The Deliciously Simple Cocktail Beloved By Bill Clinton

Many U.S. presidents have a go-to boozy bev – and for 42nd President Bill Clinton, his favorite imbiber is none other than the snakebite. This humble two-parter combines equal parts lager and hard cider. Lager is any beer made from bottom-fermented yeast, which creates a crisp, refreshing profile. Popular lager brands include Budweiser, Coors, Miller High Life, and PBR (Busch Light is also a lager, but if possible, use literally any other beer). In the snakebite, malty, savory lager meets tart cider, cutting the sweetness and rounding out the overall tasting profile with mellow crispness. Inexplicably, the combination makes both ingredients go down easier, giving the snakebite a dangerously accessible drinkability, hence the edgy name "snakebite."

The drink doesn't have an especially high ABV, but is super slammable. The beer and cider combo recalls comedian Mark Little's witty take on the unofficial drinking rule (which Anthony Bourdain broke with Marcus Samuelsson), "Beer before liquor, never sicker." Quoth Little, "Beer before cider, awaken the spider."

To assemble the cocktail Clinton calls his favorite, fill a pint glass halfway with lager, then slowly pour in the cider over the back of a spoon to fill the glass. This gentle technique creates distinct colorblocked layers of dark lager and rosy cider. 

During a trip to England, the former president once tried to order his favorite drink and was denied by the bartender. According to an article published by UK news outlet Harrogate Adviser at the time of the 2001 visit, Clinton and a team of bodyguards stopped into the Old Bell Tavern for lunch. Upon seeing the crew arrive at the pub, manager Jamie Allen jokingly told the outlet, "At first we thought it was a raid." Allen continues, "I gave him and his aide a taste of a couple of real ales we have here, but he decided on a Diet Coke. He did ask for a snakebite after one of his security men did, but we kindly refused him. It's illegal to serve it here in the [UK], you see."

It's worth noting that the snakebite's legal status in England seems totally copacetic. A widespread and long-held rumor maintains that serving the drink is unlawful, leading many establishments to refuse to make them. Still, there are no laws explicitly banning the snakebite in Britain — but there are laws against over-serving, and the snakebite's namesake, infamous drinkability, could arguably pose a risk factor for pubs. However, for spirits fans looking to whip up this quick two-parter at home, the presidentially themed Honest Abe happens to be our favorite hard cider brand. Equal parts Honest Abe and Bud would make a distinctly American Snakebite.