US election: Ale man versus abstainer

By: James Wilmore - 6 November 2012 16:59

Alcohol has often played a role in politics, but will it swing any votes in the US election?

Barack Obama has his own microbrewery in the White House, which surely must impress some brewers. (To prove it's not just a PR stunt, a short video about the brewing process and recipes for the beers were even released).

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney is a tee-totaller, due to his Mormon faith. Although apparently he has "friends who own multinational breweries", according to writer Timothy Egan, who also offers a good overview of past presidents and their levels of indulgence here.

Could America really elect a man who doesn't drink at all? I'm not sure it could happen here in the UK.