Survey of Partisan Drinking Behavior

Beam Global Spirits & Wine (NYSE:FO) of Deerfield, Ill., partnered with a research firm to survey 100 bartenders in the D.C. area to find the drinking preferences of the competing political parties. . . .

Just a warning to begin with, I wonder whether these results tell us more about the political preferences of the bartenders than their patrons.

The survey found that 60 percent of area bartenders regard Democrats as the better tippers. Republicans had the edge when it came to being seen as serious drinkers.

Eighty-two percent of bartenders said Republicans are more likely to order a drink straight up, and 58 percent pegged Democrats as being more likely to order a fruity, pink drink.

Democrats had the edge in two other categories as well: pickup lines (74 percent said Democrats had better ones) and toasts (63 percent said Democrats were better at delivery them than members of the GOP).

It’s unclear which persuasion spends more time at the bar. More bartenders (53 percent) thought Democrats were the last to leave, but more (50 percent) also pegged Republicans as the first to arrive at happy hour.