This Is What Former First Ladies Liked To Drink

Fascination with the first ladies of the United States of America inspires interest in all aspects of their dining lives, from Eleanor Roosevelt's favorite dessert to Michelle Obama's personally-endorsed energy beverage. Exploring the favorite drinks of former first ladies is at the top of the list; who wouldn't want to learn the boozy business of these ordinarily-staid figures? The subject has even inspired a menu of signature drinks based on several first ladies and their public personas. It's a peek inside their personalities, whether their tastes tended toward classic concoctions or they preferred more contemporary cocktails when business hours were over and the White House became the home front once again.

Since it's rare to find photographs of these historic women imbibing their preferred creations, it takes a little digging to discover which spirits, sips, and cocktails former first ladies have taken a liking to. But if you look deep enough on the internet, you can find a trove of info about the drinking habits of presidential wives from the beginning of the Great American experiment to the first ladies of the 21st century. You can even cop recipes for their favorite concoctions and give them a try for yourself.

Doctor, professor, and former First Lady Jill Biden has another title to add to her multi-hyphenate collection of accomplishments: the title of martini lover. Dr. Biden's adoration of the simple yet posh mixture came to light during an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," in which the former first lady raised the glass with the powerhouse vocalist host. Her favorite way to enjoy her martinis? While snacking on french fries, which she did with Clarkson as a post-COVID restriction promise kept. The televised moment made the already-likeable former first lady even more relatable, revealing that even the most put-together people in the world enjoy a tipple to get the relaxation rolling.

There's no need to limit yourself to a simple martini when there are many delicious martini recipes to sample one at a time. If you're looking for french fries to enjoy with yours, haul out the air fryer for a 20-minute french fry recipe that provides crisp and tender bar bites to nibble on. It's a tasty tribute to the traditions followed by Dr. Biden as a thoroughly-modern first lady who knows what she likes from the bar.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama's wholesome food traditions in the White House were well-known, as was her dedication to a cleaner and more health minded diet for the children of the United States. But when it comes to settling in with something to sip, Mrs. Obama is a purist who loves a straight-up martini with no frills. If you had to guess based on her warm, earthy presence, you might have assigned her something more complex and sophisticated. On a podcast with actress Sophia Bush, however, the former first lady revealed her yen for this whistle-clean version of a martini that features vodka, with just a tiny bit of vermouth, and cold olives. It's a no-frills classic that has no choice but to stand up under its own restrained charms.

The former first lady comes by her appreciation for vodka martinis honestly; she was introduced to them by her husband, former President Barack Obama, early in their dating life. Michelle was a novice drinker who was impressed with Barack's choice in liquor. Considering that the Obamas have been married for more than 30 years, this first lady's drink preference has as much staying power as her devotion to her husband.

Hillary Clinton may have begun her political career as the first lady both for governor and President Bill Clinton, but her role as a senator and eventually as secretary of state and presidential candidate herself led to high pressure situations that required steal nerves and a steady mind. To alleviate the stress after the most taxing political encounters, her go-to glug became the masterful martini. In an interview with TV Guide, the former first lady-slash-senator-slash-secretary-of-state noted that she preferred her martinis shaken, like the best James Bond beverage orders. Talk about a power play at the bar.

Make yourself a classic martini that'll shake up your cocktail situation just like Clinton by adding an ounce each of gin and vermouth to a shaker with ice. Pour into a classic cone-shaped martini glass and float a twist of lemon peel to add a little flair to the moment. You may not be polishing off the rough edges after a busy day of keeping the world democracy machine humming, but you'll get a sense of how this power player unwound before heading back to the beltway the next morning.

As a no-nonsense Texan who exuded earthy warmth and practical charm, Barbara Bush was a whiskey drinker who preferred a sip as straightforward as she was. Even as she approached the end of her life at the age of 92, it was reported that Mrs. Bush was still enjoying her bourbon on the night of her passing. The event inspired fans on social media to tip a glass in her honor using the hashtag #BourbonforBarbara. Toasting her exit from this world on her way to the next one is the kind of sensible, wink-and-smile departure to be expected from a personality as looming and indelible as Barbara Bush.

Rather than being a single drink, bourbon is really more of a family of spirits, with a requirement that to be labeled "bourbon," it must be crafted in the U.S. and fall in line with specific standards as set forth by a resolution from the 1964 Congress. This is often conflated with the notion that all bourbon comes from Kentucky, though in reality bourbon is distilled in many locales around the globe.

The legacy left behind by Betty Ford as a first lady began as a more concerning situation that led her into a field of compassion and understanding of those with alcohol addiction. The first lady herself was famously afflicted with alcohol issues. During her time in the White House with her husband, President Gerald Ford, Mrs. Ford could be seen sipping vodka and tonics as a nightly practice.

