White House Brews Its Own Beer; Obama Shares A Drink With Dakota Meyer, Medal Of Honor Recipient

Talk about an all-American beer.

Barack Obama and the White House chefs have been brewing beer for quite some time, and on Wednesday, the president shared some of the White House Honey Ale with a Medal of Honor recipient.

Former Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer had requested to share a beer with the president before the ceremony, CBS reports.

The Honey Ale is the first beer brewed in the White House, but Obama is not the first president to take on the hobby, according to historians.

Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were brewing aficionados, but Jefferson never made beer at the White House, and Washington, of course, never lived there, White House curator Bill Allman told NPR.

Early reports of the White House-brewed beer began circulating after Obama offered it to guests guests during the Super Bowl this year, CBS reports. The beer was also consumed on St. Patty's Day.

Obama Foodorama, a blog focusing on the administration's food and nutrition initiatives, reports that the Honey Ale isn't the only beer that's been brewed by the chefs. A White House Honey Blonde and a White House Honey Porter have also been created.

The Obamas paid for all of the brewing equipment out of pocket, according to CBS.

The casual meeting between Obama and Meyer didn't end without controversy, though.

White House staffers Tweeted a photo of the two men talking over drinks Wednesday, which elicited both sincere praise and snarky remarks about the president, the Washington Post points out.

Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor on Thursday for his service in Afghanistan.

Comments

[oldgraymare]

05:07 PM on 09/19/2011

As far as I'm concerned, a Medal of Honor recipient DESERVES whatever his little heart desires - and if that's to have a quiet beer with the President of the United States (his Commander in Chief)...then all I have to say is "Zum Wohl"! and God Bless you both.

[colonelsun68]

07:26 AM on 09/19/2011

I wish Obama would invite Boehner and McConnell over for a few, get them plastered, and then have the press come in for some off-the-cuff interviews. I might actually listen to what these clowns had to say then!

[fishnetdiver]

04:55 AM on 09/19/2011

as long as it tastes better than Billy Beer. man that stuff made PBR taste good!

[ProudMilVet]

03:03 AM on 09/19/2011

Nice gesture, but i'll take Scotch myself.

[KennebunkportIndependent]

07:58 PM on 09/18/2011

Well, we know what Obama can do after 2012.

Open a Chicago micro brewery.

I would actually wish him well.

[Mij13]

04:46 AM on 09/19/2011

It was a nice thing to do, and I wish them both well. This man was very deserving of the medal, and the president's gesture was the perfect thing to do.

[stape45]

07:56 PM on 09/18/2011

Dubya's lab will never be the same.

[cameron d]

07:46 PM on 09/18/2011

60 Minutes just aired the story on this man's heroic actions. The last question asked of him was "what was gained by your actions?" His answer: "Nothing, Nothing was gained."

Sums up a lot if you ask me.

[MuchMadness]

02:06 PM on 09/18/2011

How about making hard cider?
Washington and Jefferson would both have approved.

[left in vermont]

05:33 PM on 09/17/2011

If I were president, I would have them brew a nice IPA.

[Joann Vallo]

12:06 PM on 09/17/2011

So great to know that the President enjoys himself at the White House. All the pundits ranting about his 'low numbers' and how he 'better step up' blah, blah, blah, make it seem as though he just walks around worrying. Enjoy Mr. President.

[Eric Mann]

10:46 AM on 09/18/2011

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. I personally am relieved to know that our president takes some "down time" from time to time-in this case sharing it with a true hero-to ensure he is more productive when he needs to be. Tell me, how productive were you on the, say 706th day of straight work with no breaks? Not very, I would assume. No one would be.

[Eric Mann]

12:44 PM on 09/18/2011

Then I apologize, it sounded smarmy

[Joann Vallo]

02:16 PM on 09/18/2011

I guess, if you were looking for smarmy. I love President Obama. Thanks for apologizing.

[the A Cappellan]

10:11 AM on 09/17/2011

Semper fi and oo ra Marine. Thank you for your gallant service. You, and all that serve are heroes. I raise a glass, I bow my head and wish all in service; Godspeed and Safety. My flag waves for you and AMERICA.

[Iagree]

02:13 PM on 09/18/2011

Salud!

[the A Cappellan]

06:00 PM on 09/18/2011

I am a half full kind of guy. Never half empty. And, there is more in the fridge or at the distributor. Enjoy a libation; tonight.

[opprobrious]

02:38 AM on 09/17/2011

"Early reports of the White House-brewed beer began circulating after Obama offered it to guests guests ..."

Well, it's got alcohol.

[OutAtFirst]

05:04 PM on 09/16/2011

They sort of had to keep the liquor cabinet locked prior to Obama moving in.

[Eric Mann]

10:47 AM on 09/18/2011

Oops, misread that, didn't mean to flag you. Sorry. How does one "un-flag" ?

[SonicUltimate]

02:54 PM on 09/16/2011

I thought Washington was a distiller, not a brewer.

[DasBoatless]

12:10 AM on 09/18/2011

Whiskey is distilled from beer. Give or take the hops.....

[SonicUltimate]

11:06 AM on 09/18/2011

Uh, no.  They may come from a similar initial process whereby the yeast ferment the mash, but that is where the similarities stop.  Of course if you're brewing beer, the process is already different because, like you said, hops are present.

[Eric Mann]

10:48 AM on 09/18/2011

ALL of them brewed their own beer. Well, Washington had his very well treated slaves brew it for him, under his supervision, but it was considered a staple back then.

[SonicUltimate]

10:53 AM on 09/19/2011

I thought that brewing and distilling were relatively mutually exclusive back then. That is to say that both used the same resource (i.e. leftover grain) to produce alcohol that would retain value of the grain and serve as a nutritional staple in terms of calories. Better to have lots of one alcoholic beverage for trade/selling than a little of both for only personal use. Then again, the founders were loaded, so they may have not made that consideration.

[Texamigo]

02:28 PM on 09/16/2011

Well I'm glad the WH is proficient at something I can get behind! Would live to try some Obamabrew, and I am not referring to his economic policies that have left a bitter taste in many of our mouths.

[stape45]

01:30 PM on 09/17/2011

Had you been a starvation diet for eight years, or is that bitterness a familiar taste?

[Eric Mann]

10:50 AM on 09/18/2011

Those policies like getting this economy back after the epic wreck of 8 years of Busheconomics, or trying to get the middle class their fair share after 30 years of Voodoo Economics (Bush Sr.'s words, not mine) have let more wealth trickle UP than there was during the Gilded Age?
Terrible! For sure!