| Commander in Chief....Of Drinking by Jim Attacap Some people surely believe that every American President was a teetotaler. The fact of the matter is that every single one of our nation's leaders enjoyed an adult beverage. As beer drinkers we would like to think that they all shared our passion for beer. In many cases they actually did to the point of having their own brewery. In his new book, “Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: The Complete History of Presidential Drinking” (Regnery), journalist Mark Will- Weber tells the history of presidency through booze. Here are some of our favorite parts: George Washington Washington sold whiskey (made near Mount Vernon), but he probably rarely, if ever, drank it. The formula was about 60% rye, 3% corn and a very meager amount of malted barley. As for his favorite drink — he loved dark porter (laced with molasses) that was made in Philadelphia. John Adams Adams loved alcohol, starting almost every morning with a hard cider. Then porter beer,rum and copious amounts of Madeira. Martin Van Buren Drank so much whiskey that it earned him a nickname, “Blue Whiskey Van.” He also enjoyed something called Schiedam (a gin-like Dutch specialty unique to New York’s Hudson Valley). Franklin Pierce Pierce drank a lot of everything and died of cirrhosis of the liver at age 65. When Democrats failed to support him for re-election in 1856, he allegedly said: “What can an ex-president of the United States do except get drunk?” Ulysses S. Grant When Grant did drink, he did not do it well. He reportedly suffered from low tolerance. In office, one of Grant’s White House entertaining bills included $1,800 for Champagne alone Grover Cleveland Grover mostly drank beer, and lots of it. He and a fellow politician once took a vow to hold themselves to four beers a day. When they found this too arduous a task, they simply switched to larger beer steins. Teddy Roosevelt Teddy liked Mint Juleps and used them to entice his cabinet to come play tennis with him at the White House. He used fresh mint from the White House garden: Woodrow Wilson Wilson loved Scotch. His campaign song — “Wilson! That’s All!” — actually came from a brand of whiskey that was popular early in the 20th century. Warren G. Harding Even though Harding was president during Prohibition — and it was unlawful to transport liquor — he habitually stashed a bottle of whiskey in his golf bag and thought nothing of taking a pop before he teed up. Herbert Hoover Hoover supposedly had a fantastic wine collection, but his wife allegedly dumped it down the drain when Prohibition hit. While suffering from pneumonia at the age of 80, he did have one request — a good, dry martini. Franklin D. Roosevelt FDR is most associated with cocktails. He enjoyed mixing gin-based martinis (and occasionally whiskey-based Manhattans). His favorite thing to sip while sailing was the Bermuda Rum Swizzle. Harry Truman Truman loved bourbon and quite often knocked down a shot of it in the morning; part of his routine that also involved a brisk walk and a rubdown. He also liked a very strong Old Fashioned and would complain if his staff made it too weak. John F. Kennedy JFK drank lots of different stuff, so it’s hard to pick a favorite. Some were trendy drinks of the rich — daiquiris, Bloody Marys, and (considered at the time a big deal because it was imported) Heineken beer. Richard Nixon Nixon would drink expensive bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild (costing hundreds of dollars); at the same time, he instructed his staff to serve mediocre red wine to his guests — with towels wrapped around the bottle’s label so they did not know what they were getting. Gerald Ford Ford grew accustomed to a few martinis, sometimes even at lunch, when he was in the House of Representatives. When he became president in the aftermath of Watergate, Ford’s staff had to suggest he cut back. Barack Obama The current president likes beer. The Executive Mansion also features White House Honey Ale (with honey from the White House hives) for special guests. -------------- Want to enjoy a drink of Presidents? Here are a few recipes for some of the Presidents' favorite cocktails. If you want to try President Obama's beer the recipe is online. William Clinton: As a scholar at Oxford, Clinton reportedly indulged in the Snakebite: Ingredients: 8 oz. hard cider, 8 oz. lager beer (Add ¼ oz. black currant liqueur for a "Diesel".) Ronald Reagan liked California wines and a drink called an Orange Blossom Special. Here is his preferred recipe: 1 oz. (or slightly less in Reagan’s case) vodka. 1 oz. of either grenadine or sweet vermouth 2 oz. fresh orange juice All brought together in a glass filled with ice. Franklin Roosevelt's beloved Bermuda Rum Swizzle: 2 oz. dark rum, , 1 oz. lime juice 1 oz. orange juice, 1 generous dash of Falernum (a sweet syrup). ------- You may never get an invitation to a White House party but at least now you can drink just like a President. Cheers! |
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