At Fundraiser, President Obama Touts White House Homebrewed Beer

President woos a beertrack voter; gets an offer of hops...
President Obama is such a beer lover that his Campaign operation is now selling special O'Bama Pint Glasses to raise money. And during a fundraiser in Corona Del Mar, CA, last week, the President chatted with a donor about the White House Beehive and his chefs' beer brewing adventures, which have been going on since early 2011. R. Worthington, who paid at least $2,500 to attend the campaign event, had some face time with the President, and used it to discuss craft beer and local sourcing. The President responded enthusiastically. (Above: The President at the event, held at a private residence)

"Local? I got your local,” President Obama said, according to Worthington's recap on Indie Hops.

"We’ve got honey beer in the White House. Honey from bees in boxes right there near the rose garden."

Perhaps Worthington misheard the President, because the beehive is actually located a couple of acres away from the Rose Garden at the bottom of the vast South Lawn, beside the Kitchen Garden. The President then told Worthington that his chefs--especially Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass--do the homebrewing, right in the White House kitchen.

"Turns out the White House chef, Sam Kass, and his friends have been dabbling in honey beers for some time," Worthington wrote.

To date, the chefs, the first homebrewers in White House history, have made White House Honey Ale, White House Honey Blonde Ale, and White House Honey Porter. The photo at left is the only White House image that's ever been released of the homebrew, from the first batch, Honey Ale, made with about a pound of honey for the President's big 2011 Super Bowl party.  The White House has never released a recipe for any of the homebrews, which would be a brilliant way to woo supporters. During the 2008 Campaign, a group called "Homebrewers for Obama" actually existed. During this year's Super Bowl, the Campaign released the President's Family Chili Recipe, and asked for donations.

Worthington now has a mission: The President's new beer friend wants to send Oregon hops to the President for White House brewing.

"When I mentioned the divine properties of Oregon grown hops, Our President didn't skip a beat," Worthington wrote. "'I’d like to try some of that.'''

"We will not rest until Our President is cooking up home brews in the White House using hops from the Willamette Valley. Or better, we’ll send him a few rhizomes, and he can plant a few Oregon hop emeralds in his backyard right next to those honey bee boxes."

Unfortunately, the White House has a firm policy of not accepting such gifts due to security concerns. Kass told Obama Foodorama last year that he hoped hops might one day be grown in the Kitchen Garden, but they've never been planted.

The beer-happy fundraiser in Corona Del Mar was held on Feb. 16 at the home of Jeff and Nancy Stack. It was one of eight fundraisers during the President's swing through the West Coast last week.

*Photo at top by R. Worthington. Beer bottle photo by Pete Souza/White House

White House Chefs Are Still Homebrewing Beer

A Top White House Food Story for 2011: Obama chefs are first in history to homebrew beer at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...
President Obama's home beer brewing operation at the White House made global headlines in 2011, after it was first reported here on Obama Foodorama that the White House chefs are the only ones in history to try their hand at hopping Presidential brews. There were more headlines when the President shared homebrew with Medal of Honor awardee Dakota Meyer in September, during a get together on the evening before the ceremony. (Above: The President and Meyer toasting on the patio outside of the Oval Office)

"We're continuing to make beer," Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass told Obama Foodorama.

To date, there have been three kinds of White House beer brewed, all using honey from the White House Beehive, the first to ever be on the grounds: White House Honey Ale was first served at the President's 2011 Super Bowl Party, when 90-100 12-ounce bottles were made using about a pound of honey. Meyer was served a different version of homebrew, White House Honey Blonde Ale. There's also been White House Honey Porter brewed, which was " unbelievably good," according to Kass.

Still, Kass said he doesn't *really* want to discuss the White House homebrewing operation.

"We're not going to talk about it all that much," said Kass, but gave no explanation for why.

There are no plans to release the White House beer recipe any time soon, either, said Kass, if ever. Which is a different story than when the beer operation first started, and there was talk of not only releasing a recipe, but also of perhaps planting hops in the ravingly diverse Kitchen Garden. That didn't happen, either.

The beer brewing equipment was paid for by the Obamas themselves, who spent about $200 for the set up. Above: A close-up of the label from the Honey Ale, from one of the few photos that have been released of the homebrew. It reads "Brewed with White House Honey," and was created by the White House.

CLICK HERE for all posts about the 2011 White House Year in Food.

*Photos by Pete Souza/White House