(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.
From CNN Politics
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What's next, a debate over serving the beer in cans, bottles, or a keg? Sheesh, let's get everyone involved! Give it a rest CNN and the all the other media out there, also!
This is not news.
Major eyeroll...I think somebody is missing the point.
It should be non-alcoholic beer. Everything about this presidency is fake.
Makes perfect sense to me...
This 'beer summit' is a slap at blue collar people. Give the white guy some beer and all will be better. The lower middle class cop will be nice if the educated black guys just get him a little liquored up. Where are the President's advisors? Don't they think these things out? He should take a tip from Reagan and stay far away from the media. They mean him no good. They're out for themselves.
SO stupid ........ that THIS is even a story!
Oh Please!!! There must be something constructive these people could be doing. Rep. Richard Neal is this what you do while on the clock?
You mean the President has to have beer to talk to those two.
A cup of coffee or a glass of ice tea should be good enough.
Probably a better thing would be to have Gates and Powell
ride with Crowley for a couple of weeks and get a better
perspective of his job.
Shocking that Prof. Gates would pick Red Stripe. That is a product of Jamaica and there is actually a boycott going on because of the rampant and horrific homophobic attacks that have become all too routine in Jamaica. The island nation has been labled "the most homophobic place on earth."
Bad form once again Prof. Gates.
CNN you are just plain stupid.
they are both related through irish ancestory (and obama is part irish as wel). wouldnt Guinness be a more natural choice here?
Sam Adams is probably the best choice, but don't forget Harpoon. New England is a hotbed of great microbrews.
Is it April fools day? Rep. Richard Neal is surley pandering for votes here! It's a good thing he did not ask them over for mixed drinks!
Seems CNN is the one "acting stupidly"!
Really.. .THIS is newsworthy?
Why doesn't CNN ever – EVER report on the LIES being spread by the GOP on any number of issues... but they seem to have plenty of space to waste with this nonsence?
"Most trusted name in News"... give me a break... CNN is nothing but FOXNEWS Lite and getting worse... You should be ashamed CNN.
Lou Dobbs is your "face" now CNN! He speaks for you and he actually believes teh "birther' nonsense... Way to let the patients rule the asylum CNN... You've officially become another cable-news JOKE!
Honestly, I think they should have chosen Dos Equis Amber. Now there is a beer. What's more, they should have chosen to serve it so cold that it was slightly slushy upon opening the bottle. It just makes good sense to drink one of the finest cervazas in the world during the 20th Century. It's also ideal from the standpoint that it's a uniter, not a divider. A good beer from a neutral country should resolve these problems. Thank you.
Oh what the heck. Let them drink any kind of beer they want. No matter what they drink the Media will make something out of it. Or those blasted Republicans will. Does anyone really care? With all the real problems going on right now it's stupid to even be talking about beer. So let it go and move on!!
The media is acting stupidly with the continued micro coverage of this story. This is so very non-news worthy that.
Richard Neal's constituents should sue him for wasting time on petty request!
Richard Neal needs to stay out of it!
Y'all need to lighten up. I found this entertaining. Y'all are wasting your time writing comments about how this was a waste of time. Nice. Put a smile on your face and stop taking life so seriously. Go have a beer. I recommend a New Belgium Fat Tire . . . Mmmmmm.
It's easy for Lou Dobb at CNN to promote the birthers' agenda since president Obama looks darker than Lou Dobb. CNN has to stop this show or censor it. Looking at Lou Dobb's show one gets confused about whether they listening to Fox News or CNN. This needs to be clarified for the sake of honesty
Wow . . . . i hope the comgressman that took the time to write Obama will reimburse the taxpayers that pay for his time with the endorsement money he obviously got from Sam Adams.
I like busch light. but lemonade is good too! ya know you take a sour situation and make something good out of it. a great idea.
...and this comes from a member of our congress who has let all the manufacturing go to China – where was he when all those businesses left the country?
Patriotism is not stupid.
And do you really think this is as big of a deal as CNN is making it?
Pull your heads out.
Go Sam Adams!