Jefferson's Drinking Habits: Wine And Beer Enthusiast

Thomas Jefferson was a wine connoisseur. He had a varied wine cellar, with a penchant for Lafite, Margaux, Yquem, Chambertin, Montrachet, Hermitage, and Tokay. He was also a strong advocate for wine drinking, believing it promoted moderation, famously stating, No nation is drunken where wine is cheap. He preferred wine to liquor and brandy, and his love for wine was so great that he spent a third of his salary on it during his first year as president. While Jefferson was a moderate drinker, consuming three or four glasses at dinner, his household servants were problem drinkers. He attributed his longevity to his moderate wine consumption and light eating of a mostly vegetarian diet.

Thomas Jefferson's drinking habits while writing the Declaration of Independence

Firstly, it is important to note that drinking alcohol was a necessity for survival in colonial times. Potable water was scarce, and most available water sources carried harmful diseases. As a result, drinking water meant risking one's life, and alcohol was seen as a means of staying hydrated.

Jefferson, like most of his countrymen before his journey to France in 1784, was a consumer of Madeira and port, with the occasional glass of "red wine." He also drank arrack, a spirit distilled from fruit, grains, or molasses, which was popular at the time.

Just before writing the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson noted in his account book, "Broached a pipe of Madeira, 1770 vintage." Madeira was a type of wine commonly consumed in the colonies, and Jefferson was known to enjoy it.

Jefferson was also fond of French wines and developed a taste for them during his time in France. He preferred the lighter wines of France and Italy over the stronger wines of Portugal and Spain, which were favored by the English. He also advocated for the reduction of duties on imported wines to make them more accessible to Americans.

While Jefferson appreciated and enjoyed wine, he was moderate in his consumption. He once wrote, "my measure is a sober one of three or four glasses at dinner, and not a drop at any other time." He also attributed his longevity (he lived to 83) to his moderate wine drinking and mostly vegetarian diet.

Jefferson had a wine cellar at his estate, Monticello, which housed a variety of wines from Europe and the colonies. He was also a viticulturist and conducted experiments with grape-crossbreeding and flavorful additives.

In conclusion, while we cannot know exactly what Jefferson drank while writing the Declaration of Independence, we can surmise that he likely enjoyed a glass or two of Madeira, his preferred wine at the time. His drinking habits were moderate, and he appreciated wine for its taste and its ability to promote moderation and social pleasure.

Jefferson's preference for wine over beer

Thomas Jefferson's preference for wine over beer was influenced by his time in France, where he developed a taste for the lighter wines of France and Italy, rejecting the stronger wines favoured by the British.

Jefferson's early experiences with wine were likely through his tutor, the scholar George Wythe, who had a vaulted brick wine cellar built under his beautiful Georgian house, where Jefferson lived while studying law. Jefferson's first encounters with good wine may have been at the table of Wythe, who definitely liked fine wines, and there are indications that Jefferson drank fine wines, especially Malmsey Madeiras, at Wythe's house.

In 1784, Jefferson travelled to France, where his taste in wine underwent a revolution. He rejected the alcoholic wines favoured by the English, as well as the toasts that customarily accompanied them. Instead, he chose to drink and serve the fine lighter wines of France and Italy, and hoped that his fellow Americans would follow his example.

Jefferson's preference for wine was also influenced by his belief that wine promoted moderation. In a letter, he wrote: "No nation is drunken where wine is cheap." He also believed that wine was healthier than other alcoholic drinks, writing that wine contains only 10% alcohol, compared with 40% or 50% in the case of whiskey and rum. He attributed his longevity (he died at 83) to moderate wine drinking and light eating, mostly of a vegetarian diet, especially in his later years.

Jefferson's preference for wine was also reflected in his spending. During his first term as president, when his salary was $25,000, he spent $13,000 on wines. He also had a dumbwaiter installed at his estate in Monticello between the dining room and the wine cellar, to make it easier to keep his guests' glasses filled.

Jefferson's love of wine extended beyond consumption, as he also educated himself on all aspects of viniculture, including the cross-breeding of grapes and experimentation with all sorts of flavourful additives. He corresponded with winemakers in France and Germany, trading information and recipes.

His favourite wines

Thomas Jefferson's favourite wines included Lafite, Margaux, Yquem, Chambertin, Montrachet, Hermitage, and Tokay. He also had a taste for Madeira, port, and claret.

Jefferson's appreciation for wine was formed during his time in France in 1784, where he developed a preference for the lighter wines of France and Italy over the stronger wines of Portugal and Spain that were popular in his home country. He was introduced to good wine by either the royal governor Francis Fauquier or his law tutor George Wythe, both of whom had a taste for fine wines.

