Breaking Down Every Alcohol Lyric in Taylor Swift’s Musical Catalogue

Taylor Swift is probably the most famous person in the world. Between her many eras, each filled with chart-topping tracks; the famous three-hour concerts on her Eras tour — which is now the highest-grossing concert tour ever — and her much-discussed romance with a football star, her cultural footprint is undeniable.

Unsurprisingly, given the magnitude of her celebrity, everybody is interested in just about everything Swift does, from whom she grabs dinner with to how she spends her off days to whom she dates to, yes, what she drinks. Her every move is constantly under the societal microscope.

Every Alcohol Reference in Taylor Swift’s Musical Catalogue

It’s known that Swift enjoys a drink from time to time, as she’s referenced various types of alcohol in her songs throughout her career that’s spanned almost two decades. In this article, we’ve tracked down every reference to a specific alcoholic beverage Swift has ever sung, broken down by album.

Editor’s note: In order to curate the list, I listened and read the lyrics to all 231 of Swift’s released songs and features (much to the enjoyment of my lovely wife). Yes, even the 2007 Christmas album. No, it didn’t have any alcohol references. All in all, the listening took a little over 15 hours. 

I entered this project fairly neutral on Swift and came out, well, not quite a Swiftie, but certainly a fan of her more recent eras. Now, let’s get into the list. Are you …Ready For it?

Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now and Red

Swift’s first four albums contained no references to specific alcoholic drinks. This is unsurprising considering the records came out when Swift was between the ages of 16 and 22. Swift wouldn’t make her first alcohol reference until 2014, with the release of…

1989

On “1989,” Swift, who was 24 at the time of the album’s release, references alcohol in only one song.

“Clean”: “You’re still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore.”

Reputation

“…Ready For It?”: “Island breeze and lights down low. No one has to know.” Island breeze is a fruity vodka cocktail.

“Gorgeous”: “Whiskey on ice; Sunset and Vine. You’ve ruined my life by not being mine.” The first whiskey reference of Swift’s career! A big moment (to us, anyway). 

“Getaway Car”: “I knew it from the first Old Fashioned we were cursed.” Ah, the Old Fashioned: A true classic and probably the most well-known whiskey cocktail. A well-made Old Fashioned truly Hits Different. This is back to back songs on the record referencing whiskey. In her bourbon era? 

“King Of My Heart”: “Up on the roof with a schoolgirl crush, drinking beer out of plastic cups.”

“Dress”: “I’m spilling wine in the bathtub. You kiss my face, and we’re both drunk.” We’re seeing a stark tonal shift on “Reputation” compared to the pop star’s first five albums. More booze, more romance, less wide-eyed country gal. 

“This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”: “Jump into the pool from the balcony. Everyone swimming in a Champagne sea.”

Lover

“Paper Rings”: “The wine is cold like the shoulder that I gave you in the street.”

“Death By A Thousand Cuts”: “My time, my wine, my spirit, my trust. Tryna find a part of me you didn’t take up.”

“London Boy”: “And you know I love Springsteen, faded blue jeans, Tennessee whiskey.” “London Boy” seems to be about Alwyn and is chock-full of cheesy British references. This line comes toward the beginning of the song, sort of an “I love America, but this British guy…” thing. Springsteen, faded blue jeans and Tennessee whiskey are three things Swift equates with America, or at least Nashville, where she moved at age 14 with her family to focus on her music career. Here, we have it on record: Taylor Swift loves Tennessee whiskey.

“False God”: “Hell is when I fight with you, but we can patch it up good. Make confessions and we’re begging for forgiveness. Got the wine for you.”

“You Need To Calm Down”: “You are somebody that I don’t know. But you’re takin’ shots at me like it’s Patrón, and I’m just like, damn. It’s 7 a.m.” Another line that doesn’t refer to alcohol in a literal sense. In this case, it’s a simile. Patrón is a popular brand of tequila commonly consumed in shot form. 

Folklore

“The 1”: “Rosé flowing with your chosen family. And it would’ve been sweet if it could’ve been me.”

“The Last Great American Dynasty”: “Filled the pool with Champagne and swam with the big names and blew through the money on the boys and the ballet.” This line harkens back to “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” with more swimming in Champagne imagery.

