Audacity of Hops: Foodies ride Obama tide

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Harry S. Truman old-fashioned to the Audacity of Hops
Some chefs are interested in who used to eat what. Dennis Marron, the executive chef of the Grille at Morrison House in Alexandria, Va., started working on a Lincoln-inspired menu long before the inaugural committee announced that Obama himself would be eating a similar Lincoln-inspired inauguration menu.

"They had a grand buffet," said Marron of Lincoln's second inauguration menu. "They had four different kinds of beef, three different kinds of veal, pates, poultry … I thought it was all pretty neat."

Marron is modernizing the menu to suit today's palate, and offering dishes like pates served with port syrup and grilled pheasant with shoestring potato and huckleberry jam.

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At Poste, in Washington, D.C., bar supervisor Rico Wisner is using the inauguration as a chance to show off some classic cocktails with a presidential twist, like the Americano=Change, made with Bluecoat Organic Gin, Campari and a sweet vermouth foam. He based the Harry S. Truman old-fashioned on a story he read about how Truman always thought old-fashioneds were too sweet. Finally, according to Wisner, the White House staffer mixing Truman's drinks gave up and poured him bourbon on the rocks. Wisner's version only has a splash of soda and a cherry and orange garnish.

D.C. home brewer Sam Chapple-Sokol was inspired to brew a special "InaugurAle" for the occasion called The Audacity of Hops. He asked his father to roast him a special blend of coffee, with beans from Hawaii, Indonesia and Kenya. He then combined the coffee ingredients with Victory malt and Liberty hops.

"The more I thought about it, the more nerdy I got about it, and tried to incorporate all the details I could," Chapple-Sokol said. "I really thought about what ingredients could personify Obama in beer."

A reason to celebrate
Lori Mason, a co-owner of Klee Brasserie in New York City, said that offering Obama–related products or a special inauguration menu — theirs includes Chicago brats — gives people a reason to go out again.

"Right now people are so inundated with the recession and war — there are so many reasons the media are telling us to stay home and don't spend money," Mason said. "With Obama, people are really looking for optimism and hope, to be reassured it’s OK again. To go out, to spend money and to have a bit of fun."

And some businesses with a tie to the Obamas got more business than they ever dreamed of. During the Iowa caucuses, word got out that the family liked the chocolate chunk cookies at Baby Boomers Cafe in Des Moines. They are now planning on filling orders for nearly 50,000 cookies during inauguration week that are going to be sent around the world.

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"It's a good cookie, but I had no idea that it was going to become this huge phenomenal thing," said owner Rodney Maxfield. "In Iowa, we are these huge celebrities and it's weird. I'm glad people are enjoying our cookie, but who would have thought this was going to happen?"

Places that the Obamas frequented in Chicago are also getting in on the action. Medici on 57^th, a cafe that serves pizza and burgers, now offers an "Obama eats here" T-shirt in the vein of "Washington slept here." They are selling so quickly that the restaurant has trouble keeping the shirts in stock, according to manager Mattie Pool.

There was even speculation that Rick Bayless, the executive chef of Topolobampo, a favorite of the president-elect, and Frontera Grill, was under consideration for the position of White House chef.

While Bayless never took the rumors seriously, said Jen Fite, his publicist and manager (the Obamas ended up sticking with current chef Cristeta Comerford), those in the food community were excited to have a president in office who is interested in good food.

"He's been here twice since he was elected," Fite said of Obama's visiting Topolobampo. "Everyone jumps out of their seats applauding. I almost cry when I think about it. The buzz he generates when he is in here is almost suffocating."

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Audacity of Hops: Foodies ride Obama tide