Presenting the potations of presidents past

Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), 18th President of the USA

The Man: As the commanding general of the Union Army during the Civil War, Grant was a clever, merciless strategist, skills he put to later good use as a three-term president. Never, before or since, has one utterly whiskey-besotted man accomplished so much. It is no real exaggeration to suggest that Grant had a measurable amount of whiskey in his blood for most of his adult life. During the Civil War, when complaints about Grant’s incessant drinking reached then-president Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln responded: “Find out what Grant drinks and send a barrel of it to each of my other generals.”

The Vice: A bourbon drinker, Grant’s favorite label was Old Crow. Despite being one of America’s oldest continually-distilled bourbons, Old Crow is widely considered little more than caramel-colored turpentine. In truth, the stuff ain’t that bad. It mixes splendidly with Coke and makes a good base for a Manhattan. Better yet, it’s cheap and available in most liquor stores.