George Washington was said to have a taste for porter style beer, something which he brewed at his plantation before, during and after his terms as the first president of the United States of America. Well, I don’t know for sure if he brewed during his actual presidency, but that would be cool. I often wonder what a home brewing president might be like. I have a feeling that Obama probably doesn’t drink a lot of craft beer. In fact, when watching those television shows about the folks who serve the president, I’m often a little dismayed at the personal beer choices for Air Force 1 or White House state dinners.

But Washington brewed and drank great beer, as did many of the founding fathers.

In honor of the proud tradition of early brewers, my pick for a President’s Day beer is Stone Brewing Co.’s Old Guardian Barley Wine.

According to the Stone Brewing Co. blog, the 2010 release of this beer is today, so you won’t likely get any unless you live in Southern California, but if you see some, pick it up and put it away for next President’s Day.

Prost,

GG

Old Guardian

I found this new North Coast Brewing Co. offering in grocery stores in Oregon, so I’m sure with a few well-placed questions, our venerable beer purveyors in Montana would be happy to pick it up, if it’s not already here. I had this with dinner on two separate occasions, and as for its designation as a Dublin dry stout, it is. With measurable bitterness against a thinner malt backbone, this beer actually compliments food in ways I haven’t seen in many American stouts before. I really like Guinness with food. The creaminess can be the perfect pairing for many dishes. But the Old #38 really has some attributes that can make hard cheeses come alive. It can even compliment lamb stew and a robust porter chili that we had on New Year’s Day. The bitterness doesn’t necessarily come through the hops. At a light 53 IBUs, the tangy taste of roasted malts comes through providing a tantalizing taste enhancer for creamy sauces, braised meats and various cheeses from salty to creamy. Believe me, we tried this beer with a lot of food combinations.

The other aspect is that this beer isn’t a high-alcohol beer, so it can serve as more of a sessionable stout, which the market is decidedly bereft of . I had a couple of these during the game without food, and I never felt full or bloated, as can happen when drinking big stouts back to back.

I’ve tasted many stouts that would call themselves Dublin dry style, but this one might just redefine the category.

Prost,

GG