Have ‘cocktails with presidents’ at this NJ shore resort

🍸 Congress Hall in Cape May has been in existence since 1816

🍸 It boasts a rich, historical past

🍸 It is hosting a special cocktail event to honor four U.S. presidents

CAPE MAY — Calling all history aficionados.

To celebrate Congress Hall’s rich history, the property is offering a special package called “Cocktails with the Presidents” through April 30.

For the past 200 years, Congress Hall, America’s first seaside resort in Cape May has hosted esteemed guests including four sitting United States Presidents. Each one of these Heads of State had favorite parts of their stay, according to the resort, which has been providing hospitality since 1816.

In an 1855 visit, President Franklin Pierce appreciated Congress Hall’s festive Fourth of July Celebration. President James Buchanan, in an 1867 visit, had a penchant for the sea air.

President Ulysses S. Grant visited Congress Hall in 1875, and appreciated Cape May’s privacy.

Finally, President Benjamin Harrison visited the resort in 1891, and was so taken with Congress Hall, that he set up his executive offices on the ground floor, where the Sea Spa is now, and established the hotel as his official summer White House, according to the resort’s website.

In the spirit of celebrating American history, Congress Hall is hosting its “Cocktails with the Presidents” package through the end of next month, featuring a themed menu of Brown Room cocktail selections.

For those who don’t know about The Brown Room, this is Congress Hall’s Prohibition-era cocktail lounge, which occupies the same spot as Congress Hall’s first legal post-Prohibition cocktail bar.

The package includes a deluxe overnight stay at Congress Hall, a book gift of “Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt: A Complete History of Presidential Drinking,” by Mark Will-Weber, and a round of presidential cocktails for two in The Brown Room.

Choose from a themed menu inspired by visits of past presidents.

Mr. Grant – Aperol, Absolut Pear Vodka, Prosecco, and club soda

Mr. Harrison – (A mocktail because Harrison was not a drinker) – Seedlip Spice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, Tiki bitters

Mr. Pierce – Rye whiskey, pineapple juice, orange juice, and honey syrup

Mr. Buchanan – Mezcal, blackberry syrup, lemon juice, and orange bitters

For more information, visit here.

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