All The US Presidents And Their Favorite Drinks

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To deduce all of the United States presidents' favored drinks, we looked to historical documents, written correspondence, and modern media.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.

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.

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.

This founding father's favorite time was likely "wine o'clock," especially considering he was known to send samples of his favorites to friends. According to his correspondences, Thomas Jefferson seemed to favor French and Italian wines. He regularly tried new variations and would often have shipments of wine imported to enjoy at the White House.

James Madison reportedly owned thousands of books (a marvel even in modern times) and sipped on about a pint of whiskey throughout the day. When he wasn't giving off this iconic image of a scholarly gentleman, he was toasting with Champagne. He called the bubbly drink "the most delightful wine."

Though he was born in Virginia, James Monroe spent a good amount of time in France on political endeavors. While there, he developed a taste for French wine. According to historian Will-Weber, over 1,000 bottles of Champagne and red wine were purchased and imported semi -off-the-books while he was president (via New York Post).

Madeira was a favorite wine of our forefathers, and is known as the drink the signers of the Declaration of Independence toasted to celebrate their treasonous proclamation. Though John Quincy Adams' father signed the iconic document, his son and our sixth president could allegedly identify numerous kinds of the wine by taste.

Andrew Jackson loved whiskey so much that he distilled some of his very own at Hunter's Hill, his Tennessee distillery, at the turn of the 18th century. In true patriot fashion, he preferred to drink whiskey made in the United States, either by him or other American makers, but he likely enjoyed all types of whiskey.

As a young man, Martin Van Buren made a bit of a name for himself as a man who loved to drink, and could handle himself just fine after enjoying quite a few. One of his many nicknames was "Blue Whiskey Van," after his love of the amber alcohol.

President Harrison not only liked to drink hard cider, but the alcoholic beverage helped him win the presidential election. His campaign used hard cider as a way to appeal to the people, his campaign slogan being "log cabin and hard cider." Naturally, Harrison freely handed out the beverage on the campaign trail as well.

The end of John Tyler's presidential stint saw the White House host quite a few Champagne parties. His sociable wife Julia was fond of the drink, as was the president himself. Tyler once wrote to his daughter and took the time to explain to her how much he enjoyed the French wine.

By all accounts, James Polk wasn't a heavy drinker and was never visibly impaired by alcohol, according to contemporaries. He did, however, drink in moderation and liked to sip on wine. While he was Commander in Chief, the White House was said to have had a healthy store of wine in its cellar.

Zachary Taylor is one of the few presidents not known to drink much alcohol. He is known to have enjoyed a large amount of iced milk and cherries shortly before his death. Milk was a popular drink for those who did not imbibe alcohol, and it is possible Taylor drank it often.

Millard Fillmore was known for being forgettable, which is probably why we don't have much info on Fillmore's daily drinks. We do know that, like Taylor, he didn't drink much alcohol. As he had a humble background, it makes sense that he would have a likewise humble inclination for water.

Franklin Pierce became president in his late 40s and was said to drink to excess both before and after his term in the White House. Though it isn't documented which alcoholic beverage was his preferred beverage, it is reported that quite a lot of it was consumed by our 14th president.

It was public knowledge that James Buchanan liked to drink alcohol, to the extent that he was often visibly impaired. His tastes for alcohol were apparently quite wide-ranging, as he kept a variety of wines on hand and reportedly bought around 10 gallons of wine a week when he was in his prime.

In a world where Abe Lincoln found enjoyment in alcohol, he'd likely be a hard cider guy. Apples were one of the only things Lincoln would eat, so cider would be an obvious choice. In our universe, he supported the anti-alcohol temperance movement and it was water, milk, and coffee that filled his cup.

Andrew Johnson was known to enjoy a good party, and he drank whiskey while getting in the spirit to celebrate. It's said that he consumed even more whiskey to help himself get over a hangover. This led to some humiliating public political appearances, including Abraham Lincoln's inauguration where he gave an embarrassing vice presidential speech.

History knows Ulysses S. Grant as a heavy drinker, though the truth is a source of controversy where Grant experts are concerned. He did binge drink at times and is associated with the Old Crow brand of whiskey. The Civil War general may have also had a love for Champagne.

Rutherford B. Hayes' association with lemonade came from his temperance-minded wife, Lucy, who served the sweet and refreshing drink in the White House in place of alcohol. The temperance movement was in full swing during his presidency, and he reportedly respected his wife's wishes to keep an alcohol-free White House.

We don't always have solid accounts of our forefather's favorite beverages, but a love for beer was pretty clear as far as James Garfield was concerned. In 1881, associate Thomas C. Donaldson wrote (via Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums) that Garfield, "liked beer and drank but little else."

Our 21st president was apparently a real foodie. Chester A. Arthur enjoyed a range of flavors, which extended to his choice of beverages. He ended the night with a variety of spirits and one of his favorite meals was accompanied with ale. He enjoyed a good glass of wine as well.

An apparent lover of bar culture, Grover Cleveland drank a staggering amount of beer. It is said that when limiting his beer consumption, he'd still drink a gallon a night. According to Will-Weber (via Maryville Forum), Cleveland and a friend vowed to drink just four glasses a day — but they found bigger glasses.

By all accounts, Benjamin Harrison was one of the U.S. presidents who did not drink alcohol. His wife did host White House tea parties, though. These small meals were reportedly a point of pride for President Harrison. Considering this and his avoidance of alcohol, tea was likely his preferred beverage.

