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