Ale to the Chiefs

Looks like a good time to me

Monday is President’s Day, a day that is intended (I think) to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of all of our Commanders in Chief, but usually revolves around only two – George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I’m not entirely certain if this is by design or merely because the national holiday falls between their respective birthdays, but regardless, George and Abe are the two Presidents that seem to get all the glory this time of year. They both have pretty respectable resumes to be sure, but where did they fall on beer?

I think this one is Photoshopped

It is widely reported that George Washington loved beer. He was said to drink porter by choice, however he famously boycotted his beloved imported British porters just before war broke out and lent his support to a bill that called for the avoidance of British beer, tea and other cornerstones of daily life (the bill in question was crafted by one Samuel Adams).

George was also a home brewer, though his wife and servants most likely did most of the brewing. The recipe for his “small beer” – an everyday drink that might be consumed by children, servants and the infirm – can be found at the New York Public Library today. If brewed strictly to his methods, this beer would clock in around the 11% ABV mark, with the addition of ample amounts of molasses as the main culprit.

General Washington was also known to hold meetings with foreign heads of state and his own cabinet members and military officials in pubs and taverns. In fact, his headquarters when he was in New York City was an inn kept by Samuel Fraunces, whom he later appointed his household steward when he was elected President.

The famous "and beer" quote

Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, most likely did not drink beer. In fact, it is reported that he did not drink at all. Even though he is credited with one of the famous beer quotes, “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.” Some historians are convinced that the “and beer” part of that quote was a turn of phrase from a master orator, and not a sign of Lincoln’s beer drinking habits. Other historians will tell you that the “and beer” part was added later and was never actually said. There is one account in which one of Lincoln’s friends described him drinking lager while trying to recover from an illness, but other than that, there are no historical indications that Abe ever drank beer.

What about other Commanders in Chief? What are their contributions to our beloved beer culture?

Thomas Jefferson was a home brewer, just like George Washington and many other founding fathers. He considered beer a “table liquor” and served it regularly at meals in Monticello.  In his later years, Jefferson became obsessed with the science and overall process of brewing beer, constructing a state of the art brew house on his grounds to experiment with.

Fires me up!

James Madison, the father of the constitution, seriously considered proposing a national government-run brewery, even though he was a noted proponent of small government during much of his political career. He also wanted to establish a secretary of beer for the cabinet. He was motivated by establishing beer making as a viable component of the fledgling economy. As a member of the House, Madison encouraged “the manufacture of beer in every State in the Union,” part of his justification for proposing to levy taxes on barrels of ale and spirits (most of which were being imported from England and elsewhere).

Teddy Roosevelt, according to legend, brought 500 gallons of beer with him on an extended African safari. That’s a lot of beer.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt presided over three pieces of legislation that positively affected us modern day beer people. On March 22, 1933, he signed into law the Cullen-Harrison Act, which legalized the sale of beverages containing up to 3.2% ABV, as well as the Beer and Wine Revenue Act, which gave the states the power to regulate their own sales and distribution of beer, wine and spirits. Shortly after that, in December 1933, congress repealed prohibition.

Jimmy Carter signed a bill in 1978 that made it legal to home brew, which was illegal up to that point as a holdover from prohibition. He also signed a separate act which eliminated most taxes on home brewed beer and wine. Of course, Jimmy’s brother Billy had his own line of beer.

Beers for everyone!

Ronald Reagan used a quick trip to a Boston-area pub in 1983 to re-connect with voters, when he sat down and had a beer with a few Democrats at the Eire Pub. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has a replica beer pub based on the one he patronized during a presidential trip to Ireland.

George W. Bush received a boost in the 2004 campaign when it was determined that most Americans would rather have a beer with him than with his opponent John Kerry. This set a new precedent that future presidential candidates would have to consider.

Barack Obama held his beer summit in 2009 in order to help resolve a racially charged issue revolving around the arrest of a school professor. It should be noted, however, that the beers that were served at the beer summit were all crap (Bud Light, Blue Moon and Red Stripe). Obama has also become the first President to “home brew” from the White House and has released the recipes for the White House Honey Ale and Honey Porter. Unfortunately, much like other Presidents before him, he had someone else do it. I wonder where on the White House grounds they brewed the beer.

So this President’s Day, as we’re off of work and sitting around wondering what to do with ourselves, let’s remember that some of our Commanders in Chief were beer people just like us, and some contributed to our modern day beer obsessions in fairly significant ways. If I missed any stories that you know of, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!