Robert D'Angelo
Many of us know Winston Churchill as one of the men that saved liberal democracy in the West, but what you probably don’t know is how intoxicated he was the entire time. You might think that’s a joke, but it’s estimated that Churchill drank 42,000 bottles of Pol Roger in his lifetime. Churchill would get FDR so messed up while visiting the White House that it would take Roosevelt three whole days with ten hours of sleep per night to recover. His cabinets were always stocked with whiskey, claret, and port. In 1936, Churchill reportedly had a tab with his wine merchant that was today’s equivalent of $75,000. And how can we forget about one of his all-time greatest quotes?
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When I was younger, I made it a rule never to take a strong drink before lunch. It is now my rule never to do so before breakfast – Winston Churchill.
Churchill is one of the most interesting characters of all time. Just ask Gary Oldman, who played Churchill in the 2017 hit movie, The Darkest Hour. While acting as Churchill, Oldman smoked so many cigars on set that he got nicotine poisoning- something I genuinely believed high school students had made up until reading about it. Oldman also claims the movie got him to quit smoking forever. So yeah, not everybody can tear it up like Winston. I mean, could you? Here’s what he did in a day.
7:30 AM — Wake up, remain in bed, eat breakfast, read newspapers, work, glass of whiskey and soda (light on the whiskey)
11:00 AM — Out of bed, stroll around the garden supervising estate, whiskey and soda.
1:00 PM — Multi-course lunch, imperial pint of Champagne (to himself)
3:30 PM — Work from study, glass of cognac (most of the time two)
5:00 PM— Hour and a half nap/siesta, a habit acquired during his time in Cuba.
6:30 PM — Wake up, bathe, dress for dinner.
8:00 PM — Lengthy dinner with guests, imperial pint of Champagne (to himself)
12:00 AM — Work in study, more cognac.
01:00–03:00 AM — Bedtime.
I’ll leave you with one last Churchill story. One night he had been drinking with Nancy Astor, the first woman to sit in parliament. Lady Astor was very proper and took exception to how much Winston was drinking. As the story goes, she remarked, “You, Mr Churchill, are drunk.” Churchill’s alleged response?
“My dear, you are ugly, and what’s more, you are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow, I shall be sober, and you will still be disgustingly ugly.”
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