment a little longer..............😁

[Red Badger]

It was proof that God like us and wants us to be happy!.................

[hanamizu]

So in 1757 a loyal subject of king George II named George Washington

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Interestingly, George II knew George Washington’s name because he signed a surrender to the French after the debacle at Ft. Necessity which helped to start the French and Indian (aka Seven Years War). George II thought GW a disgrace.

And his son George III said Washington was “the greatest man in the world” if he gave up command of the Continental Army after the Revolution was won—which Washington did.

[decal]

“And his son George III...”

(Nitpick Mode On) Actually his grandson (Nitpick Mode Off)

KG3 in a lucid period during his madness supposedly expressed a wish to abdicate and move to the US.

[Reily]

When GW surrendered Fort Necessity he was 22 years old and had less military training then a jrROTC freshman.

[EvilCapitalist]

I have a special bottle of George Washington Madeira which I bought at Mount Vernon, and am saving for my Nephew’s 21st birthday.

[Pelham]

Small beer was a way to make water safe to drink in the pre chlorine era that we now take for granted.

One reason that the Pilgrims landed when they did was that they had run out of beer.

[hanamizu]

When GW surrendered Fort Necessity he was 22 years old and had less military training then a jrROTC freshman.

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Yes, indeed. His first step onto the world history stage wasn’t a happy one. But the fact that his actions helped to start a world-wide conflict and certainly attracted the notice of his king can’t be denied. He latter proved his mettle at the Battle of the Monongahela where he successfully led the British army to safety.

The greatness of Washington is often overlooked today