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President Obama brewing his own beer for St.Patrick’s White House bash

President Obama has officially declared March 2011 Irish American Heritage Month. More importantly the White House also announced that the president would be brewing his own beer called White House Honey Ale for St.Patrick’ Day.

Obama, who said he will pay for the beer making equipment himself, has made  presidential history by being the first U.S. president to brew beer at the White House.

It seems that Obama is certainly getting in touch with his Co. Offaly, roots although no one is sure if honey ale is brewed in the town of Moneygall (Obama's great-great-great grandfather is said to have left Offaly for New York in 1850).

Last month the president and his wife Michelle served White House Honey Ale at their Super Bowl party. They are officially the first White House residents to charge their chefs with brewing, and White House curator Bill Allman says the chefs love it.

Allman is the historian who oversees the White House, and although he has checked back through the 200 years of history he can see no precedent for home brewing.

Historian for the White House Historical Association William Ushong agrees. He said, "I haven't heard of any beer brewing going on at the White House itself.  President Jefferson would be your likely candidate, given his epicurean taste." 

The staff confirms that White House home brewing is here to stay. According to the Obama Foodorama blog Semonti Stephens, a spokesman for the East Wing said, "It is very safe to assume that there will be more White House beer in the future.”

In the official proclamation of Irish American Heritage Month Obama said, "Seldom in this world has a country so small had so large an impact on another. Today, the rich culture of Ireland touches all aspects of American society, and the friendship that binds Ireland and the United States is marked by a shared past and a common future."

He spoke about the deep influence that Ireland has had on the U.S. through the millions of immigrants who arrived over the centuries.   "During Irish American Heritage Month, we honor the contributions Irish Americans have made, and celebrate the nearly 40 million among us who proudly trace their roots back to Ireland,” he said.

This article was published on Irish Central. Click here to read the full article.

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