By Mike Shannon and Will Feltus
National Journal
Americans who most often drink Dos Equis are in the middle-of-the-road, while drinkers of Heineken’s flagship brand are strongly Democrat. Samuel Adams drinkers are strongly Republican, and more likely to vote.
Beer has a long and storied place in American presidential history and politics.
George Washington famously brewed it. James Madison purportedly sought to create a cabinet-level Secretary of Beer. And Franklin Delano Roosevelt helped make it legal to produce and sell (again) by championing legislation repealing Prohibition. Upon signing the bill, he reportedly said, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.”
As you may have heard, our current president likes his beer, too. Earlier this month, the Obama White House released two official recipes of its own in a blog post entitled “Ale to the Chief.”
Of course, this savvy election-year move was not the first time Obama has played the “beer card.” In 2009, he famously hosted a “Beer Summit” at the White House to help quell racial tensions.
Beer is also a staple on the presidential campaign trail, with candidates often visiting pubs to show they understand the common man. Similarly, pollsters sometimes ask the question, “Who would you rather have a beer with?” to gauge which candidate has the likeability edge.
