All The US Presidents And Their Favorite Drinks

All The US Presidents And Their Favorite Drinks

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BY CARLIE HOKEAUG. 29, 2024 10:14 AM EST

Quite a lot has changed in the two and a half centuries the United States has been around. For as long as there has been a White House, though, there has been a commander in chief inside enjoying a beverage or two. Everything is political when you're a politician and whether it be a fancy cocktail, a simple lager, or a cup of black coffee, a president's drink of choice could be telling. 

To deduce all of the United States presidents' favored drinks, we looked to historical documents, written correspondence, and modern media. We also looked to historian and author of "Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: The Complete History of Presidential Drinking" Mark Will-Weber for his expertise.

You may be surprised to learn that our founding fathers often enjoyed some of the same drinks we do today. However, many did tend to drink quite a lot more alcohol than what may be deemed acceptable for modern politicians. This is because, during part of early U.S. history, fresh, clean water was harder to come by than in modern times. Alcoholic drinks like beer, mead, and whiskey would provide hydration more safely than potentially dirty water. Keeping that historical tidbit in mind, let's dive into the preferred presidential beverages, from what was in George Washington's canteen to Joe Biden's wildcard of a libation.

George Washington was a dark porter man

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As the first, George Washington may be one of the most well known presidents of the past, present, and future. Yet you may be surprised to learn that the face of our dollar bill enjoyed crafting beer and distilling whiskey near his Virginia estate, Mount Vernon. When it came to drinking, his favorite beverage was a dark porter.

John Adams loved hard cider

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History doesn't always describe a person's personality, but John Adams left us a pretty clear picture of his love affair with cider. He spoke of the elixir often in his letters to friends and family. According to these documents, hard cider was one of the few things he considered necessary for a happy life.

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