A more lasting impression than even her time in the White House was her dedication to sobriety, which resulted in her opening The Betty Ford Center in 1982. Ford herself addressed the patients at the center for a full 25 years;her openness and willingness to face her challenges head-on set the tone for others to follow. One of the best-known addiction centers favored by high-profile figures in need of help, the center has become a model for how to treat patients with dignity, respect, and discretion as they undertake the program.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Jackie Kennedy was the epitome of poise and grace, both in the White House and out, and part of her elegance came in the form of her favorite beverage. She preferred an upscale creation, the classic Negroni. It's no challenge to picture First Lady Kennedy with a cocktail glass in her hand, sipping away as she decompressed with her husband at the end of a long and stressful day. Camelot lore tells that the first lady's security detail, Clint Hill, likely introduced Mrs. Kennedy to a beverage consisting of Campari, vodka, and tonic water, served in a glass with ice and an orange slice. Hill even reportedly had it printed on a card to make sure it was executed just so, exactly how the first lady preferred.

What exactly is a Negroni, anyway, and how close did Jackie's preferred version come to the real deal? This popular beverage is an Italian drink enjoyed after dinner as a digestif, which is a tonic that helps with digestion after a meal. The simplest recipe includes 1 ounce each of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, with an orange peel garnish and a spritz of the essential oils to impart a citrusy kick. Even if you create a more traditional version to enjoy, you can think of Jackie Kennedy as something of a cocktail kindred as you swizzle a Negroni of your own.

There's something extremely cosmopolitan about visualizing First Lady Mamie Eisenhower taking a swig of a timeless Manhattan during her time in the White House. While her husband Ike was a scotch lover, Mrs. Eisenhower treated herself to these more involved whiskey drinks. The couple even had a full bar set and would entertain visitors with a suite of cocktails as an entrée into dinner. Mamie's fondness for Manhattans combined with her compromised balance due to Ménière's disease led to speculation that the first lady may have had a drinking problem, though this wasn't true.

The Manhattan that Mamie loved is a blend of rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, accented by angostura bitters and garnished with a maraschino cherry. It's similar to an old-fashioned minus the sugar cube and is sometimes served in a martini-style cocktail glass rather than the whiskey glass an old-fashioned is served in. It's a tricky balance between the sharpness of the whiskey, the tang of the bitters, and the candy-coated sweetness of the cherry that gives all three tasting notes equal space.

It may sound like an oxymoron to say that former First Lady Bess Truman's mid-century preference was a classic old-fashioned, but that's just what this presidential spouse and her high-profile husband Harry favored when the happy hour rolled around in the White House. The two originally requested the butler on the White House grounds to concoct a pair of old-fashioned cocktails, but he made them sweet enough to qualify as "fruit punch," as Mrs. Truman is reported to have complained. When no version of the recipe was to the couple's liking, the butler simple poured bourbon in glasses with ice, which turned out to be exactly how the Trumans preferred their old-fashioneds.

For a real old-fashioned — one that goes beyond the bourbon-rocks route without reaching the level of fruit punch — the blend features bourbon with angostura bitters dropped onto a sugar cube with a little water. The sugar cube is crushed to make a sludgy syrup-like consistency before bourbon is poured over top. An orange peel and a maraschino cherry serve as garnish, though if you're like the Trumans, you may want to leave the extra sweetness out of the picture.

President Woodrow Wilson's missus, Edith, may have been at her husband's side during his Prohibition-era presidency. During their time in the White House, the couple entertained nearly not at all, and they weren't known to drink liquor as a habit while in the administration. But after her husband's death, and while the 18th Amendment forbidding alcohol was still in place, the former first lady didn't shy away from serving liquor in her home. Her bottle of choice was Virginia Gentleman whiskey, something she presented for the enjoyment of her guests — and most likely, her own enjoyment, too.

How does Virginia Gentleman stand up against the near-century of whiskeys that have crowded liquor store shelves? Some reviewers have declared it a perfectly middling liquor, with nothing outstanding to merit a sip and nothing repellant to prevent anyone from trying it, either. A. Smith Bowman Distillery, the Fredericksburg company that manufactures Mrs. Wilson's preferred potable, pushed it into the background in the early-2000s in favor of small-batch and premium products instead. So the Virginia Gentleman stands largely silent, with a history of pleasing the Prohibition age post-presidential set in generations past. That's quite an accomplishment for a bottom-shelf liquor.

