Here’s the favorite drink of every US president

No one knows more about political drinking than author Mark Will-Weber, whose book “Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: The Complete History of Presidential Drinking” explores the stories behind each president’s favorite alcoholic beverage.

“Presidents drink for the same reasons we all drink,” Will-Weber recently told Business Insider. “Sometimes because it’s part of the job, sometimes it’s because they’re lonely or depressed – there’s a whole gamut of reasons of why people drink.”

For Will-Weber, knowing what the former presidents like to drink brings a “human side” to those who we “normally hold on a pedestal.”

Ahead, take a look at the president’s favorite alcoholic beverages, rounded up from Will-Weber’s book and The New York Post.

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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 at the 1865 inauguration as Lincoln's vice president that he had to be pulled off the stage.

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John Adams reportedly started every morning with a hard cider. William Henry Harrison was also a big fan.

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According to Will-Weber, Thomas Jefferson purchased so much wine it put him on the brink of financial ruin.

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James Madison, James Monroe, John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Ulysses S. Grant were all champagne lovers. Of these, Polk was the most modest drinker. Will-Weber told us about a small scandal that happened under Monroe, when a whopping 1,200 bottles of Burgundy and Champagne from France were charged to the White House.

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John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore, and James Buchanan enjoyed Madeira wine, which gets its flavor by being heated repeatedly.

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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 64.

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On the flip side, Abraham Lincoln apparently drank the least while in office. Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes, William Howard Taft, Benjamin Harrison, and Calvin Coolidge were also light drinkers.

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Beer was the drink of choice for James Garfield and Grover Cleveland.

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According to Will-Weber, the temperance movement tried to convince Chester A. Arthur to have a dry White House, but he refused.

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The McKinley's Delight was coined for President William McKinley. It was a strong drink made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, cherry brandy, and absinthe.

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Teddy Roosevelt used fresh mint from the White House garden to make his famous mint juleps.

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Woodrow Wilson and Dwight D. Eisenhower enjoyed scotch.

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Although Warren G. Harding was president during Prohibition, that didn't stop him from enjoying some whiskey before playing a game of golf.

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President Herbert Hoover requested a dry martini while suffering from pneumonia in his 80s, and Franklin D. Roosevelt was known for loving cocktails, especially gin-based martinis.

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One of Will-Weber's personal favorite presidential drinking stories is about Harry S. Truman, who would down a shot of bourbon every morning before starting his day.

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According to Will-Weber, President John F. Kennedy drank various cocktails, such as daiquiris, but his favorite was the bloody mary.

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A Texas native, President Lyndon B. Johnson enjoyed sipping a cold Texas-brewed Pearl beer while driving around his ranch.

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Will-Weber said President Richard Nixon enjoyed expensive bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild — but he'd often serve cheaper wine to his guests.

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While serving in the House of Representatives, Gerald Ford would drink martinis at lunch. When he became president, his staff suggested he stop that habit.

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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.

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President Ronald Reagan enjoyed Orange Blossom Specials, made with orange juice, vodka, and sweet vermouth.

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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.

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When he was a student, Bill Clinton regularly made snakebites: hard cider mixed with beer.

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President Barack Obama is a big fan of beer. Under his administration, the White House has brewed its own honey ale, using honey from hives on the grounds.

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Although President-elect Donald Trump unsuccessfully launched his own brand of vodka — and his family operates Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia — the man himself doesn't drink.

Source: CBS