Release the White House Homebrew Recipe
President Obama brought homebrew into the headlines last week when it was discovered the president brought his White House homebrew along on the campaign bus. One gentleman from Minnesota even got to take a bottle of the homebrew home after coming across the president on one of his campaign stops in Iowa.
We have known about beer being made at the White House ever since the 2011 Super Bowl, when the president served White House Honey Ale to guests of a party. The beer was served again for St. Patrick’s Day, and served periodically for special guests at the White House.
Not much is known publicly about the contents of the beer, because the recipe has never been released. Blurbs from news articles let us know that one batch was made with one pound of honey from the White House beehive. We also know that the kitchen staff are mostly responsible for brewing the beer, though the president paid for the homebrewing kit out of his own pocket.
So what is the recipe for the White House Honey Ale? We may get our chance at finding out if enough people sign the petition submitted to the White House’s We the People site.
In keeping with the brewing traditions of the founding fathers, homebrewers across America call on the Obama Administration to release the recipe for the White House home brew so that it may be enjoyed by all.
If this petition is heard, this is likely the closest I will come to ever tasting the White House Honey Ale. If you are a homebrewer and want to find out if the White House is all-grain or extract brewing, show your support by signing the petition before September 17.
Updated (September 1, 2012):
The White House has published the homebrew recipes for both White House Honey Ale and White House Honey Porter.
Inspired by home brewers from across the country, last year President Obama bought a home brewing kit for the kitchen. After the few first drafts we landed on some great recipes that came from a local brew shop. We received some tips from a couple of home brewers who work in the White House who helped us amend it and make it our own. To be honest, we were surprised that the beer turned out so well since none of us had brewed beer before.
Here’s a link to a PDF version of the recipe.
