Before Jack Daniels, there was George Washington

Talk about a second act, man... ol' Georgy has even your Uncle Tommy... ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­   Hey Marilyn - it's Uncle Tommy... As you probably know, today is President's Day. A very wonderful, solemn day when mattresses and refrigerators go on sale, and we pretend to reflect on our favorite Presidents... (Grover Cleveland anyone?) If I'm being honest, I haven't been the biggest fan of most presidents in my lifetime. Ever since I was old enough to start having some coherent thoughts for myself, I realized that a lot (maybe most) of what was going on in Washington wasn't really for the benefit of the regular citizen. From questionable wars to even more questionable laws, it seems like the more things change, the more they stay the same, man. Anyway, I digress... On a slightly more lighthearted note, as I was thinkin' about what to write to you about today, I came across a crazy story about Mr. George Washington. Did you know that just two years after leaving the presidency, ol' Georgy became the country's largest whiskey tycoon? That’s right, the man whose face graces the one-dollar bill wasn’t just chopping down cherry trees (which, I'm sure you know, was a myth, but that's a story for another day...). After serving two terms as president and dealing with the stresses of founding a country, you’d think he’d settle down for a quiet retirement at Mount Vernon. But I guess George was a man who couldn’t sit still – something I can relate to, man. Apparently, after leaving the capitol in 1797, George hired a Scottish plantation manager and started dipping his toes into the whiskey business. Using the extra rye from his farms, he started producing whiskey. And in the span of just two years, his operation went from a little side-hustle to the largest distillery in America. By 1799, they were cranking out 11,000 gallons of the stuff, which he sold for a total of $1,800 ($120,000 by today's standards). If you want to read more about it, [here's a good article](. So what can we take away from our first president's whiskey business, man? Well, on one hand, I'd say it's an example of our long cherished tradition of hypocrisy and flip-flopping in politics. I have nothing against folks starting businesses or earning after they leave office (as long as it's ethical). But the kicker here is something called the "Whiskey Rebellion" that you might remember from history class... See, right before he left office, George Washington has famously shut down a rebellion of grain farmers and small-time whiskey distillers on the American frontier who couldn't pay a new tax. It was literally called the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, man! I mean, can you imagine the chutzpah that guy had? You go from taxing small-time grain farmers and whiskey distillers into open rebellion, calling up a militia, marching to PA and throwing a bunch of people in jail... To opening your own distillery and making a bunch of money doing it yourself just 3 years later. It'd be like if your Uncle Tommy had been preaching about the "dangers of cannabis" for years, and then turned around and started selling [High & Dry]( or [Cruise Chews](. Talk about a change of heart, huh? But on the other hand, I do think there's a silver lining in all of this... If George Washington can pivot at 65 and become a whiskey tycoon (a full 70 years before the Jack Daniel's was established, I might add), then why can't we, man? I mean, your Uncle Tommy didn't start this current business until I was in my 80s. Not saying that's realistic for most folks, or that I didn't have plenty of advantages as a celebrity. But I think it just goes to show, you're never too old to chase a dream or start a new chapter if you really set your mind to it. So, whether you're thinking about picking up a new hobby, changing careers, or just trying a new recipe, remember, it's all about taking that first step. Who knows what might happen, man? If you've got any wild second-act stories, hit reply and share them with me. And I also found a bunch of other interesting president stories as I was going down this rabbit hole - if you want to hear em' just hit reply and let me know... Keep on keepin' on, Peace and love, [Tommy Signature] Tommy Chong P.S. By the way, our LOVE sale is still live over at [Cheechandchong.com]( and [Getchongcbd.com](. If you haven't stocked up on your favorites yet, you can still get 30% and free shipping on both sites when you enter the code LOVE at checkout.     [Facebook]( [Instagram]( Don't Want These Emails? All Good Man! [Unsubscribe]( Send All Love Letters & Hate Mail Here: Tommy Chong's CBD 274 S 700 W Pleasant Grove, UT 84062