Steve Bashore

Background

About Steve Bashore

I have been involved in living history and museums for over 25 years, and have been a traditional miller for all of those years running water powered gristmills. I have produced a variety of food grade products to include cornmeal, pancake flour, grits, whole meal flour, buckwheat flour and superfine white flour. Since 2007 I have been a traditional distiller and been involved in making whiskey, brandy and other spirits in an 18th century manner, at George Washington's Distillery at Mount Vernon. In recent years, we have branched out from rye whiskey, and made single malt whisky, rum, and most recently bourbon whiskey. In addition to production work, I have conducted thousands of tours over the last 25+ years, offering historical information and narrative stories to inform people of all ages. I have been on a wide variety of television shows, press interviews for television and radio, and also podcasts. I lecture regularly on historic topics, ranging from George Washington, historic distilling, milling, farming, the history of windmills and watermills, and 18th century trade and economics. I represent Mount Vernon and George Washington's Distillery, handling brand advocacy, conducting tours and tastings on site, and at events around the country. Prior to my work at George Washington's Mount Vernon, I worked at Stratford Hall Plantation, in Westmoreland County Virginia, I was in charge of the gristmill and also led tours of the mansion, and plantation tours. I directed the restoration of the Stratford Mill, which was a 27-month project working with a traditional millwright, where a new wood waterwheel and wood gearing, and other structural repairs were made to the mill. Before working at Stratford Hall, I worked at Colvin Run Mill in Great Falls, Virginia, where I operated the mill and conducted a variety of tours and demonstrations.