What Your Drink Of Choice Supposedly Says About Your Politics

Booze And Politics

A research study has attempted to correlate one’s favorite alcoholic drink with one’s politics:

Former Mississippi governor and uber-Republican Haley Barbour loves bourbon. Franklin Roosevelt mixed martinis. And, as it turns out, those two partisans have something in common with their base voters: Consumer data suggests Democrats prefer clear spirits, while Republicans like their brown liquor.

Democratic drinkers are more likely to sip Absolut and Grey Goose vodkas, while Republican tipplers are more likely to savor Jim Beam, Canadian Club and Crown Royal. That research comes from consumer data supplied by GFK MRI, and analyzed by Jennifer Dube of National Media Research Planning and Placement, an Alexandria-based Republican consulting firm.

The results are fascinating: Analyzing voting habits of those who imbibe, Dube found that 14 of the top 15 brands that indicate someone is most likely to vote are wines.

If you see someone at your New Years party tonight drinking Kendall-Jackson or Robert Mondavi wines, that person is highly likely to vote, and they’re likely to vote Republican. Someone who savors a Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot, one of Washington State’s top producers, or Smoking Loon, they’re likely to cast ballots for Democrats.

Columbia Crest, Ravenswood, Francis Coppola and Charles Shaw (better known as two-buck Chuck) all produce wines Democrats favor. Fish Eye, Bogle and Franzia drinkers are more likely to lean right.

And, perhaps not surprisingly, given the relative youth of those involved, people who take shots of Jagermeister or Don Julio are much less likely to vote.

The chart is set forth above, and you can click to enlarge for easier reading. In my case, it says that my choices in regard to wine tend to lean Republican while my choices in harder liqours tend to lean Democratic. Perhaps that’s the kind of bipartisanship this nation needs.

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Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. ernieyeball says:

    I’m an Anarchist. No laws. No Liquor.
    (For me. Wouldn’t want to resrict a citizens opportunity to imbibe)

  2. Rick Almeida says:

    I suspect gender is a strong predictor of drink choice, and we know gender is a powerful predictor of partisanship. I’d love to see this chart disaggregated by gender.

  3. Neil says:

    What about us teetotalers?

  4. Jane2 says:

    This is nonsense….I’m a red diaper baby, and I love Bogle, detest Smoking Loon.

  5. Gustopher says:

    Single cask scotches do not seem to be represented on the chart at all. I claim them for the upper left.

  6. HarvardLaw92 says:

    @Gustopher:

    I was just thinking the same thing (I don’t see me at all), ironically as I’m sipping some Balvenie 15 Single Cask. Upper left for us it is!

  7. DrDaveT says:

    @HarvardLaw92: I too was noting that you’d have to get pretty far down my list of favorite beverages to find something on this chart.

    At the other end of the spectrum, if you want REALLY low turnout, you need to poll the imbibers of Thunderbird and Mad Dog 20/20.

  8. Just 'nutha' ig'rant cracker says:

    The most recent stocking of my liquor cabinet had a bottle of Imperial that was a gift, Irish Cream, and Bombay Saphire. But I don’t vote anymore–no point in it in given the choices available.

  9. ernieyeball says:

    @DrDaveT: At the other end of the spectrum, if you want REALLY low turnout, you need to poll the imbibers of Thunderbird and Mad Dog 20/20.

    “What’s the word? / Thunderbird / How’s it sold? / Good and cold / What’s the jive? / Bird’s alive / What’s the price? / Thirty twice.”

    And if you couldn’t afford 60 cents. I seem to remember quarts of Sterling Beer in clear glass bottles for 39 cents. Cheap and easy!

  10. SC_Birdflyte says:

    Jack Daniel’s is the potion of choice of many of us (now homeless) southern Democrats.

  11. grumpy realist says:

    @Gustopher: Single southern malts, anyone?

    And where does all the relatively cheap plonk from Australia and Upstate New York end up?

  12. ernieyeball says:

    @grumpy realist:..plonk…

    Always like to learn new words. This would probably apply to the cooking sherry I used to drink.

  13. rodney dill says:

    Smoking Loon is hilarious