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Sam Adams Founder's Advice For Obama The Brewer: Follow Jefferson's Recipe

BOSTON (CBS) – The founder of the Boston Beer Company says President Obama has some work to do if he wants to become a better brewer.

The president and some friends have brewed their own beer at the White House for more than a year now.

It's called White House Honey Ale and it's been served at several events.

White House Honey Ale
(White House Photo)

Jim Koch, the man who created Sam Adams Beer, told CBS This Morning Tuesday he hasn't tried the president's ale yet, but...

"I was reading about it and he has a little ways to go as a brewer. They're making a honey ale and I've made some of those and they become too sweet," Koch said.

"Beer needs to be balanced and complex, so if I were to give him a little advice, I'd say add some lemon zest in the kettle to balance the sweetness and then make a lemon-honey ginger ale. Because the spiciness of the ginger will balance that cloyingness of the honey and ironically, that's the recipe of another president."

"In Thomas Jefferson's journals there's a recipe for honey lemon ginger ale that's really good," he said.

Koch also noted that three of the first four presidents were brewers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.

"John Adams wasn't because he had his cousin Sam Adams to make beer for him," Koch said.

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