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Obamas Hop Into Beer Brewing

They may even grow hops in White House garden

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 3, 2011 12:22 PM CST | Updated Mar 6, 2011 5:30 PM CST

(Newser) – The Obamas turned heads in the beer world when word broke that they’d served something called White House Honey Ale at their White House Super Bowl party. It turns out that ale was indeed brewed by White House chefs, using homebrewing equipment the Obamas bought out of their own pockets and honey from the White House beehive, the Obama Foodorama blog reports. And there’s more to come.

“It is very safe to assume that there will be more White House beer in the future,” said a spokesman for the East Wing. The chefs have even considered planting hops in the White House vegetable garden. “Believe me, I’ve thought about it,” says one assistant chef. As far as historians can tell, this represents the first time beer has ever been brewed at the White House.

The special label for the homebrew served at Obama's Super Bowl party.
The special label for the homebrew served at Obama's Super Bowl party.   (White House)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 51 comments
Seaumas
Mar 12, 2011 4:46 PM CST
There are indeed three known beer recipes in the original version of "The White House Cookbook", originally known as "the Capital Cookbook", by Mrs. Fanny Lemira (Camp) Gillette and Steward of the White House, Hugo Ziemann. Frances Cleveland, wife of President Grover Cleveland owned one. It quickly became a Sine Qua Non for Washington's elite brides and was used for State Dinners. As far as I can tell every First Lady since Martha Washington has owned an ever expanding compendium of notes and recipes, all called "the White House Cookbook". The three, Ginger Beer, Hop Beer and Spruce Beer can all be brewed in twenty-four hours though the Spruce Beer needs two day's fermentation time. There have, over the years accumulated many wines, cordials and aperitifs. The beers are very primitive recipes intended to be served at around 55 degrees F. Considering this rapid method they were all rather obviously "soft" beers. You may, if you have a lending library, have them order a copy from The Library of Congress. In its day it was a wildly popular book. You may try an online source, or try an antiquarian book store (I would not let them demand over $10US copy since it is not a genuinely valuable book.) You may also want to peruse its 'Toilet Recipes', 'the Laws of Etiquette: The Rules and Habits of Polite Society, circ. 1887' and historical 'Foods for the Sick'. One of my resources that came in very handy was "The White House Cookbook". Janet Halliday Ervin (Ed.), 164 by Follett Publishing Company. IL: LOC 64-23612. (I was unable to find source for permissions. If anyone knows, please contact me) This post is otherwise an informal letter with no legal or financial intentions. I am solely responsible for the further transmission of its content). We make note here that President and Mrs. Obama's special Super Bowl (TM) party "White House Honey Ale" is but perhaps the latest of an historic line. I shall refer to it as a 'Honey Meade'. Thank you all.
Reader65069154
Mar 7, 2011 7:20 AM CST
It took a few years, but the administration has found something it's good at.
Riffran
Mar 7, 2011 3:51 AM CST
Pop a top ....again...
 

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