In a historic first for FNBB, I have real news from the campaign! This week we've seen discussion of an issue close to my heart: the White House Homebrew!
FNBB reader ruleoflaw sent me a link to the msnbc blog; fellow homebrewer brendan at BooTrib linked to the Des Moines Register story. Details below.
In perhaps the most startling revelation so far in Obama’s three-day bus tour across Iowa, it was revealed this morning that the White House brews its own beer, and that the presidential bus is stocked with bottles of that beer.
The revelation came incidentally, when a man at the Knoxville coffee shop where Obama stopped today somehow got the president onto the subject of beer, and Obama noted that a sample of the White House’s home brew was just outside.
And the man received the unexpected gift of a bottle of "White House Honey Ale".
When this important issue was raised by the press later, Spokesman Jay Carney couldn't identify the styles beyond "light" and "dark", or say who the brewer was, but showed the right attitude:
“I have exhausted my knowledge of this subject,” Carney said. “When someone hands me a beer I don’t ask how it was made, I just drink it.”
Not content to let it drop there, FNBB knew our readers would want the answers, and did the research! (Some thanks to msnbc, who linked to this excellent story at
HuffPo).
The Brewer To The President is Assistant Chef Sam Kass, also identified as Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives; the equipment (not described in detail) was purchased by the Obamas.
First Ladies have traditionally tried to support some worthy and safely apolitical cause; Michelle Obama is closely associated with the Healthy Food Initiatives. Naturally in today's political climate that isn't safe enough, it gets much of its press coverage from right wing idiots who think she's a Food Nazi who wants to take away their Twinkies.
She also directed the planting of a large vegetable garden on the White House grounds, and the gardens include beehives. The White House beers all include the home-produced honey. Their blog identifies the styles as "Honey Blonde" and "Honey Porter" and says they are occasionally served at special events.
I'm sure most U.S. Presidents have drunk beer, but Barack Obama is the first to have it made for him at the White House! (There are beer stories connected with other Presidents, but I'll leave that for a future diary.)
I'm about to go shopping and don't know what I'll buy. What are you drinking?