Jefferson's favourite wine was a pale sherry, which he described in 1803 as having "most particularly attached my taste to it. I now drink nothing else, and am apprehensive that if I should fail in the means of getting it, it will be a privation which I shall feel sensibly once a day." He also praised a recent shipment of Nebbiolo, a sparkling Italian wine, as "superlatively fine" in 1806. In 1815, he wrote to a Portuguese wine merchant, requesting "the best" Termo, a Lisbon wine that is drier and lighter than port, or "good port" if Termo was unavailable. He also requested "white Hermitage of M. Jourdan of Tains, of the quality having 'un peu de la liqueur' as he expressed it, which we call silky, soft, smooth, in contradistinction to the dry, hard or rough." He further requested "red wine of Nice, such as my friend Mr Sasserno sent me, which was indeed very fine."

In 1816, Jefferson wrote that he was confining himself to "the physical want of some good Montepulciano...this being a very favourite wine, and habit having rendered the light and high-flavoured wines a necessary of life with me." In 1817, he praised a wine from North Carolina called Scuppernong, and in 1819, he wrote a letter to Stephen Cathalan, the American agent in Marseilles, explaining his tasting vocabulary and efforts to convert his fellow Americans to his preferred tipples. In the letter, he requested samples of wines with a "compound flavour of the rough, dry, and sweet, or rather of the rough and silky."

In his later years, Jefferson's cellar at Monticello contained mostly Scuppernong and a few cheaper wines from southern France.

How his drinking habits changed over time

Thomas Jefferson's drinking habits changed significantly over time, influenced by his travels to France and his role as American minister in Paris. Before his journey to France in 1784, Jefferson, like most of his fellow Americans, consumed Madeira and port, with the occasional glass of "red wine."

However, his tastes evolved during his time in France, where he developed a preference for the lighter wines of France and Italy, rejecting the stronger, alcoholic wines favoured by the English. He appreciated the dry dinner wines of France, which he continued to drink even after returning to America, where sweet wines like Sauternes were more popular.

Jefferson's love of wine was well-known, and he is credited with popularising champagne in America. He was a connoisseur, sampling and commenting on hundreds of the world's finest wines, including Lafite, Margaux, Yquem, Chambertin, Montrachet, Hermitage, and Tokay. He spent lavishly on wine, once spending $13,000 (approximately $200,000 in today's money) on wines during his first term as president when his salary was $25,000.

Despite his affinity for wine, Jefferson practised moderation in his consumption, stating that his "measure is a sober one of three or four glasses at dinner, and not a drop at any other time." He attributed his longevity (he lived to 83) to this moderate wine drinking, along with a light, mostly vegetarian diet.

In addition to wine, Jefferson also had a brewery at his estate, Monticello, and he served his own home-brewed beer to guests. He advocated for wine drinking over spirits, believing that wine promoted moderation and had a lower alcohol content than liquors like rum and whiskey.

His views on alcohol consumption

Thomas Jefferson's views on alcohol consumption were complex and multifaceted. He was known to be a connoisseur of wines, with a sophisticated palate and a vast knowledge of different varieties. He advocated for the consumption of wine over stronger alcoholic beverages like rum and whiskey, believing that wine promoted moderation and had moral benefits. In a well-known letter, he wrote, "No nation is drunken where wine is cheap."

Jefferson's appreciation for wine began during his time in France, where he developed a taste for the fine, lighter wines of France and Italy. He rejected the alcoholic wines favoured by the English, as well as the customary toasts that accompanied them. He preferred dry wines and believed that they should be enjoyed in moderation, with three or four glasses at dinner being his typical limit. He also believed that wine should be accessible and affordable, and worked to reduce wine taxes to encourage its consumption over harder liquors.

Jefferson's love of wine extended beyond personal enjoyment; he also had a strong interest in viticulture and viniculture. He corresponded with winemakers in France and Germany, exchanging information and recipes. At his estate, Monticello, he dedicated 200 acres to viticultural experimentation, overseen by the Italian expert Phillipo Mazzei. Jefferson also had a winery and a brewery at Monticello, and his wine cellar was renowned. He spared no expense in curating his collection, once spending $13,000 on wines during his first term as president—over a third of his $25,000 salary.

Jefferson's views on alcohol were also shaped by the cultural and social context of his time. In colonial America, drinking alcohol was often a matter of survival, as potable water was scarce and often carried harmful diseases. Taverns played a vital role in colonial life, serving as gathering places for social interaction, political discussion, and the exchange of news and ideas. Jefferson, like many of his contemporaries, recognised the importance of these spaces and frequently conducted business and socialised in taverns.

In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson's views on alcohol consumption were shaped by his personal taste, his belief in the benefits of wine over harder liquors, and the cultural and social context of his time. He was a passionate advocate for wine, both as a pleasurable beverage and as a contributor to a healthy and moderate lifestyle. His influence on America's wine culture is still felt today, and his contributions to our understanding of wine and its place in society are enduring.

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