The presence of a vaulted storage area is evidence that this was the Octagon’s wine cellar. Families like the Tayloes, who entertained frequently, placed great importance on being able to serve a wide variety of fine wines and liquors. Alcoholic beverages consumed by the Tayloes and their contemporaries included wine, champagne, French and fruit brandies, claret, rum, whiskey, and gin as well as ales and beers. John Tayloe clearly invested both money and time in purchasing the wine for his cellar and thought his collection valuable enough to be included in his will, specifying that, “I wish my Stock of Liquors & Spirits on hand at my death to be equally divided among all my sons…”
