Obama Fails To Back Craft Brewers At Beer Summit

Last week President Obama met with Harvard Professor Henry Lewis Gates, Jr. and Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley at the White House.  Obama invited these two men to get together and smooth over some of the events of the past couple weeks. 

It started on July 16, 2009 with Gates being arrested for disorderly conduct by Crowley when police came to his home to investigate a possible break-in.  Soon after Obama used the incident to make a statement about race relations and said that the police had "acted stupidly" in this situation.

The meeting at the White House soon became known as the "beer summit" and much of the attention suddenly shifted to what type of beer the three would be drinking.  Much of the craft brewing world had hoped that this would be a chance to showcase some of their beers and get publicity for the quality they put into their beers.  There were many attempts to lobby the White House and suggest some good options.  There were even AP reports that a Representative from Massachusetts, Richard Neal, sent the president a letter suggesting that he offer Sam Adams from the Boston Beer Company at the summit. 

In the end the Obama decided to have a Bud Light, Crowley had a Blue Moon, and Gates sided with a Sam Adams Light.  While I am not suggesting the President drink something he does not like, I wonder if he has ever had a good American craft beer.  There must be something out there that he likes which would represent the small businesses and craft brewers of America.  Granted, this whole beer summit became something completely off of the original focus.  However, since it did lose focus because of the media focusing on the beer selection, I would have hoped that the President would have taken the opportunity to give a little publicity to the small hardworking craft brewers of America instead of further promoting the large corporations in the beer industry. 

I guess it is just an opportunity lost for the craft beer world again.  Bud Light gets another commercial, free and endorsed, by the President in this case.

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