The Beer Summit

In my opinion few indigestibles have as interesting a history as beer. Beer has been enjoyed by Pharaohs and Kings. Even our founding father's were beer drinkers. George Washington had a brewhouse at Mount Vernon. Many of our Presidents have been beer drinkers right through to Mr. Obama.

Mr. Obama undoubtedly knows that beer can serve as a tool to lubricate uneasy conversations, and as such he invited Harvard Professor Henry Gates and Cambridge, Mass., Police Sgt. James Crowley over during their 15 minutes, for a beer. Mr Gates is the gentleman who you may recall was arrested for apparently breaking into his own house last week. This Beer Summit has sparked a dialogue about race relations in this country. Many questions have arisen regarding racial profiling, police harassment and whether Obama is really our "post racial" president. I'm going to leave those topics to other blogs, my thoughts are focused on the beer.

It was released in advance by the Whitehouse Press Secretary that Gates would enjoy a Red Stripe, Crowley a Blue Moon and Obama a Bud Light (which was originally reported to be a Bud and then changed). These choices in beers have actually resulted in some heated discussions of late. All three beers are products of large foreign brewers. Red Stripe is a product of Jamaica but the parent company is British, Blue Moon despite some tricky labeling is not Belgian it is Canadian. Bud Light however could be thought of as Belgian as it is now the product of InBev.

I'll disregard the choices of Gates and Cowley as largely apolitical but a little inappropriately stereotypical for such an occasion. I am however disappointed in Mr. Obama's choice. I understand that it likely wasn't even his choice, he has handlers and political image artists that probably make the decision for him, but I think it was a poor one.

By choosing a Bud Light, he is appealing to the lowest common denominator. Which I guess is what you do in a democracy. He chose the most popular beer, when he could have opened us up to something new. Something sophisticated. Something truly domestic. He could have elevated our paletes as he has the dialogue in this country. I could see our previous President as a Bud Light man but not Barack. I bet at home, if he drinks beer it is not a Bud Light. I would wager Barack is likely a Hieneken man at times, but sipping from that green bottle in public would be political suicide. Some have joked that TsingTao would have been an appropriate choice as China holds the note to a significant portion of our debt. I could also see Barack drinking some exotic micro-brew which would have sent the press into hysterics.

I personally would have liked Mr. O to choose a Sam Adams. NPR had a great interview with Sam Adam's founder Jim Koch on this subject that is worth a listen. I think by choosing a quintessentially American beer Barack would have been sending a great "buy American" message. Also it could have opened a lot of Bud Light drinkers to a more sophisticated beer drinking experience.

Too often do we suffer mediocrity just because it is common.

DC