William McKinley reportedly liked to have a bit of whiskey before he retired for the night, but his connection to the sophisticated alcohol goes deeper than that, as a cocktail was named after him on the presidential campaign trail. McKinley's Delight is made with rye whiskey, cherry liqueur, vermouth, and absinthe.

While you'd expect a rugged rough rider like Theodore Roosevelt to sip straight bourbon or enjoy a good mead, he was a light drinker. In fact, he sued a newspaper that had claimed he drank heavily. Roosevelt won the case. He did enjoy the occasional fresh mint julep, with mint from the White House garden.

Taft seemed to be a health-conscious president, as he abstained from both alcohol and smoking. The little drink he did consume was cast aside at the smallest word from his doctor around 1905. His exception was cider-like persimmon beer, which was regarded as a temperance-safe drink despite the fact that it contains some alcohol.

It's not surprising that a president would need a stiff drink during wartimes, and Woodrow Wilson certainly liked a finger or two of Scotch whisky. Yet he was a moderate drinker who only took a glass casually at night. Interestingly, his campaign slogan, "Wilson! That's all!" was derived from a Scotch brand. 

Although he died while in office before completing a full term, Warren G. Harding's presidency was ripe with scandal. He loved whiskey, which could be problematic even for the president during Prohibition. Harding allegedly served bootlegged liquor at the White House and the whiskey was reportedly sourced from the Justice Department's seized stash.

Though Calvin Coolidge served as president during Prohibition, he didn't totally support the banning of alcohol. Publicly he did seem to abide by the law of the land, but it's reported that he enjoyed a glass of Tokay wine occasionally. The sweet Hungarian wine is said to have been savored in private by the president.

As another president whose term overlapped with Prohibition, Herbert Hoover kept a dry White House. The banning of alcohol ended the same year he left office and as a former president he enjoyed a couple of martinis in the evening. He liked his martinis dry, with a touch of vermouth to dilute the gin.

As the president who finally ended Prohibition, Franklin D. Roosevelt was popular. Fittingly, he enjoyed making custom cocktails for his guests at the White House. His cocktail of choice was an unconventional martini, in which he mixed a bit of gin and absinthe with a lot of vermouth. Reportedly, these presidential concoctions were terrible.

Harry S. Truman had a straightforward leadership style, which pairs nicely with his drink of choice. An Old Fashioned is a classic, standby whiskey cocktail. Apparently Truman liked his served at extra strength, as he believed a mistake of crafting an Old Fashioned was making it too sweet.

Small dinner parties were a normal occurrence at the White House when Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office and drinks poured freely. His beverage of choice at these intimate events was a Scotch on the rocks. Common and lighter alcoholic beverages like beer and wine were likely regularly enjoyed by our 34th president as well.

JFK was clearly a very social president, and he often had an alcoholic beverage in his hand when he made appearances. He liked a good mixed drink, like Bloody Marys or his favorite, a daiquiri. When he opted for a beer, he was known to have reached for a Heineken.

Coca-Cola rolled out Fresca, a citrusy soda, smack dab in the middle of Lyndon B. Johnson's 1963-1969 terms. Apparently the beverage went over well with the Commander in Chief, because Johnson installed a Fresca button at his Oval Office desk. When pushed, the button prompted a staff member to serve him the refreshing drink.

When it came to wine, Nixon liked it French, dark, and expensive. Though he is reported to have enjoyed all types of red wine, he did have a standby. He frequented the 21 Club in New York City, where staff knew to have a bottle of Château Margaux ready for his visits.

Ford came into office right after Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal, surely a stressful transition. He liked to drink martinis so much that, according to Will-Weber, White House staff asked him to lower his consumption (via New York Post). As far as non-alcoholic beverages go, he enjoyed a coffee or an iced tea.

Despite having been a champion for the American craft beer scene, James "Jimmy" Carter does not drink alcohol often. He lives a quiet and rather humble life post-presidency, which implies that he'd now rather enjoy the simplicity of water over any more powerful beverage.

Unlike many other former presidents, Ronald Reagan did not really care for a liquor-based drink. Instead, he found quite a lot of enjoyment in a glass of wine. As his political career began in California, he was partial to the state's booming wine industry and drank wine from many of the state's wineries.

Though martinis are traditionally made with gin, some enjoy the classic cocktail made with the substitution of vodka. George H. W. Bush fit right in with this class of drinker and preferred a vodka martini when he would occasionally drink alcohol, though he sometimes opted for a beer instead.

Whereas some former presidents enjoy a straightforward drink, Bill Clinton's beverage of choice is an unconventional mixed drink called a snakebite. Made from equal parts lager and cider, this drink isn't one you typically get at a bar (at least not without asking the bartender), so Clinton likely has it custom-made.

Unlike his father who served as president before him, George W. Bush did not drink alcohol while in office. He quit drinking in the '80s and has enjoyed non-alcoholic beverages ever since. He seems to like the taste of beer, though, because he has been known to drink non-alcoholic beer.

Obama is known as a president who is in on trends, and the craft beer scene has been all the rage in modern times. Obama not only has been seen enjoying a brew during his appearances when appropriate, but he also even crafted some of his own when in the White House.

Remember Lyndon B. Johnson's Fresca button? Well, Donald Trump apparently took inspiration from his predecessor and installed his own Diet Coke button. The button was actually kind of warranted, as he reportedly drinks 12 Diet Cokes a day — 11 more than the maximum Diet Cokes you should consume in a day.

Like his frequent political opponent Donald Trump, Joe Biden does not partake in alcohol. Instead, he goes for something seen at virtually every American sports game and in most vending machines across the nation. Orange Gatorade is Biden's drink of choice, to the point where it's regularly kept in stock at his home.