Lots of tweeters made quick work Tuesday night bashing Donald Trump for the price of the booze at his election night party after seeing this tweet from the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank.
Yep, that’s $13 for a mixed drink or a glass of wine, $10 to $11 for a beer, and $7 for a soft drink. Ritzy!
But take a step back. Cash bars are a common sight at electoral victory parties. What’s a bit out of line are the prices at Trump’s soiree, which is at the New York Hilton. And apparently there is an open bar in the VIP section at Trump’s bash, according to the New York Post. But this probably isn’t another example of Trump profiting at his supporters’ expense—shocking, I know. In the catering industry, it’s the venue that most likely sets the price for drinks if the host isn’t footing that particular tab. Trump’s mistake was picking an expensive midtown Manhattan hotel for his hoped-for victory party.
A state subsidiary owns the Jacob K. Javits Center, where Hillary Clinton is holding her celebration and, as a result, the prices are a bit more reasonable. A source on the ground at Javits tells me the concession there is charging $5 for a bottle of Vitamin Water. It’s unclear whether the booze is gratis tonight, but an online catering menu lists the most expensive wine at Javits at $9, while imported beers are $8.25 and mixed drinks range from $8.50 to $9.50. As for food, tonight the Javits concessions is offering up a chicken parmesan with a side of spaghetti for $11.30 and three meatballs for $7, among other options. From my source at the Javits:
Anyway, it’s true that Trump is so cheap he once famously cashed a 13 cent check sent as a joke by Spy magazine. Tonight, though, the $7 soda is probably not his fault.
