Random Drink Of Choice Was For Historical Royals (12 items)

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  (#10) Napoleon Bonaparte

  • Dec. at 52 (1769-1821)

  Napoleon's favorite wine was a Burgundy from Chambertin. In fact, he never traveled without Chambertin. Napoleon loved the wine so much he once quipped, "Nothing makes the future look so rosy as to contemplate it through a glass of Chambertin."

  Napoleon didn't just consume Chambertin for the pleasure of it; he also drank it because his physician encouraged him to do so for his health.
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  (#5) Louis XIV of France

  • Dec. at 77 (1638-1715)

  France's King Louis XIV and his court at Versailles are synonymous with decadence. So it shouldn't be all that surprising that Louis loved pairing Champagne with his food. 

  Louis's love of bubbly actually caused some unexpected consequences. His physicians feared that his consumption of Champagne wasn't healthy, and instead urged him to drink other types of alcohol. Moreover, since true Champagne only comes from a particular region - Champagne in northern France - alcohol-makers in other French regions complained of what they considered royal favoritism.
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  (#9) Catherine II of Russia

  • Dec. at 67 (1729-1796)

  Catherine the Great of Russia may have ruled over an empire associated with vodka, but that doesn't mean the clear liquor was her favorite drink. German-born Catherine was actually a beer aficionado. She preferred English stouts, and boasted that she could hold her own against English stout-drinkers.

  Catherine's love of the dark beer actually contributed to the development of imperial stout. She contracted Anchor Brewery in London to create a dark, strong stout for the Russian imperial court - and so it brewed "imperial" stout.
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  (#4) Alexander the Great

  • Dec. at 33 (355 BC-322 BC)

  Alexander the Great wasn't just one of the ancient world's most prolific empire-builders; he was also a heavy drinker. Like other Macedonians, he favored wine, and was known to drink it in great amounts.

  His drinking habits could have fatal consequences. Alexander once capped off a night of binge-drinking by burning down the Persian city of Persepolis.
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  (#1) Marie Antoinette

  • Dec. at 38 (1755-1793)

  Some people begin their day with a cup of coffee. Marie Antoinette, on the other hand, jumpstarted her mornings with a velvety, rich cup of hot chocolate. 

  Hot chocolate was a status symbol in the 18th century - a drink for the elites, not the masses. As queen of France, Marie Antoinette thus freely indulged in her chocolate habit. She even employed a "Chocolate Maker to the Queen," whose entire job was to come up with tasty chocolate concoctions. 
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  (#7) Queen Victoria

  • Dec. at 82 (1819-1901)

  Over the course of her many summers at Balmoral Castle in the Highlands of Scotland, Queen Victoria became a huge fan of Scotch whisky.

  But Victoria wouldn't always drink it neat. She liked making new alcoholic concoctions by mixing it with other drinks. Victoria drank whisky mixed with claret, tea, and soda water.

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