Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: The Complete History of Presidential Drinking

Amazon.com ^ | 10/19/2014 | Mark Will-Weber

[skeptoid]

“Far too often, what passes for history is nothing more than rehashed, undocumented folklore and myth, and this is especially true with ‘cocktail history.’ Not so with this fine book, Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt. It is well-researched and documented, while also immensely enjoyable to read.” —Philip Greene, vice president, co-founder, and legal counsel of the Museum of the American Cocktail and author of To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion

“This charming and erudite book is full of surprises. I never dreamed that the presidents were such boozers! Pour yourself a toddy and ponder a vexing question: With which POTUS would you most like to raise a glass? Delightful read.” —Charlotte Hays, author of When Did White Trash Become the New Normal? and co-author of Being Dead Is No Excuse

“If drinking in presidential politics is no laughing matter, then why did George Washington—as I learned from this book—name his favorite fox hounds ‘Drunkard,’ ‘Tippler,’ and ‘Tipsy’? Mark Will-Weber’s Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt is a fascinating and well-researched tour through the liquor cabinets of America’s chief executives.” —Michael P. Foley, associate professor at Baylor University and author of Drinking with the Saints: A Sinner’s Guide to a Holy Happy Hour

[MeshugeMikey]

thank you!

Latest version...batch

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3217189/posts?page=20#20

[Politicalkiddo]

One of my favorite pieces of American history:

“The bar tab of a 1787 farewell party for George Washington is still intact. ‘According to the bill...the Founding Fathers drank 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 8 of whiskey, 22 of porter, 8 of hard cider, 12 of beer, and 7 bowls of alcoholic punch’. The party had 55 attendees.”

[SkyDancer]

Wonder how long the party lasted ...

[SamAdams76]

Back in colonial days, that was not considered heavy drinking for 55 men. A typical day for a person of that era would start out with a tankard or two of hard cider. John Adams would drink one before he went out for his morning walk. Water was not considered healthy in those days so people (even children) would drink, depending on one's station in life, ale, cider or wine throughout the day on a regular basis.

They would all laugh at our puritanical attitudes concerning alcohol today.

[Sherman Logan]

If I remember rightly, the Founders had about 3x the per capita alcohol consumption of today, higher than any modern country.