In the tense political climate of this campaign season, it’s nice to be able to take a step back from the chaos and sip down a cold beer.
Surprisingly, nobody sees this more clearly than President Barack Obama. That is why he has overseen production of the White House Honey Ale, which is thought to be the first beer brewed on White House grounds.
The Honey Ale has been planned since January of last year, when President Obama purchased a brewing kit using money out of his own pocket. Since then, the beer has been served at special White House functions, such as the Super Bowl party or the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. However, the recipe remained somewhat shrouded in mystery.
That changed on Aug. 21, when multiple Freedom of Information Act requests were sent to the White House pertaining to the beer’s ingredients. President Obama responded to those requests on Aug. 29, when he took to Reddit for a question and answer session. “(The recipe) will be out soon! I can tell from firsthand experience, it is tasty,” Obama wrote.
Three days later, on Sept. 1, the recipe for the White House Honey Ale was released on the White House blog. The home brewing community was instantly receptive, wanting to try a batch of this elusive brew themselves.
“It looks super-interesting,” home brewing enthusiast Jaime Lamond told the New York Daily News. “It looks like somebody did their homework. I’d like to try to make it myself.”
However, some aren’t as positive about the blend, even members of the same political party. John Hickenlooper, Democratic governor of Colorado and a former brewer, was featured in The Atlantic with some criticisms of the blend.
“He’s using honey in the beer recipes …because they’ve got an apiary,” said Hickenlooper. “(Honey) makes a smoother beer. …I don’t want to criticize the White House chef, but I think maybe they could use a little less honey.”
If you want to try some for yourself, fear not: breweries across the country are already making their own versions of the White House Honey Ale. However, if your relationship with the local watering hole is on the rocks, brewing supply website Northern Brewer already has plans to manufacture kits that will allow you to make the Ale in your own home.
“Politics aside,” Northern Brewer marketing team member Chip Walton told Today, “I think people are interested in brewing the same beer the president is drinking at home.”
So if you’re of legal age this campaign season, whip up a batch of White House Honey Ale and resume quibbling about how your candidate is better than the other guy.
