Hail to the chief: A hoppy chapter in history

On this Friday, George Washington’s actual birthday, craft beer lovers should lift a glass in appreciation of the first president, a patriot who knew how to brew. According to www.mountvernon.org, Washington enjoyed beer, often from a silver pint cup, with dinner; rewarded his white servants with a quart bottle of beer a day; and produced beer at Mount Vernon with hops grown on that plantation. “Virtually everybody, of all ages and social classes, at Mount Vernon drank beer as a matter of course during this time period,” the website states. That’s, of course, all very noteworthy, but there’s considerable disparity today about whether Washington’s beer was very tasty. A 2011 Wall Street Journal article, in which the homebrewer-author faithfully duplicates the original 18th-century recipe, concludes that it was not. Fortunately, there is a delicious, alternative Washington beer on the market today - Sneak Attack, a distinctive and imaginative saison produced by the history-conscious folks at 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco. The artwork for Sneak Attack parodies one of the most significant moments in this nation’s history – Washington’s 1776 Crossing of the Delaware, an audacious assault that changed the course of the American Revolution. In the majestic 1850 painting of this scene, Washington stands boldly at the front of the boat, which is cutting through the ice-clogged river. Standing by his side, and holding an American flag, is Lt. James Monroe, another patriot of note. In the 21st Amendment version, Washington is still wearing a cape and a sword, but the similarity pretty much ends there. Our first president, who was not known for his sense of humor, is shirtless, has an icicle hanging from his hat, a potbelly protruding over his shorts, and a wooden beer mug firmly in his grasp. This all works, in part because 21st Amendment also has Paul Revere, Abraham Lincoln and FDR on the labels of other beers, and also because Sneak Attack is a damn fine saison. Light and refreshing, it’s definitely an American take on this style, with notes of pepper, lemon, cardamom and grass dominating, and would go well with pizza or wings. Sneak Attack is available at Habersham Beverage: Give it a try on George’s 282nd birthday.