Le sigh — ’cause it’s just what we’ve all been waiting for, I’m sure. I really hate being a stickler about letting administrations and presidents have a little bit of fun — in fact, I think that they probably should do a few lighthearted cultural things, even if they are at taxpayers’ expense. Beer is a major player in America’s culinary canon, and I don’t resent the president having an affinity for it at all (quite the opposite even, wink wink). But I’m really exerting a lot of effort not to roll my eyes at this one, because it’s just so… representative of everything we’ve gotten out of the White House lately. We’re up to our eyeballs in shallow, populist gambits meant to make President Obama look cool, hip, and sympathetic, but we seem to be lacking any truly serious suggestions in the manner of — oh, I don’t know — maybe a recipe for an economic recovery? Because, news flash: Hiking taxes, blaming your predecessor, and getting Mitt Romney to reveal his tax returns aren’t really viable ingredients.

But hey, even if President Obama goes down in history as the most economically inept leader of the free world to date, at least he will have ushered in a new era of White House microbrewing. It’s what the people want to know about, apparently. For any home-brewers out there, but sure to report back.

With public excitement about White House beer fermenting such a buzz, we decided we better hop right to it.

Inspired by home brewers from across the country, last year President Obama bought a home brewing kit for the kitchen. After the few first drafts we landed on some great recipes that came from a local brew shop. We received some tips from a couple of home brewers who work in the White House who helped us amend it and make it our own. To be honest, we were surprised that the beer turned out so well since none of us had brewed beer before.