Sunday, March 09, 2008
Food, Wine, Beer & Spirits

Primary liquors

Bipartisan imbibing

By Jason Tesauro and Phineas Mollod

If politics makes strange bedfellows, and good champagne can help you land an enchanting mate into bed, then by some faulty logic, booze and politics are closely linked. While the current White House occupant is a recovering alcoholic, Jefferson was a huge wine enthusiast and had a wine cellar/icehouse constructed on premises to store his private collection (the cellar is no longer operational, and the White House only purchases wines per event, not for storage) and the Kennedys enjoyed the popular French wines of the day. Wine is an important part of official White House dinners, where, since LBJ, only American wines are permitted to be served.

The current election year is no different. Indeed, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group, the beer, wine and liquor industry has contributed around $5.5 million dollars in campaign contributions for the 2008 election cycle (split, 56 percent Dem./ 46 percent Rep.), consisting of contributions of $200 or more from PACs and individuals to federal candidates and from PAC, soft money and individual donors to political parties, as reported to the Federal Election Commission as of mid-February. Thus far, the top two contributors based on contributions from PACs, soft money donors, and individuals giving $200 or more are the National Beer Wholesalers Assn. and Anheuser-Busch. Who does this favor in the current race, a curious tippler might ask? Pollsters have characterized Clinton supporters as beer-drinking Dems (less educated, less affluent, concerned with today’s economic woes), while Obama’s camp is deemed the wine wing of the party (college educated, affluent, idealists); Huckabee’s man-of-the-earth persona definitely screams beer, McCain’s “straight talk” candidacy sounds more like Scotch served neat. Apparently, voters who favor bourbon on the rocks or alco-pop fruity hard lemonades are left without a candidate for whom to toast. Though, looking at the Georgia primary results from February, it seemed that the real “beer vote” (i.e., voters aged 18–29 who disproportionately drink more bottles of beer every weekend than un-oaked chardonnay) clinked their glasses for Huckabee (43 percent) and Obama (75 percent).

As the primary season wends its way to a conclusion, what should political enthusiasts mix at home while watching early polling results?   
   
Elephant’s Ear Martini (GOP)

• ½ ounce dry vermouth
• ½ ounce Dubonnet Blanc
• 1 ½ ounce gin
• Pour ingredients into iced mixing glass. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Arizona Cactus Banger (John McCain)

• 1 ½ ounce tequila
• Float ½ ounce Galliano.
• Pour over ice, fill with orange juice.
• Serve in a tall glass.

Arrack Cooler (Barack Obama)
Arrack, or Arak, is a rum-like, sugar cane and molasses-based Indonesian spirit with fermented Javanese rice that is the basis for Swedish Punsch. Thus, besides its near rhyme with “Barack,” Arrack’s pure multiculturalism alone seems Obama-esque.

It’s a tough spirit to find, but if you can get your hands on it, go ahead and mix up one of these:

• 1 ½ ounce Arrack
• ½ ounce rum
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Several dashes lemon juice
• Top with soda or champagne.
• Serve in a highball, copy of “Audacity of Hope” optional.

For Clinton, you’ve got choices amongst dozens of “lady” cocktails, but given her affiliation, try this one:
 
Blue Lady

• 1 ½ ounce blue curacao
• ¾ ounce gin
• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 egg white
• Shake and strain into a martini glass

Or, given that her New England Patriots–sized lead may reduce her to a bitter also-ran, consider mixing up this dandy:

New York Sour

• 2 ounce rye or bourbon whiskey
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
• Garnish with a lemon wedge and cherry. SP

Phineas and Jason are the authors of “The Modern Gentleman” and “The Modern Lover.” E-mail them at booze@sundaypaper.com.