« All Events

Happy Hour: America: Made in Virginia

June 24 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 • 5:00 PM ET
Sponsored by the ESU Richmond, VA Branch
 
With the Commander of the American Forces from Virginia, four of the first five Presidents from Virginia, the authors of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution from Virginia, an early Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from Virginia, multiple signers of the Declaration of Independence from Virginia and, indeed, the very land on which Washington D.C. stands from Virginia, it is safe to say that Virginia was indispensable in the creation of our country.  Ellen LeCompte, President of the ESU Richmond VA Branch, will share the people, places, and things that Virginia contributed to successfully establishing our democracy.
 
This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the Richmond, VA Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free to attend, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link.

REGISTER HERE

About Ellen LeCompte

Ellen LeCompte is president of the ESU Richmond Branch, a former Regional Chair, and an ESU SSE alumna. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and is a proud Virginian and an acknowledged expert on the UK listed by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of their top Advisors in the United States. She has co-authored two books on the late Queen Elizabeth II’s historic relationship between Virginia and Great Britain. In 2025, Ellen was honored by King Charles III to be made a Dame of the Order of St John, one of Britain’s oldest chivalric orders dating back to the 12th century.
 

Cocktail
It should be a Mint Julep served in a pewter Jefferson Cup—preferably made with Bourbon from George Washington’s distillery at Mount Vernon!

Ingredients
8 mint leaves
1/4-ounce simple syrup*
2 ounces bourbon
Garnish: mint sprig
Garnish: Angostura bitters (optional)
Steps
In a silver or pewter cup or rocks glass, lightly muddle the mint leaves in the simple syrup.
Add the bourbon then pack the glass tightly with crushed ice.
Stir until the cup is frosted on the outside.
Top with more crushed ice to form an ice dome and garnish with a mint sprig and a few drops of bitters (optional).
*Simple Syrup Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
Prepare Simple Syrup
Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Let cool, then pour into a glass jar and seal tightly with a lid.
Simple syrup will keep, refrigerated, for about one month.