White House reveals its beer recipe

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The White House says it has released the recipes for two varieties of honey-laced beer it has been brewing for President Obama.

Chef Sam Kass posted the how-to for White House Honey Brown Ale and Honey Porter on the White House blog in response to a petition from home brewers who were curious about the presidential potable.

One of the secret ingredients might be tough for hobbyists to duplicate. "All of our brews have honey that we tapped from the first ever bee-hive on the South Lawn," Kass wrote. "The honey gives the beer a rich aroma and a nice finish but it doesn't sweeten it."

The ales are the first beers ever created at the White House. Kass noted George Washington brewed beer, but that was at Mount Vernon before the White House was even built.

"Inspired by home brewers from across the country, last year President Obama bought a home brewing kit for the kitchen," said Kass, who said the initial batches were made with recipes from a Washington brew shop with some fine-tuning from White House staffers who were already making their own suds at home.

ABC News said White House beer has been gaining a steadily higher profile since Obama debuted it at a presidential Super Bowl party last year. He now carries a supply of it when he travels and even offered a bottle to a voter in during a recent campaign appearance in Iowa.