When we last visited
this story, before it actually took place, speculation was rife that three brands
of brews would be served at the White House "Beet Summit": Bud Light (President Obama), MillerCoors Blue Moon (Sgt. James Crowley) and Diageo's Red Stripe (Prof. Henry Louis Gates).
As it returned out, a little old fashioned lobbying by Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., who pushed to have American brews at the table and Jim Koch, founder of Sam Adams, resulted in Sam Adams
Light making it onto the menu (and there was no mention of Red Stripe being served.)
"I started brewing Sam Adams in my kitchen 25 years ago," said Koch, who claimed he was
surprised at the groundswell of calls and letters to the Capitol from beer drinkers who wanted "to see Sam Adams served in the White House."
"Regardless of the beer
picks, it's been great buzz for the beer industry," according to MillerCoors spokesman Julian Green, "It puts beer top of mind." But he also says that it would be a mistake for
marketers to try to exploit the story for business gains.
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