tom_gamer said:
Somewhere in here someone said that Obama paid for the brewery. Dont know if its true or not.
knuckleheadbrewing said:
If the man was brewing it himself on his days off or while on vacay....even though I dsipise the man, i'd say right on thats awesome!! But any one can have some one else brew and say...yeah I homebrew..
Props to the Chef! Not Obama
Regardless of who paid for it, I think it's pretty cool. I mean, love him or not, cut the POTUS some slack. He is the President, after all. Some presidents golf at extravagant clubs, others install a bowling alley. By contrast, I bet Obama's interest in/hobby of homebrewing is cheap by comparison... Especially if you consider the costs associated with the Secret Service whenever he travels or leaves the Oval Office.
Instead of having a huge entourage necessary for the man to have a simple jog (Clinton), or even just to go fishing, Obama can sit at home and enjoy a cold beer. It's probably one of the cheapest hobbies a President can have. Probably even cheaper than jogging. Seriously. Think about the logistics in setting up safe routes for the POTUS to just run around the block. When you add up the manpower and machinery required, I bet it's close to a million bucks. But the Secret Service doesn't have to do as much supervision of a brewing operation... Just source safe ingredients; the same thing they would have to do for the President's hamburger.
When it comes to Presidents' leisure time, I can't get worked up about them doing that they want. Despite a small tinge of jealousy, I always have to admit that if I were in their shoes, I would be doing similar things. The job is, no doubt, a mentally draining occupation. If they aren't blowing off steam (or krausen) somehow, they probably aren't as effective as we would want them to be. They are humans, not machines.
And if he doesn't brew it himself, well he probably has better things to do than spend a full day making a batch of AG beer. I am sure he had some say in the flavors. I am sure he is satisfied with his bespoke beer. I am sure George Washington didn't brew all his own beer at the White House either. It is still a homebrewery in the White House and it helps legitimize the hobby.
FWIW, I cannot ever remember getting worked up about any president's hobby. Frankly, it's not fair or reasonable to make a big deal over what a guy chooses to do in his leisure time, President or not.