President Obama has been known to take some of the special White House beer on Air Force One, or—when he ran for reelection in 2012 against Republican Mitt Romney—on his campaign tour bus. Sometimes a lucky citizen was “gifted” a White House brew during these travels.
Obama’s opponents were not completely beer-less during the 2012 presidential election. While former Massachusetts governor Romney was not a drinker of alcohol due to his Mormon faith, Romney’s running mate, Representative Paul Ryan (true to his Wisconsin roots), made mention of his favorite foods—and brews—in his vice-presidential acceptance speech, proudly proclaiming:
“My veins run with cheese, bratwurst, a Leine’s [Leinenkugel’s beer from Chippewa Falls], a little Spotted Cow [a microbrew from Wisconsin], and some Miller.”
All of which reminds us: never underestimate the role of beer in politics.
All that said, here are the recipes for intrepid home-brewers!
Ingredients:
2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract
1 lb light dried malt extract
12 ounces crushed amber crystal malt
8 ounces Biscuit Malt
1 lb White House Honey
1 ½ ounces Kent Goldings hop pellets
1 ½ oz Fuggles hop pellets
1 pkg Windsor dry ale yeast
¾ cup corn sugar for priming
Directions:
1. In a 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 ½ gallons of sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains.
2. Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.
3. For the first flavoring, add the 1½ ounces Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
4. For the second flavoring, add the 1½ oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.
5. Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
6. Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons. There is no need to strain.
7. Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70–80°. Fill airlock halfway with water.
8. Ferment at 68–72° for about seven days.
9. Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.
10. To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3 weeks at 75°.