Here's the favorite drink of every US president
Our first president, George Washington, was a whiskey drinker, as were Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor, and Andrew Johnson. According to Will-Weber, Johnson was so inebriated when he arrived to the 1865 inauguration as Lincoln's vice president that he had to be pulled off the stage.
John Adams reportedly started every morning with a hard cider. William Henry Harrison was also a big fan.
According to Will-Weber, Thomas Jefferson purchased so much wine, it put him on the brink of financial ruin.
James Madison, James Monroe, John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Ulysses S. Grant were all champagne lovers. Of these four presidents, Polk was the most modest drinker. Will-Weber told us of a small scandal that happened under the Monroe presidency, when a whopping 1,200 bottles of burgundy and champagne from France were charged to a White House account.
John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore, and James Buchanan enjoyed Madeira wine, which gets its flavor by being heated repeatedly.
According to Will-Weber, Franklin Pierce was one of the heaviest drinkers to fill the White House. He died of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 65.
On the flip side, Abraham Lincoln apparently drank the least while in office.
Beer was the drink of choice for James Garfield and Grover Cleveland.
According to Will-Weber, the temperance movement tried to convince Chester A. Arthur to have a dry White House, but he refused.
The "McKinleys Delight" was coined for President William McKinley. It was a strong drink made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, cherry brandy, and absinthe.
Teddy Roosevelt used fresh mint from the White House garden to make his famous mint juleps.
Woodrow Wilson enjoyed scotch.
Although Warren G. Harding was president during Prohibition, that didn't stop him from enjoying some whiskey before playing a game of golf.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was known for loving cocktails, especially gin-based martinis.
One of Will-Weber's personal favorite presidential drinking stories is about Harry Truman, who would down a shot of bourbon every morning before starting his day.
According to Will-Weber, President John F. Kennedy drank various cocktails including daiquiris, but his favorite was the Bloody Mary.
A Texas native, President Lyndon B. Johnson enjoyed sipping a cold Texas-brewed Pearl beer while driving around his ranch.
Will-Weber said that President Richard Nixon enjoyed expensive bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild wine — but he'd often serve cheaper wine to his guests.
While serving with the House of Representative, Gerald Ford would drink martinis at lunch. When he became president, his staff suggested he stop that habit.
President Jimmy Carter didn't drink much — so when he met with Soviet leaders, instead of taking a shot of vodka, he'd arrange for a small glass of white wine.
President Reagan enjoyed the vodka cocktail Orange Blossom Special, made with orange juice, vodka, and sweet vermouth.
George H. W. Bush dabbled in a bit of everything, from beer to vodka. However, his son, George W. Bush, didn't drink while in office.
When he was a student, Bill Clinton regularly made Snakebites: hard cider mixed with beer.
President Obama is a big fan of beer. Under his administration, the White House has brewed its own honey ale, using honey from hives on its grounds.
Although President-elect Donald Trump unsuccessfully attempted to launch his own brand of vodka (and his family operates Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia), the man himself doesn't drink.
Source: CBS
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