“August”: “August sipped away like a bottle of wine, ’cause you were never mine.”

“This Is Me Trying”: “Pouring out my heart to a stranger, but I didn’t pour the whiskey.”

Evermore

“Willow”: “Lost in your current like a priceless wine.” This refers back to the first line of this verse: “I’m like the water when your ship rolled in that night.” It’s another case of Swift using alcohol as a simile; she’s caught up in the current of this person’s presence — trapped in the riptide. And it appears she feels like she’s drowning, as priceless wine being lost in a current evokes shipwrecks like the Titanic. 

“Champagne Problems”: “Champagne problems.”

“Champagne Problems”: “Dom Pérignon you brought it” Dom Pérignon is a brand of Champagne, and Swift sings about Champagne a lot in this song, as you can guess from the title.

“No Body, No Crime”: “Este’s a friend of mine. We meet up every Tuesday night for dinner and a glass of wine.” Este Haim of HAIM, that is. Her and her sisters’ band is featured on this track.

“No Body, No Crime”: “Her husband’s actin’ different, and it smells like infidelity. She says, ‘That ain’t my Merlot on his mouth.'” In this fictional song, Este believes the red on her husband’s lips is not from her merlot — a dark red wine — but presumably from another woman’s lipstick. 

“Ivy”: “So tell me to run or dare to sit and watch what we’ll become. And drink my husband’s wine.” On “Ivy,” Swift tells the story of a married woman who falls in love with someone else and has an affair.

“Closure”: “I’m fine with my spite and my tears and my beers and my candles.” This is the first beer reference we’ve gotten since “Reputation.” Swift may not be much of a beer woman. 

Midnights

“Maroon”: “‘How’d we end up on the floor, anyway?’ You say. Your roommate’s cheap-ass screw-top Rosé, that’s how.” Screw-top wine: Not typically the best. Should’ve Said No to that one, perhaps.

“Maroon”: “The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed your wine into me.” Oof, wine spills are the worst. Shake it off, Taylor.

“Mastermind”: “I’m the wind in our free-flowing sails and the liquor in our cocktails.” You can’t sail without wind, and you can’t have a cocktail without liquor (mocktails don’t count).

“Paris”: “Cheap wine, make believe it’s Champagne.”

“Paris”: “‘Cause we were somewhere else in an alleyway, drinking Champagne.” From make-believe Champagne to real Champagne in the same song. That’s a success story. 

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY

For a more in-depth breakdown of the alcohol lyrics on this album, click here.

“But Daddy I Love Him”: “All the wine moms are still holdin’ out, but f–k ’em, it’s over.”

“The Alchemy”: “This happens once every few lifetimes. These chemicals hit me like white wine”

“The Alchemy”: “Beer stickin’ to the floor. Cheers chanted ’cause they said there was no chance trying to be the greatest in the league. Where’s the trophy? He just comes runnin’ over to me.”

“Clara Bow”: “Crowd goes wild at her fingertips. Half moonshine, a full eclipse.”

“Clara Bow”: “Cross your thoughtless heart. Only liquor anoints you.”

“I Look in People’s Windows”: “I look in people’s windows, transfixed by rose golden glows. They have their friends over to drink nice wine.”

Conclusions

All in all, Swift has made 28 specific alcohol references in her work. This isn’t counting references to being or getting drunk or vague, unspecified drink mentions, such as the line “my fourth drink in hand” in “Dear Reader” or “Clink clink” in “Slut!”

Nineteen of the 28 were wine references, so it’s a safe bet that Swift is more of a wine drinker than anything else. However, she’s also sung about whiskey or whiskey cocktails four times, which indicates that perhaps she enjoys a little bourbon or an Old Fashioned from time to time.

Seven of the alcohol lines came on “Evermore,” which is officially Swift’s booziest album. In her drinking era during COVID-19? If there’s one thing we can always count on from this megastar, it’s relatability.

“Evermore” is followed by “Reputation” with six alcohol references, then “Midnights” and “Lover” each with five. “Folklore” is next with four, and finally “1989” with only The 1.

We’ll be sure to update this list with any new alcohol references that appear on future albums.

Until then, Dear Reader. 

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