July 29, 2009
Posted: July 29th, 2009 11:11 PM ET

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What beer should be served at the Obama-Gates-Crowley get together?
What beer should be served at the Obama-Gates-Crowley get together?

(CNN) - The upcoming White House meeting with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and the Cambridge police officer who arrested him earlier this month appears to have touched off a fresh debate all on its own: what kind of beer should be served?

Earlier this week the White House indicated each man would drink the beer of their choice - Bud Light for President Obama, Blue Moon for the police officer, and perhaps Red Stripe or Beck's for Gates.

But one Massachusetts congressman thinks another beer entirely should be served: Boston's own Sam Adams.

In a letter to Obama dated Wednesday, Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal strongly urges the president not to drink Budweiser, now owned by a Belgian company. Nor should the White House consider serving Miller or Coors, Neal writes, both owned by a United Kingdom conglomerate.

Instead, the White House should serve the three men - all with ties to Massachusetts - the local favorite, not only because of its popularity in the region but also because it remains the largest American-owned and brewed beer, Neal says.

But Sam Adams founder and brewer Jim Koch told NPR if it was up to him he would make a special beer just for the event.

"I'd make a blend of ingredients from all over the world. Which is certainly what's represented there with the three participants," he said. "I would blend those ingredients together artfully and harmoniously, because that's really what we all hope for."

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe reports other Massachusetts-based beer companies are also hoping to get their product a space at the high-profile meeting.

Dan Kenary, president of Harpoon Brewery, told the paper they are working every "back-door channel" the company has.

"We'd love to be the beer at this event," Kenary said.

Read Rep. Neal's letter (PDF) here.

Filed under: Extra • President Obama


Eric Holder Was Right! | Natural Health News   August 1st, 2009 2:17 am ET

[...] to that... as the meeting approaches between Obama, Gates and Crowley we actually have politicians fussing abou...  What is everything marketing these days?  This again proves that beer is easier to talk about [...]

1012: I'll Fight You - Page 2   July 31st, 2009 12:17 pm ET

[...] The beers at the white house. Obama – Bud Light The cop – Blue Moon Gates – Red strip or Beck's CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive – Beer choice at Obama meeting touches... [...]

Budweiser too Un-American. «   July 30th, 2009 4:17 pm ET

[...] Budweiser too Un-American. Jump to Comments http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/29/bee-choice-at-obama-meeting-touches-off-new-debate/ [...]

We nailed it: Beergate ‘09 | SeriouslyGuys   July 30th, 2009 1:46 pm ET

[...] Read it and weep, unbelievers. We're movers and shakers, baby. Written by Rick Snee [...]

Nutty News Today | Nutty News Stories » Blog Archive » Beer choice touches off new debate   July 30th, 2009 1:26 pm ET

[...] Washington DC -  The upcoming White House meeting with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and the Cambridge police officer who arrested him earlier this month appears to have touched off a fresh debate all on its own: what kind of beer should be served? The White House indicated each man would drink the beer of their choice — Bud Light for President Obama, Blue Moon for the police officer, and perhaps Red Stripe or Beck's for Gates. Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal strongly urges the president not to drink Budweiser, now owned by a Belgian company.  More... [...]

D.C. Afternoon Writeup, July 30 | THE D.C. WRITEUP   July 30th, 2009 12:57 pm ET

[...] region but also because it remains the largest American-owned and brewed beer, Neal says."—Read More var addthis_pub = ''; var addthis_brand = 'The DC Writeup';var addthis_language = 'en';var [...]

I’m A Little Surprised He Didn’t Choose Colt 45 « For Sure NOT   July 30th, 2009 10:13 am ET

[...] I'm A Little Surprised He Didn't Choose Colt 45 (CNN) — The upcoming White House meeting with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and the Cambridge police officer who a... [...]

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