Presidents and First Ladies Trivia

[RJNorton]

This marker is at the spot where a U.S. President died. Which President died here?

[Wild Bill]

Warren G Harding

[JMadonna]

(10-16-2017 03:38 PM)L Verge Wrote:  For a woman who died at age 22, Pocahontas did a good job of assuring her line!

Descendants of that line became known as FFV (first families of Virginia) of which, I believe, Letitia Christian Tyler was a member. She was the first First Lady to die in the White House. John got all his money from her.

[Steve]

(10-23-2017 05:49 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  This marker is at the spot where a U.S. President died. Which President died here?

President Garfield

[RJNorton]

Good try, Bill, but Steve got it. Kudos, Steve. After Garfield was shot (July 2, 1881) he was taken back to the White House. After a couple of months Garfield wanted to leave Washington for more comfortable surroundings. He was taken to a 20-room cottage on the Jersey shore in the hope that the cool sea air would help him. However, he passed away there on September 19, 1881.

After a fire in 1920 the large cottage where Garfield died was razed. Nowadays there is a marker where the cottage once stood. The marker reads:

James A. Garfield
Twentieth President Of
The United States
Born Nov. 19, 1831, at Orange, Ohio
Died On This Site, Sept. 19, 1881

[L Verge]

Which U.S. President was refused a certain drink in a pub in the UK? What was the drink, and why was it refused?

[RJNorton]

I know Ulysses S. Grant and his wife were there during the world tour they embarked upon during the post-presidency. So I will guess Grant. I have no idea what the drink was and why it was refused.

[L Verge]

Great guess, Roger, but it was not Gen. Grant.

[Steve]

It was Bill Clinton and the drink was called a "Snakebite". He was refused because the pub owner incorrectly claimed that it was illegal to sell in the UK.

[L Verge]

(10-31-2017 07:09 PM)Steve Wrote:  It was Bill Clinton and the drink was called a "Snakebite". He was refused because the pub owner incorrectly claimed that it was illegal to sell in the UK.

You are correct, Steve, but actually, I believe that it was/is illegal in parts of the UK (this incident was in the Old Bell Tavern in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in 2001) because of its high potency. In the UK, it is half dry apple cider and half Stout or lager beer served in a pint glass without ice or chillling. You can also get it with a dash of blackcurrant liqueur added. It is the called a Snakebite black.

The descriptions of it say that one glass can cause a person to pass out. My guess is that that pub's manager wasn't taking any chances with his famous customer passing out or becoming ill. Also, personally, my guess is that Mr. Clinton would have downed it and asked for another one!

In Canada and the U.S., the Snakebite is made differently. It is a shooter of Yukon Jack, which is a honey-based, sticky sweet Canadian whiskey cut with lime juice. It, too, is very potent, and some bars refuse to serve it.

---

(10-31-2017 07:49 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(10-31-2017 07:09 PM)Steve Wrote:  It was Bill Clinton and the drink was called a "Snakebite". He was refused because the pub owner incorrectly claimed that it was illegal to sell in the UK.

You are correct, Steve, but actually, I believe that it was/is illegal in parts of the UK (this incident was in the Old Bell Tavern in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in 2001) because of its high potency. In the UK, it is half dry apple cider and half Stout or lager beer served in a pint glass without ice or chillling. You can also get it with a dash of blackcurrant liqueur added. It is the called a Snakebite black.

The descriptions of it say that one glass can cause a person to pass out. My guess is that that pub's manager wasn't taking any chances with his famous customer passing out or becoming ill. Also, personally, my guess is that Mr. Clinton would have downed it and asked for another one!

In Canada and the U.S., the Snakebite is made differently. It is a shooter of Yukon Jack, which is a honey-based, sticky sweet Canadian whiskey cut with lime juice. It, too, is very potent, and some bars refuse to serve it.

Some testimonials:

As students we would, if very broke, mix cheap cider and lager together in a flagon. This mixture was known colloquially as lunatic soup, because of the reaction to it. Mixing fruit alcohol and grain alcohol is generally considered to be a bad idea.
Richard Long, Dublin, Ireland

Having worked behind a bar for many years, I know nothing of chemical reactions, but plenty about people's reactions, and snakebite seems to have the power to intoxicate quicker and more potently than your average brew. In order to avoid the odious task of what we call "vom-mopping" or more descriptively "carrot-picking", certain drinks such as snakebite (with or without black) or over the top cocktails are banned. This ban has the added bonus of keeping out goths and people with dogs on string.

I used to work in a pub in West Ealing where this hell's angel would come in and drink pints of snakebite 50/50 lager and cider, and he was a big fan of Tuinol (barbiturates, sleepers, the original yellow submarines, I believe) And he, not surprisingly, was extremely docile. Used to dribble a lot, though.
Dave Corbett, Bilbao Spain

I''m fairly certain that snakebite has been banned in many pubs throughout the UK. However, having been told repeatedly by numerous British customers/backpackers here in Australia, that it is "Illegal back home" it is more than likely a reason any self respecting publican would give to ensure they don''t end up with mop in hand at closing time.I have served and consumed many snakebites in my time and it would be fair to state that people who drink it have every intention of becoming intoxicated to the point of collapse.Let''s face it, it''s not the best tasting drink available. I would also doubt that by mixing the two drinks the alcoholic content increases, as there can only be the same amount of alcohol. It is generally consumed in large quantities by people who are out on a bender and are attempting to get "leathered"
Adam, Melbourne Aus

Me again -- I think I'll stick to my weak Jack and Gingers...

[L Verge]

I just could not help posting this one last thing about Clinton at the pub:

Former American President Bill Clinton stunned drinkers in an English pub when he popped in for lunch and ordered a pint of Snakebite. Clinton wanted the lethal mix of cider and lager to go with his steak and ale pie but landlord Jamie Allen refused to serve him the mind-blowing concoction. Allen told Clinton that he could lose his licence for serving him the drink to which the ex-President replied, "That's a shame - it would have brought out my true personality." Jamie, 28, landlord of the Old Bell Tavern in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, says, "I told him maybe that was something I didn't want to see. He burst out laughing. "He tried a few real ales then settled for a Coke" Clinton was attending a nearby business conference. Before he settled on the pub for lunch, his aides conducted a thorough search of the premises.

[Steve]

All I can say is that I just repeated what I found on the Snakebite Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebite_(drink)

I had never heard of a Snakebite before I started researching Laurie's question. So, I checked the ever so "reliable" Wikipedia.

[L Verge]

(10-31-2017 08:15 PM)Steve Wrote:  All I can say is that I just repeated what I found on the Snakebite Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebite_(drink)

I had never heard of a Snakebite before I started researching Laurie's question. So, I checked the ever so "reliable" Wikipedia.

I had never heard of Snakebite either until I read a history article today on what our former Presidents preferred to drink. As you probably suspect, this particular former President is not one of my favorites.

Here's another drink that was in the article as a favorite of Calvin Coolidge, who drank very little. Look up Tokay. I'm now heading to the shower for the night - without even a hot toddy.

In three and a half hours, it will be All Saints' Day. Take a few minutes to remember all those souls who trod this earth before our generation decided to mess it up.

[L Verge]

We might have had this question before, but who was the first President to ride in an airplane?

[RJNorton]

Eisenhower?