The US founding fathers really liked to drink, and the Oval Office has been filled with more libations than liberals since the White House went up. And don’t forget the presidents’ wives, who were more thirst than First Ladies.
On today’s Moncrieff, Seán will be chatting to John Mathias, the writer of Party Like a President: True Tales of Inebriation, Lechery, and Mischief From the Oval Office, a guide to the gulping made by successive presidents and their administrations throughout US history.
Tune in live at 2pm: http://newstalk.com/player/
And if you find yourself wondering what the presidents were knocking back between missile crises and recessions, here are four of the cocktails they called their tipple:
Teddy Roosevelt’s Hot Milk Punch:
The man who gave his name to the Teddy Bear also lent it to a cocktail, though you’re more likely to find it attached to the Steiff Bear then a stiff drink. A mix of Cognac, rum, hot milk and nutmeg, it sounds more like a Christmas Eve treat than a nightly drink.
Rutherford B Hayes Spiked Punch:
While the 19th President may not be all too well known on this side of the Atlantic, he was a wile Methodist who managed to get around his First Lady’s decree. Lucy, who had borne him eight children and banned wine and liquor in the White House, turned a blind eye to the President’s booze-laced punch served in hollowed-out orange halves. When it’s a combo of sorbet, rum, cognac, orange liqueur and champagne, it does tend to go down easy.
Harry Truman’s Old Fashioned:
Truman’s wife Bess was referred to as ‘The Boss’ throughout his tenure as President, and her attitude to cocktails. The first time the First Couple ordered two Old Fashioneds, Bess was so displeased with the sweetness that she tersely told the valet the next night “We don’t like them so sweet.” In the end, the Trumans’ take on the orange-infused cocktail became just bourbon and ice.
Dolly Madison’s Whiskey Sour:
James Madison’s wife was known for her love of social engagements, despite the fact her husband was notoriously shy. Her favourite drink? A precursor to what we understand today to be a whiskey sour, a mix of bourbon, sugar and lemon juice.
