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That Happened: Grading Obama's "Beer Summit"
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That Happened: Grading Obama's "Beer Summit"
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| AP via Telegraph |
On Monday, we asked you to nominate the beer for President Obama's Rose Garden sit-down with Harvard prof Skip Gates and Cambridge cop James Crowley. Some great responses in the comments, in addition to our selection of Sam Adams Boston Lager as the one beer to end racial strife.
The so-called Beer Summit finally took place last night, and here's who drank what (veep Joe Biden ended up chilling along with):
- Obama: Bud Light. The most popular man in American selects the most popular beer in America. Works on paper, we suppose � but straight-up Bud would've endeared this choice more to all those people in the Rust Belt or wherever who still think O is Al-Qaeda. [GRADE: C]
- Biden: Bucklers. The VP is a longtime teetotaler, so he opted for this "beer," which carries less than 1 percent ABV. We've never had Bucklers, but for some reason it seems more legit than O'Doul's, so respect. [GRADE: B]
- Crowley: Blue Moon. Coors makes this some-ladies-love-it wheat beer, which is often served with an orange wedge. (They wouldn't let photogs close enough to the meeting for us to determine whether or the sergeant went with the citrus.) Kind of an anemic choice, but in post-racial America, we suppose it's OK for a cop to be seen drinking this in the company of men. [GRADE: C+ with orange wedge; B- without it]
- Gates: Sam Adams Light. Leave it to the Ivy League brain to listen to us! Though he didn't go with Boston Brewing Co.'s flagship beer, this works � Meal Ticket typically tries to avoid light beer at all costs, but we've had this stuff on several occasions and were pleasantly surprised. [GRADE: A]
Wait, wait � here's what Gates said to some reporters post-summit regarding the circumstances of his arrest:
"Sergeant Crowley and I, through an accident of time and place, have been cast together, inextricably, as characters � as metaphors, really � in a thousand narratives about race over which he and I have absolutely no control," he said, striking a suitably scholarly tone.
People who drink beer shouldn't talk like that. A REVOKED! [NEW GRADE: B]
Crowley's got a lemon in there. I can see it floating. I wonder if they had to pre-order their brews with the White House Bartender.
I know a staffer brought them out on a tray, along with bowls of peanuts and pretzels. AMERICA!
There is nothing wrong with drinking Blue Moon with an orange wedge, you classist.
Narrgansett Beer dropped a case of beer on Gates' porch the other day...I hear the old New Engalnd brew is the new favorite among Cambridge's stylish denizens...maybe they should get the nod... there's a breakdown and pics over at economixt - http://www.economixt.com/narragansett-beer-now-a-part-of-the-gates-crowley-obama-trifecta
A nice array. I have had Buckler before, and for a non-alcoholic beer it has a good taste. Kudos to Biden for not copping out and drinking Juicy Juice or something.
Biden should have picked an American NA beer. Bucklers is brewed in the Netherlands. There are only two types of people I hate in the world: people intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch.
Obama's and Biden's picks were horrible. obama-not american owned. watered down version of a *former* american classic. worst pick biden-not alcoholic. second worse pick. don't show up if you aren't going to drink real beer. gates-not bad. shouldn't have been the watered down light version. crowley-not bad. made in canada, USA owned, so its okay. gates/crowley tied for best. Gate's edge was that the beer is unequivocally american. Crowley's edge would be that out of all the beers there, his was the only beer which is recommended for outdoor summer drinking given its light, fruity spice essence and palate cleansing ability. It seems that he had the best beer for the occasion based purely on taste. I believe the best beer selection possible would have been either Samuel Adams Summer Ale or Yuengling. Yuengling because it is America's oldest Brewery. Sam Adams Summer Ale because of its taste. I would have picked Yuengling because it's what I almost always drink.
I thought I read somewhere that Gates was going to drink Red Stripe?
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