George W. Bush Had A Go-To Whiskey (Until He Quit Drinking)

Though George W. Bush was born in Connecticut, the child of a prestigious New England family, he is, at heart, a Texan through and through. The 43rd President of the United States, and one of only two presidents to follow their father to the office, Dubya, as he is sometimes affectionately known, has come to enjoy a bit of a reputation for his easygoing manner and history of party-animal shenanigans. So it might come as no surprise that, once upon a time, Bush had a lot of love for one particular brand of whiskey: none other than Jim Beam.

It just makes sense that Bush would be fond of Jim Beam. After all, this Kentucky-based bourbon brand has been churning out flavorful whiskies since 1795, and even through several rebrands, has remained an American classic. The brand is well-known for its approachable reputation, though the label does make a rare bourbon that you just might catch on your next Costco run.

Now, you won't find Bush enjoying a pour of Jim Beam these days. In fact, it's been several decades since Bush had any alcohol whatsoever, as he stopped drinking cold turkey shortly following his 40th birthday. Some rumors noted that his wife, Laura Bush, gave him an ultimatum: Choose her or his beloved Jim Beam, which prompted his sobriety. However, the former first lady dispelled this rumor in her 2010 memoir, "Spoken From the Heart."

George W. Bush isn't the only U.S. president to favor American bourbon. In fact, in 1964, fellow Texas politician turned president Lyndon B. Johnson signed an act of congress that declared bourbon to be "America's Native Spirit." Johnson's personal tastes tended towards Scotch, however. Bush did have good company in enjoying whiskey, as this was an alleged favorite of Ulysses S. Grant. Grant is said to have preferred Old Crow, a whiskey that is now produced by Jim Beam.

Other presidents prefer spirits in the form of cocktails, as was the case with Gerald Ford, who had quite the taste for martinis (and three-martini lunches, cocktail-fueled lunches that became a tax loophole). Ford was joined in his love for the cocktail by Franklin Roosevelt, who loved his martinis dirty and made with gin. Bush too loved vodka martinis as well as beer. Meanwhile, John F. Kennedy enjoyed a quintessentially midcentury favorite: the bloody Mary. This is to say, there is no one, singular presidential drink. So order as you please. Or, look up your political hero's favorite drink and follow suit. Just know that, as far as we can tell, no president has ever held vodka Red Bull as their gold standard (yet).

While George W. Bush was known to enjoy his Jim Beam, by the time he became president, he had been alcohol-free for quite some time. And he is certainly not the first president to avoid imbibing while in office. In fact, Donald Trump prefers Diet Coke over alcohol. James K. Polk and Rutherford B. Hayes were known to have banned drinking at the White House. This only makes sense considering that both of their wives were associated with the Temperance Movement, which was instrumental in eventually making Prohibition the law of the land (at least for a little while).

Like Bush, Ulysses S. Grant quit his bourbon habit before taking office as president. Georgia's Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president of the United States, was known to rarely imbibe alcohol, despite his brother's infamous Billy Beer business. And Gerald Ford committed to sobriety after his term as president. He did so following his wife, Betty Ford, who herself recovered from alcoholism in the public eye, and later became an advocate for addiction recovery. She co-founded the Betty Ford Center in 1982, which offered help to those wanting to treat their alcohol and substance addictions. Joe Biden, who has a strong family history of alcohol addiction, has chosen to remain sober his whole life, preferring a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream as his go-to refreshment.