White House Honey Ale
First beer brewed in the White House, requested by President Obama.
White House Honey Ale holds the distinction of being the first beer known to have been brewed inside the White House. The brewing operation started in January 2011 after President Barack Obama requested it, and he paid for the homebrewing kit himself. Besides the honey ale, three other styles have been produced: White House Honey Blonde Ale, White House Honey Porter, and White House Honey Brown.
White House chefs reportedly brew the beer using traditional methods. After brewing, it is bottled and given a custom label. Each batch includes one pound of honey sourced from beehives located on the South Lawn. The label features a line drawing of the White House on a maroon background, surrounded by a yellow circle.
The beer has been served at various White House events. One of the first occasions was a Super Bowl party attended by nearly 200 guests, including celebrities and members of Congress. About ten gallons were made for that party, yielding roughly 90 to 100 bottles. Additional bottles were brewed for St. Patrick’s Day.
On September 15, 2011, former Marine Corps Sergeant Dakota Meyer received the Medal of Honor at the White House. Earlier, when notified of the award by phone, he asked to share a beer with President Obama. The president agreed, and the two drank bottles of the ale on the patio outside the Oval Office.
Former president Thomas Jefferson, who lived in the White House from 1801 to 1809, is known to have brewed beer himself, especially after retiring. He has been called “America’s first microbrewer,” but no evidence shows he brewed at the White House.
On August 21, 2012, at least two Freedom of Information Act requests were submitted to the White House seeking the recipe. The requests came from California attorney Scott Talkov and Texas attorney Brodie Burks, both home brewers. On August 29, 2012, during a brief Q&A session on Reddit, President Obama announced he would release the recipe, saying, “It will be out soon! I can tell from firsthand experience, it is tasty.” The recipe was released on September 1, 2012, on whitehouse.gov. As a work of the United States Federal Government, it is in the public domain.
White House Honey Ale does not fit neatly into a specific beer style as defined by the Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines.
Quick Facts
- Brewery
- White House Brewery
- Style
- Top-fermented beer
- Year
- 2011
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The chefs at the White House are said to use traditional methods to brew the beer, before it is bottled and labelled with a customized logo. The logo features a line drawing of the White House on a maroon background encircled in yellow. The beer includes a pound of honey collected from beehives on the South Lawn.
The beer has been brewed for various events held at the White House. A Super Bowl party, attended by nearly 200 guests including acquainted celebrities and members of the U.S. Congress, was one of the first events where the ale was served. Nearly 10 gallons were produced for the party, with around 90 to 100 bottles available. Some bottles were also brewed for St. Patrick's Day.
On September 15, 2011, former United States Marine Corps Sergeant Dakota Meyer was the recipient of the Medal of Honor at the White House. Earlier, when informed of his award over the phone, he requested to share a beer with President Obama. The president accepted the offer and they each drank a bottle of the ale on the patio outside the Oval Office.
Reader's Guide
White House Honey Ale does not match a specific beer style as outlined by the Beer Judge Certification Program style guidelines. Gravity, alcohol by volume, bitterness and color are within the guidelines for a Belgian Dubbel, however the English hop and yeast selection are not in keeping with the Belgian Dubbel style. Therefore, this beer would fall under BJCP Category 23- Specialty Beer.
On August 21, 2012, at least two Freedom of Information Act requests were sent to the White House seeking the recipe of the White House Honey Ale from California attorney Scott Talkov and Texas attorney Brodie Burks, both home brewers. On August 29, 2012 during a brief Q&A session on Reddit, President Obama announced he would release the recipe, stating, 'It will be out soon! I can tell from firsthand experience, it is tasty.' The recipe was released on September 1, 2012 on whitehouse.gov. As work of the United States Federal Government, the recipe is in the public domain.
Former president Thomas Jefferson, who lived in the White House between 1801 and 1809, is known to have brewed beer himself, particularly after his retirement. He has been called 'America's first microbrewer', but there is no evidence that it happened at the White House.
Did You Know?
- President Obama purchased the homebrewing kit using personal funds.
- The honey used comes from beehives on the South Lawn of the White House.
- The recipe was released to the public on September 1, 2012, and is in the public domain.
- Former President Thomas Jefferson brewed beer himself, but there is no evidence it happened at the White House.
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