What happens when one presidential candidate sends another a bunch of water bottles with the former's name and face on them? In the past, this sort of gimmick would never have been considered -- the run for the United States presidency was an esteemed process, with the highest caliber mud-slinging around. But leave it to Donald Trump to make a prank go viral and to give me another topic to write about: the spirit drinks of our 2016 presidential hopefuls.
Donald Trump: Tequila
No, he wouldn't be an average bottle of water, even if said bottle was stamped with Trump's name and face on it. For the man who likes to boast of his wealth, only the most expensive drink would do; coming in at a mere $3.5 million, La Ley del Diamante tequila not only comes in a diamond studded bottle, but actually has diamond powder in the alcohol itself. Ironically, the tequila is made by a firm in Mexico City, so the real question is: would Trump be an illegal drink?
Bernie Sanders: Black Coffee
Feeling the Bern? Well help yourself to a steaming cup of black coffee. A rebel against the norms, perhaps even an original hipster, black coffee is upfront about its flavor, there's no sugar or cream about it. But without the added sweeteners that so many people use to mask its actual impact, is the pure cup of joe too radical for our society?
Jeb Bush: Arnold Palmer
Now, nobody I know outright detests tea -- its been part of society's life for generations, after all -- but is it too redundant? With all the new options of warm and cold beverages, tea's ability to be had on ice or steaming no longer excites anyone. Perhaps a splash of lemonade could make this timeworn tradition into a current fan favorite, an Arnold Palmer, but it's not a combination that every tea can work with. I guess time will tell.
Marco Rubio: Gatorade
It could be because he represents Florida or because he -- according to Trump -- sweats a lot and needs to restore his electrolyte levels, but Rubio most definitely gets Gatorade as his spirit drink. He came out on fire in the first Republican debate for the 2016 election, earning himself a good bump in popularity. But Gatorade isn't the best drink for all occasions -- or climates -- and tends to be healthier when it comes watered down. Just something to consider.
Hilary Clinton: Gin and Tonic
To me, a gin and tonic is something of an enigma that I just can't wrap my mind around: is it good because it doesn't really have a flavor, or is it overrated and not all that desirable? Love it or hate it, it is present on bar counters across the US and has been for some time. So now the thing to ask becomes, will the gin and tonic, because it has been a go to drink for so long, win out or will people's tastebuds remind them that a change of pace might be better after all?
It turns out, turning the candidates into their spirit drinks doesn't clarify who will prove to be the victor of the 2016 election, but it at least made some of them a little more palatable in my book.
