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  • Favorite Presidential Drinks - Part 1

    • 09/08/2016
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    Considering this is a presidential election year, American Bars thought that it might be both interesting and patriotic to look back and see what our leaders sipped or guzzled, depending on the stress and strain of the job at the time. We will endeavor to offer this list over a period of five days, covering roughly 10 presidents each day and the last day finishing up with four.

    What a person drinks, may be a sign of his personality and character. Let’s find out…

     

    #1 - George Washington

    Preferred Drink: Dark Porter

    According to Will-Weber, "Washington sold whiskey (made near Mount Vernon), but he probably rarely, if ever, drank it."

    Rather than the hard stuff, the first president of the United States loved dark porter beer, which he would lace with molasses.


     

    2 John Adams

    By all accounts, the second president of the U.S. loved his alcohol. In fact, he started "almost every morning with a hard cider," per Will-Weber.

    Adams, who was portrayed by actor Paul Giamatti in an HBO mini-series, also drank "porter beer, rum and copious amounts of Madeira.”


     

    3 #3 - Thomas Jefferson

    Preferred Drink: Wine

    According to Monticello.org, Thomas Jefferson said in 1818 that "in nothing have the habits of the palate more decisive influence than in our relish of wines." The site also states that Jefferson developed a taste for fine wines in his younger years when visiting vineyards in Burgundy and Bordeaux (France).

    Of course, Jefferson's love of expensive wines (and large purchases of said wines) brought him "to the brink of financial ruin," according to Will-Weber. Always drink in moderation, folks.

     

    #4 - James Madison

    Preferred Drink: Champagne

    Per Will-Weber's book, James Madison once said champagne "was the most delightful wine when drank in moderation, but that more than a few glasses always produced a headache the next day."

    Tell us something we don't know.

     

    #5 - James Monroe

    Preferred Drink: French Red Wine

    James Monroe was a big fan of French wine, like Jefferson. Monroe preferred red wine and champagne, a thirst that got him into some trouble, per Will-Weber: "A small scandal occurred during Monroe's stint in the Executive Mansion when 1,200 bottles of Burgundy and Champagne from France were charged to an account that Congress had earmarked for furniture."

    But haven't we all spent our furniture budget on booze before? Honest mistake.

     

    #6 - John Quincy Adams

    Preferred Drink: Spanish Madeira

    John Quincy Adams not only enjoyed drinking Madeira (a style of Portuguese wine produced in the Madeira Islands), he also evidently held a pristine knowledge of different kinds as well.

    "There are some claims that JQA once conducted a blind taste test of 14 different kinds of Madeira and correctly identified 11 of them," Will-Weber wrote.

    So just try channeling the sixth U.S. president next time you're out tasting.

    #7 - Andrew Jackson

    Preferred Drink: Whiskey

    One of the most polarizing presidents in history, Andrew Jackson made, sold and, of course, drank whiskey.


     

    #8 - Martin Van Buren

    Preferred Drink: Whiskeyw

    Like his predecessor in the Oval Office, Martin Van Buren had an affinity toward whiskey. So much so, in fact, that he actually earned the nickname "Blue Whiskey Van," according to Will-Weber.

     

    #9 - William Henry Harrison

    Preferred Drink: Hard Cider

    According to history.com, a pro-Democrat newspaper mocked William Henry Harrison back in 1840 by claiming he was too old to be president. The paper said, "Give him a barrel of hard [alcoholic] cider, and... a pension of two thousand [dollars] a year... and... he will sit the remainder of his days in a log cabin."

    Harrison, a member of the Whig Party, used this smear attempt to mount a "log cabin campaign," which essentially embraced the statement and positioned "Old Tip" as a common man who enjoyed drinking and relaxing. It probably didn't hurt that his opponent, Martin Van Buren, was unpopular at the time and seen as elite.

    Harrison won the election, but developed pneumonia after delivering the longest inaugural address in history. He never recovered and died just one month into his term — the shortest ever for a U.S. president.

     

    #10 - John Tyler

    Preferred Drink: Champagne

    According to Will-Weber, John Tyler was "very fond" of champagne and wrote as much in a letter to his daughter.

    tomorrow — the next 10.

