President Obama 1st White House Brewer January 26, 2025

Blessed Sunday to one and all. With the Office of the President of the United States all up in the news these days, this post gives a glimpse of one of the many firsts during the Barack Obama administration. 

This isn't the first time that I've written about Presidents and beers. I wrote a general post of Presidents and beer entitled Presidential Brewers from way back during the early days of COVID-19 on April 18, 2020. But the Presidents aren't only linked to beer. Some have been vinters and even mixing cocktails at the White House. And don't get me started on the alcohol consumption by the POTUS' throughout the years both at the White House and in public. But Barack Obama holds the distinction of being the first President to brew beer on the grounds of the White House. Let's go back in time to 2011. 

According to the book Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt by Mark Will-Weber, President Obama bought some homebrew kits (with his own funds) and with the help of the official Assistant White House Sam Kass, the White House Honey Ale made its debut during the White House Superbowl Party. The honey used in the beer was sourced from the honeybees that lived in the bee-hive that was on the South Lawn. 

When it became known that the White House was making the Honey Brown Ale and then the Honey Porter, homebrewers everywhere wanted the recipe to be made public. President Obama said the recipe would be made public. True to his word, in a post on the Obama White House website entitled Ale to the Chief: White House Beer Recipe by Sam Kass dated September 1, 2012 the following recipes were posted:

Want to make your own? Go to the Craft-A-Brew website and order yourself a White House Honey Ale Beer Recipe Kit. Curious about the specs on the Honey Ale? The beer clocks in at 5.25 ABV with 29 IBU. 

I've been meaning to dabble in home brewing. Maybe this is the beer that will get me into it. Have any of you made any of the White House honey beers? Whatcha think? Yea? Nay? Let me know in the comments. 

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,
SiscoVanilla

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For Further Reading:

- How Barack Obama Became the First President to Brew Beer at the White House from Smithsonian Magazine.com dated July 12, 2017

- Brewing Obama’s Ale: Into the Bottles from the New York Times Diners Journal blogpage by Garrett Oliver October 4, 2012