http://www.blog.newsweek.com/photos/gagglepix/images/271861/495x375.aspxAs numerous pundits and prognosticators--including yours truly, circa last August--have pointed out, the defining dynamic of the deadlocked battle for the Democratic nomination is the divide between blue-collar, low-information "beer-track" voters, who tend to favor Hillary Clinton, and college-educated "wine-track" types, who flock to Barack Obama.
Apparently, no one told the brewmasters at Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Early last week--during my self-imposed Spring Break from Blogging--I stumbled across an announcement that the small local microbrewery had just released 30 kegs of what it called "a tribute to the inspiration that has been Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign": Hop Obama Ale. The Illinois senator is no stranger to serendipitous product placement. "Obama Girl" still scampers around in her skivvies. Jay Jay French, guitarist for the schlocky '80s hair-metal combo Twisted Sister, has re-recorded the band's hit "I Wanna Rock" as "I Want Barack." And I'd be surprised if Obamaniacs Ben & Jerry aren't preparing to pack pints with Yes, Pecan! in time for Election Day. But a beer? Last fall, a local winery in Dubuque, Iowa produced an alcoholic beverage with the Obama logo emblazoned on the bottle. It was a white zinfandel. That tipple matches the demographic trends; a brewski, to put it mildly, does not.
But when it comes to drinking, demography isn't exactly the most important factor. Taste is. Which is why last Wednesday I broke my promise to abstain from all things political and dutifully trudged the two blocks from my Brooklyn apartment to Pacific Standard, one of few bars to receive a shipment of Hop Obama (the release was limited to New York and Massachusetts). According to Sixpoint brewmaster Shane Welch, "Hop Obama is an indefinable ale that doesn't adhere to traditional style guidelines"--"in keeping with the Illinois senator's unifying theme." My goal: to find out, by sampling a pint (or two, or three) whether Welch's description was "just words"--a smart marketing scheme--or whether Hop Obama was actually "Obamaesque." All in the name of reporting, of course. The things I do for Newsweek.
So did the Hop Obama live up to the hype? The proprietors of Pacific Standard, John Rauschenberg and Jon Stan, were clearly excited about the brew. When Welch, a regular customer, mentioned in early March that he was cooking up an Obama tribute beer, Rauschenberg immediately reserved four kegs (the one-bar limit), ordered a smiling bobblehead Obama doll (see tap handle, above) and decided to donate a dollar from each $6 pint to the campaign. I plunked mine down, and a few seconds later, 16 oz. of deep amber booze were awaiting me on the bar. Right away, I noticed that Hop Obama does, in fact, resemble the senator--conceptually, at least. Made from five different types of European Crystal malts and three hop varieties from the Pacific Northwest, it's a hybrid blend of diverse strains, neither dark nor light in color. Time for the taste test. I took a sip. My first impression? Lots of hops, which means "exotic" citrus flavors (orange, mostly) and a blast of bitterness. But it was quickly balanced by an unsubtle rush of maltiness--sweet traces of toffee and brown sugar, coupled with an almost sticky mouthfeel. Strong on character? Check. Light on details? Check. Striking a balance between bitter and sweet? Check. Tending, at times, toward the syrupy? Check.
Tasted like Obama to me.
Apparently, my fellow Brooklynites--at least the ones in my Obama-friendly 'hood--agreed. The fourth and final keg of Hop Obama was kicked eleven days after the brew first appeared on tap at Pacific Standard. "It was by far out best-selling beer," says Stan. "Like, five times better than anything else on the list." According to Welch, the rest of the batch isn't expected to last through April. So let that be a lesson to you, Sen. Clinton. Unless you're content to cede your beer-track base to Obama, Stumper recommends brewing up a few cases of Hillaryish beer--ASAP.
http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/03/24/barack-obama-the-beer.aspx
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