MNN - Mother Nature Network

That delicious White House Honey Ale continues to work its magic. 

 

The privately brewed beverage, one of four currently produced at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, was at the center of a playful bit of drama last August after beer enthusiasts successfully petitioned for the release of the official recipe. "Until you release the beer recipe, you've got no business criticizing Romney for not releasing his tax returns," teased one commenter on a petition that eventually reached more than 25,000 signatures. 

 

Though many of us in the green scene were aware that Obama's kitchen staff was homebrewing (thanks in particular to the copious honey produced by the first lady's honeybees), the information appeared to reach critical mass after an unplanned campaign stop in Iowa. That's where salesman and beer aficionado Brad Magerkurth happened to run into President Obama and inquire about his private brew. As he tells it, an aide rushed back to Ground Force One, grabbed a bottle from the president's private stash, and presented it to him. You can see a picture, courtesy of the White House, of that very moment below. Can you feel Magerkurth's excitement? 

 

 

According to the site Obama Foodorama, Magerkurth debated for weeks what to do with the bottle before eventually deciding to donate the bottle for charity. That way, he told the site, his gift could be shared with fellow beer enthusiasts as well as be put to good use. On the weekend of Sept. 28, the bottle of ale was auctioned off at a food and drink festival in Minnesota — with the proceeds going to the University of Minnesota's Amplatz Children's Hospital. In the end, 10 people paid a total of $1,200 for the opportunity to try the brew.