It sounds like rip-roaring fun to adopt Champagne punch as your favorite alcoholic indulgence, a fact that first lady Nellie Taft picked up on when she and her husband, president William H. Taft, occupied the White House. First Lady Taft wasn't one to kowtow to the demands of the temperance movement; in fact, she drank beer at beer houses in her hometown in Cincinnati and flouted the norms of the time by indulging in Champagne punch even her after her husband was no longer president and had transitioned into the Chief Justice of the U.S. during the Prohibition years. Despite her husband's objections, Mrs. Taft had no intention of denying herself the pleasure of raised glass.

The Champagne punch in question is described as a combination of Champagne and Cointreau, an orange-flavored liqueur that adds sweetness and tang to the bubbles in the glass. Of course, real Champagne and sparkling wine are often used interchangeably, which opens the door for you to experiment with a citrus-infused Champagne punch of your own. Bear in mind that if you head too far into juice territory, you could end up with a mimosa instead of a Champagne punch ... not that there's anything wrong with that. Nellie Taft would likely be willing to enjoy one of those, too.

After the Civil War, First Lady Julia Grant became known for serving a powerful punch during White House get-togethers, a concoction that blended Champagne, rum, and brandy into a seriously succulent sipper. Her tendency for providing this punch along with wines at dinners in the residence led to rumors of her husband, President Ulysses S. Grant, having his own challenges with alcohol. To combat the scuttlebutt, Mrs. Grant took to the newspapers to issue denials of the president's habits and salvage his reputation. Still, she enjoyed her parties and her punch.

It isn't difficult to find a version of this 19^th-century cocktail under the name Roman Punch. Equal parts cognac and brandy with half as much white rum and lemon juice creates the standard mix, though there's no mention of Champagne. This is where creativity and improvisation come into play; by floating a bit of prosecco into each glass, you can resurrect the soul of first lady Grant's well-known party punch to get a feel for how the post-war presidential palace partied.

Even if her husband was more of a restrained figure, it turns out Dolley Madison was one of the most party-ready first ladies in the history of the U.S. She was known for her Wednesday Squeezes, named so due to the enormous crowds that gathered for the occasion. Having the whiskey sour as her choice in preferred drinks reflected her festive sensibilities, with a fizzy drink that took oaky bourbon into lavish territory. Though it's unlikely that Mrs. Madison's era used the term "whiskey sour," historians have discerned the combination of ingredients used during her cocktail-fueled celebrations were in line with what the drink came to be known as. Consider James Madison's wife an early adopter of a barroom classic.

Anyone interested in emulating first lady Madison can whip up a whiskey sour as easily as splashing together bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup. A whipped egg white adds fun froth, while three dashes of angostura bitters incorporate complexity and depth. Drop in a maraschino cherry and garnish with a curl of orange peel and you too can party in the sour lane just like Dolley did.

There must have been some wild times in the White House when the Jeffersons held court, thanks in small part to First Lady Martha Jefferson's handy ways with home brewing. Craft beer may have slowly become a hipster's way of appreciating sudsy brews, but the OG first lady kicked off a White House tradition that few who followed dared to continue. Her practice of brewing low-alcohol batches in 15-gallon quantities every couple of weeks was a regular thing in the couple's early married years. In fact, Thomas' plans for their Monticello home included a beer cellar and a space for brewing at one point.

What could Martha Jefferson's beer have tasted like? Given President Jefferson's penchant for malt liquors and cider — and knowing how little alcohol the first lady's hobby brews contained — it's easy to imagine a relatively tame version of a colonial-era quaff. As an ancestor of the modern home brewer, Martha's ingenuity can be easily honored by popping a cap on a bottle of a locally-brewed beer that carries on the intrepid spirit of homemade suds.

To truly appreciate the favorite drinks of former first ladies, we need to travel back to the original first lady of them all, the magnificent Martha Washington. Entertainer that she was, Martha was down for whipping up rum punch to share with visitors who arrived for both work and pleasure at their homes in New York, Philadelphia, and Mount Vernon. It was a talent Martha inherited from her mother, who also provided the recipe used to comfort dignitaries in the earliest days of the Republic. With formal dinner parties and public receptions held weekly, there were certainly plenty of opportunities for Mrs. Washington to introduce folks to her tasty mix.

Emulate the original first lady's creativity with cocktails in a sweet rum punch recipe that incorporates rum, orange and pineapple juices, and sweet grenadine. A dash of orange bitters keeps from saturating your taste buds with sugar on sugar. For a more authentic version inspired by Martha Washington's own recipe, try the formula created by master mixologist Dale DeGraff as an offering from the official Mount Vernon website. It uses both dark and light rum as well as a variety of warm spices and wedges of citrus fruit.