Thursday, July 30, 2009
Barack and Beer: An Unnatural Combo?
No matter what you think of President Barack Obama's politics, you have to give him this much: He knows that men should settle their disputes with a couple of beers and a hearty talk.
However, judging by the beers that the men involved in today's White House chat - especially the president - were ingesting, this great American tradition may have been a little more forced than it should have been.
By now, everyone pretty much knows the story of Obama inviting recently arrested (and angry) Harvard Professor Henry Gates and heavily criticized (and angry) Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley to the White House to talk about the recent incident that involved them and the harsh words for Crowley from the president. If you don't, here's a story about it that I wrote on Monday for the Denver Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/07/27/daily17.html.
The problem was this: When each men was asked to pick their beer, they came up with some strange choices. Gates went for a Red Stripe (a non-American beer at a great American gathering), Crowley passed over fine local options for a Blue Moon and Obama, appearing to flail and grab at the first name he could think of, chose a Budweiser. Seriously. You're the leader of the free world, you could have any brewer in America ship you a couple of cases and you choose Budweiser? Wow.
Here's the way I think it should have gone:
*Gates the professor from the hoity-toity Cambridge university should have picked something from Cambridge Brewing, which is not just an incredible local gift to the beer world but, like most professors, is very environmentally conscious. The barrel-fermented sour wild ale Cerise Cassee was, in this beer geek's opinion, the best offering at last year's Great American Beer Festival, so it certainly deserved a seat at the White House table.
*Crowley's a little more blue collar, so he could have gone with a Sam Adams product. Since he clearly likes Belgian-style wheat beers, we'll give him an Imperial White, something that should both light up his taste buds and take a little bit of the edge off when the professor and the president start to team up against him.
*Obama, meanwhile, is an Illinois resident, so he ought to bring something from his home state to the party. Goose Island is the finest brewery in the Chicago area, and he'd have quite a variety of styles from which to choose. But since he's shown that his beer tastes are, shall we say, quite conservative, we won't give him something too big. The Honkers Ale is an easily drinkable English-style bitter appropriate as a session beer - just what he needs here.
That's one beer geek's opinion. Anyone got better suggestions?
Labels: Anheuser Busch, Blue Moon Brewing, Cambridge Brewing, Goose Island, Red Stripe, Sam Adams
Comments:
<< Home
Very nice suggestions from a beer snob! Since these guys all live on the east coast that your criticizing, I will give them a pass for lack of formal education in the beer universe. Blue Moon is actually a snobbish choice for someone from out east... They should have split a bottle of Jaeger and had it out in a mud pit on the White House lawn, IMO!!
I get why Biden not getting liquored up is a really good idea, but couldn't he at least have brought a six pack of Dogfish Head?
And just how great would it have been if Obama was drinking Tusker? Glenn Beck would explode...
And just how great would it have been if Obama was drinking Tusker? Glenn Beck would explode...
All in all, some very thoughtful choices, but for one potential problem. The cop accused of racism is supposed to drink Imperial White? That might have raised some eyebrows.
Also, probably better for all involved that Joe "Loose Cannon" Biden drank the non-alchy beer. You've seen the man sober. Now imagine him booze-fueled.
Also, probably better for all involved that Joe "Loose Cannon" Biden drank the non-alchy beer. You've seen the man sober. Now imagine him booze-fueled.
I really enjoyed this one.
Cheers, Keep it up.
___________________
rozy
Best place for your complete Internet marketing
Post a Comment
Cheers, Keep it up.
___________________
rozy
Best place for your complete Internet marketing
# posted by 
: 11:12 PM
: 11:12 PM << Home
