When friends get together one hardly needs much of an excuse to uncork a bottle. The best precedent for that is the action by one of our first Chief Justices of the Supreme Court – John Marshall.
The Justices, in rainy weather, were accustomed to meet in an oak-paneled conference room in the Capitol and have a few hot-buttered rum toddies in front of the fireplace. On one sunny day as the Justices sat down for the Friday morning voting session Chief Justice Marshall called for rum and then raised his glass.
”Gentlemen, this court has jurisdiction over most of this entire continent,” he said. “Somewhere it is raining; therefore, henceforth, we shall begin all our sessions with similar fortification.”
BONUS:
I’ve never tried a hot-buttered rum toddy, but after a quick Google search, I’m totally going for it.
Source:
Humes, James C. Speaker's Treasury of Anecdotes About the Famous. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. 92. Print.
Further Reading:
Hot buttered rum is delicious. Too bad it's a ton of calories.