President's Day
Presidential taste has varied widely from Honest Abe (water, thank you) to Franklin Pierce (who over-indulged in everything until he died of cirrhosis). But there are some trends. Skipping over beer-drinkers like Obama (NY law prohibits us from selling beer), whiskey was the favored drink of many including Eisenhower, Harding & LBJ. Theodore Roosevelt sought out mint juleps made of rye. While William McKinley preferred his rye straight up. Taft, Grant, Tyler, Madison & Monroe all drank Champagne. FDR & JFK both enjoyed their cocktails. Outlier Calvin Coolidge had a yen for sweet Tokaji. Perhaps the most discriminating presidential oenophile was Thomas Jefferson, who loved Madeira, Burgundy & Bordeaux. Whatever your choice, raise a glass to a president this weekend.
