10 great places where presidents liked to drink
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If politics drives you to drink, you’re not alone. While Donald Trump is said to be a teetotaler, most of our presidents indulged freely, says Mark Will-Weber, author of Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: The Complete History of Presidential Drinking (Regnery, $27.99.) “They drank for the same reasons that most of us drink. They were bored, they used it to socialize, or because of the burdens of the job.†In honor of President’s Day, he shares some favorite sites tied to presidential boozing with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.
Congress Hall Hotel
Cape May, N.J.
Long before reality television, our commanders in chief were living it up on the Jersey Shore. While several presidents summered at the 201-year-old resort, including Franklin Pierce, Ulysses S. Grant and Benjamin Harrison, none indulged more than James Buchanan, considered the best drinker of all the presidents, Will-Weber says. “He could drink for hours and apparently not show any visible signs.†caperesorts.com
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Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Texas
Before widespread awareness about the dangers of mixing alcohol and driving, Lyndon Baines Johnson used to do both on his Hill Country ranch. He would often cruise around the property drinking bottles of Pearl beer or Cutty Sark from a plastic cup. “If someone said ‘Mr. President, you’re going pretty fast,’ he’d hold his 10-gallon hat over the speedometer,†Will-Weber says. nps.gov/lyjo
Ronald Reagan Lounge
Simi Valley, Calif.
Ronald Reagan celebrated his Irish heritage during his presidency, sipping a Smithwick’s ale in his ancestral village of Ballyporeen. When the bar closed years later, it was relocated to the Reagan Presidential Library, and is once again serving drinks. reaganfoundation.org
City Tavern
Philadelphia
When the Continental Congress needed to blow off steam, they retreated to this watering hole near Independence Hall. John Adams, who become our second president, was a regular, Will-Weber says. “He was a big fan of this porter, a dark beer made by Robert Hare.†Philadelphia’s Yards Brewing Co. now brews a similar version called George Washington’s Tavern Porter. citytavern.com
Government House
Bermuda
Not even the threat of armageddon could stop the flow of drinks. Less than a year before the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy convened with top British officials to discuss growing tensions with the Soviet Union. But England’s top atomic scientist Sir William Penney interrupted the talks to order gin and tonic. “For the rest of the discussions, the catch phrase that cracked everyone up was ‘Another gin-tonic please’,†Will-Weber says. The residence’s gardens are open to visitors during the summer. gotobermuda.com
Mount Vernon, Va.
Washington was not just a Founding Father, but a distiller as well. His whiskey-making enterprise has been diligently recreated at his Potomac River mansion, Mount Vernon. While the first president had a stern reputation, he could occasionally let his powdered hair down, Will-Weber says. “Once he had a couple drinks he became much more gregarious.†mountvernon.org
Harry S. Truman’s Little White House
Key West
The 33rd president acted like a college student on spring break when he headed south to Florida. He would often start his day with a pre-breakfast shot of bourbon, and likely indulged during nightly poker games, Will-Weber says. His landmark retreat has also hosted former presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and William Howard Taft. trumanlittlewhitehouse.com
The Broadmoor
Colorado Springs
While George W. Bush didn’t indulge in office, he certainly did as a younger man. That changed after he celebrated his 40th birthday with multiple bottles of wine at one of the Rockies’ top resorts. The next morning, he went out and tried to jog and only got about a half mile, and he swore it off, Will-Weber says. “His wife was all for it.†broadmoor.com
Ollie Hayes Bar
Moneygall, Ireland
Like Reagan, Barack Obama celebrated his Irish roots on his mother’s side with a visit to the village of Moneygall. After quickly downing a pint of Guinness, he was celebrated across the country. “It was a huge deal,†Will-Weber says. “He puts his money on the bar and says ‘The president always pays his bar bill.’ Obama made short work of it.†olliehayesbar.com
The Golden Tiger
Prague
In 1994, Bill Clinton met with Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel, who took him to a working-class pub in Prague, a city famous for its pilsner. The two threw back several pints, and the next morning, Clinton felt the effects, deciding to skip his early morning jog. Clinton, who wrote about his stepfather’s alcoholism, isn’t known for drinking though, Will-Weber says. “He is actually pretty moderate.†uzlatehotygra.cz/en
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This is one view of the famous scene in which a jubilant Harry Truman holds a copy of the “Chicago Daily Tribune” with the erroneous headline “Dewey Defeats Truman.†It was Nov. 3, 1948, the day after Truman won an upset victory over Thomas Dewey, his Republican challenger. Truman’s photo was taken at St. Louis Union Station while he was returning by train from his home in Independence, Mo., to Washington, D.C. Truman was probably one of the most famous presidential railroaders. During his 1948 whistle-stop tour, he traveled more than 28,000 miles and delivered about 350 speeches. On that journey, he used the Ferdinand Magellan, a 1928 Pullman car that had been specially outfitted with armor plate and bullet-resistant glass for use by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Truman’s campaign train typically had 17 cars, including diners, lounges and sleepers.Â
The Peanut Special was a charter train that carried approximately 380 supporters of President-elect Jimmy Carter from his hometown of Plains, Ga., to Washington, D.C., for his 1977 inauguration. Passengers boarded at the old Plains depot, which had served as Carter’s national campaign headquarters.The train consisted of three SDP40F locomotives pulling three coaches, eight 11-bedroom sleepers, three 10-6 sleepers, lounge car, dining car, kitchen-dormitory and a sleeper-lounge. In a nod to Carter’s Georgia roots, passengers enjoyed special lunch and dinner menus – shown here – peppered with Southern favorites including peanut soup, baked sugar-cured Georgia ham and peach ice cream.Â
President Bill Clinton, shown here with first lady Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea, kicked off a whistle-stop tour in Huntington, W. Va., on Aug. 25, 1996. Clinton’s charter train, known as The 21st Century Express, would stop at communities in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. The tour ended in Chicago where the Democratic National Convention was underway. The 13-car train was pulled by three Amtrak P-40 locomotives and included a mix of Amtrak bi-level Superliner cars – generally used on western long-distance trains – and historic equipment. The Clintons stand on the rear observation platform of the Georgia 300, built by Pullman Standard in 1930. Over the years, the private car has hosted trips for Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.Â
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