     
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Favorite Presidential Drinks - Part 1

Considering this is a presidential election year, American Bars thought that it might be both interesting and patriotic to look back and see what our leaders sipped or guzzled, depending on the stress and strain of the job at the time. We will endeavor to offer this list over a period of five days, covering roughly 10 presidents each day and the last day finishing up with four.

What a person drinks, may be a sign of his personality and character. Let’s find out…

 

#1 - George Washington

Preferred Drink: Dark Porter

According to Will-Weber, "Washington sold whiskey (made near Mount Vernon), but he probably rarely, if ever, drank it."

Rather than the hard stuff, the first president of the United States loved dark porter beer, which he would lace with molasses.


 

2 John Adams

By all accounts, the second president of the U.S. loved his alcohol. In fact, he started "almost every morning with a hard cider," per Will-Weber.

Adams, who was portrayed by actor Paul Giamatti in an HBO mini-series, also drank "porter beer, rum and copious amounts of Madeira.”


 

3 #3 - Thomas Jefferson

Preferred Drink: Wine

According to Monticello.org, Thomas Jefferson said in 1818 that "in nothing have the habits of the palate more decisive influence than in our relish of wines." The site also states that Jefferson developed a taste for fine wines in his younger years when visiting vineyards in Burgundy and Bordeaux (France).

Of course, Jefferson's love of expensive wines (and large purchases of said wines) brought him "to the brink of financial ruin," according to Will-Weber. Always drink in moderation, folks.

 

#4 - James Madison

Preferred Drink: Champagne

Per Will-Weber's book, James Madison once said champagne "was the most delightful wine when drank in moderation, but that more than a few glasses always produced a headache the next day."

Tell us something we don't know.

 

#5 - James Monroe

Preferred Drink: French Red Wine

James Monroe was a big fan of French wine, like Jefferson. Monroe preferred red wine and champagne, a thirst that got him into some trouble, per Will-Weber: "A small scandal occurred during Monroe's stint in the Executive Mansion when 1,200 bottles of Burgundy and Champagne from France were charged to an account that Congress had earmarked for furniture."

But haven't we all spent our furniture budget on booze before? Honest mistake.

 

#6 - John Quincy Adams

Preferred Drink: Spanish Madeira

John Quincy Adams not only enjoyed drinking Madeira (a style of Portuguese wine produced in the Madeira Islands), he also evidently held a pristine knowledge of different kinds as well.

"There are some claims that JQA once conducted a blind taste test of 14 different kinds of Madeira and correctly identified 11 of them," Will-Weber wrote.

So just try channeling the sixth U.S. president next time you're out tasting.

#7 - Andrew Jackson

Preferred Drink: Whiskey

One of the most polarizing presidents in history, Andrew Jackson made, sold and, of course, drank whiskey.


 

#8 - Martin Van Buren

Preferred Drink: Whiskeyw

Like his predecessor in the Oval Office, Martin Van Buren had an affinity toward whiskey. So much so, in fact, that he actually earned the nickname "Blue Whiskey Van," according to Will-Weber.

 

#9 - William Henry Harrison

Preferred Drink: Hard Cider

According to history.com, a pro-Democrat newspaper mocked William Henry Harrison back in 1840 by claiming he was too old to be president. The paper said, "Give him a barrel of hard [alcoholic] cider, and... a pension of two thousand [dollars] a year... and... he will sit the remainder of his days in a log cabin."

Harrison, a member of the Whig Party, used this smear attempt to mount a "log cabin campaign," which essentially embraced the statement and positioned "Old Tip" as a common man who enjoyed drinking and relaxing. It probably didn't hurt that his opponent, Martin Van Buren, was unpopular at the time and seen as elite.

Harrison won the election, but developed pneumonia after delivering the longest inaugural address in history. He never recovered and died just one month into his term — the shortest ever for a U.S. president.

 

#10 - John Tyler

Preferred Drink: Champagne

According to Will-Weber, John Tyler was "very fond" of champagne and wrote as much in a letter to his daughter.

tomorrow — the next 10.

 
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