In releasing the recipes, the White House is tapping into a boozy frenzy of anticipation that intensified last week when Obama held a surprise Q&A session on the Reddit message boards. "What's the recipe for the White House's beer?" asked one user.

"It will be out soon! I can tell from firsthand experience, it is tasty," Obama replied.

And on this particular campaign promise, the president has delivered. In the last year, Obama has been serving White House beer during the Super Bowl, on the campaign bus and even to one lucky patron of a Knoxville, Iowa, coffee shop.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, however, a true taste of the White House homebrew remains out of reach. Both recipes — a porter and an ale — are brewed with the honey from White House bees, making the presidential pint a truly unique ambrosia.

Sam Kass, assistant chef at the White House, says while founding fathers like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were known for crafting whiskey and wine at home, this homebrew marks the first time beer has ever been made at the White House.

Just say the name of this incredible recipe -- Texas Beef Chili with Poblanos and Beer – and you know that it’s going to be good. This is a classic Texas-style chili because contains meat and chiles, but no beans (although they do make a tasty garnish, if you like). It’s got a great spicy kick, and its flavor gets even better if you make it a day or two before, so plan ahead. We promise it'll be worth it!

Tip: Try it with chipotle and New Mexico chile powders, available from McCormick in your grocery store.

Serves: 8

Ingredients
3 Tbs. olive oil; more as needed
2 large sweet onions, diced (about 4 cups)
2 large fresh poblano peppers (or green bell peppers), stemmed, seeded, and diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
4-1/2 lb. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks, 3 to 4 inches long
3 Tbs. New Mexico chile powder (or 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder)
1 Tbs. chipotle chile powder
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
12-oz. bottle amber ale, such as Shiner Bock (made in Shiner, Texas), Dos Equis Amber, or Anchor Steam Liberty Ale
1-1/2 qt. homemade or low-salt beef broth

For the Garnish
2 14-oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
12 oz. sour cream or whole-milk plain yogurt

Directions

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, translucent, and starting to brown, 8 to 10 min. Add the poblanos, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the poblanos soften, another 8 to 10 min. If the pan seems dry, add a little more olive oil. Add the garlic and 1 tsp. salt and sauté for another 5 min. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil in an 8-quart or larger Dutch oven (preferably enameled cast iron) over medium-high heat. Sear the beef cubes until browned and crusty on two sides, working in batches to avoid crowding the pan. With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the browned beef to a bowl. During searing, it’s fine if the pan bottom gets quite dark, but if it smells like it’s burning, reduce the heat a bit. If the pan ever gets dry, add a little more oil.

Once all the beef is seared and set aside, add the onions and peppers to the pan, along with the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, chile powders, cumin, and cloves and cook, stirring, until the spices coat the vegetables and are fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Slowly add the beer while scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to dissolve the coating of spices. Simmer until the beer is reduced by about half and the mixture has thickened slightly, 5 to 7 min. Add the beef, along with any accumulated juices, and the beef broth. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer, partially covered, for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Test a cube of meat—you should be able to cut it with a spoon. Discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.

If not serving immediately, chill overnight. The next day, skim any fat from the top, if necessary, before reheating.

To serve, heat the chili gently. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about 2 cups of the beef cubes to a plate. Shred the meat with a fork and return it to pot. (The shredded meat will help create a thicker texture.) Taste and add more salt if needed. Heat the beans in a medium bowl covered with plastic in the microwave (or heat them gently in a saucepan). Arrange the beans, chopped red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream in small bowls to serve as garnishes with the chili.

Nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 590; Fat (g): 29; Fat Calories (kcal): 260; Saturated Fat (g): 11; Protein (g): 58; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 13; Carbohydrates (g): 20; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 900; Cholesterol (mg): 175; Fiber (g): 6.
 

Susie Middleton is editor at large for Fine Cooking magazine.

BOSTON — When the news came earlier this week that, under an amendement in the casino bill, discounted drinks could return to the Bay State, some excitment ensued. An unscientific Greater Boston poll of 106 Bostonians and found 70 percent want to bring Happy Hour Back, 19 percent said no and 11 percent just don't care.

The amendment passed 25-to-13 with bipartisan support, although Senate President Therese Murray warned that the provision could get tied up in the House. The idea, lawmakers said, is that since casino operators often provide free or discounted drinks restaurant and bar owners should be able to do the same to level the playing field.

State Senators Bob Hedlund and Patricia Jehlen took on the issue with Greater Boston host Emily Rooney.

Senator Hedlund said he is not a fan of discounted drinks but simply wants to ensure that restaurants and bars can compete. In fact, he voted in favor of a failed amendment that would have banned free alcoholic drinks at casinos altogether, joining critics who said they feared it would lead to an increase in drunk driving and related accidents. He said he would prefer not to offer drink specials at his own restaurant, Four Square, in Weymouth.

Sen. Patricia Jehlen voted down the measure saying that allowing free drinks at casinos would put thousands of bars and restaurants at a competitive disadvantage, and that the amendment to ban free drinks was backed by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — It is possible to find Russian-brewed beer in the US — if you look hard — but you’re more likely to find something called “Russian imperial stout.” Despite the name, Russian imperial stouts were actually first brewed in England in the 18th century for export to Russia.

The style of beer — a deep, dark stout with high alcohol content — was long dormant in the United States. But it’s coming back en vogue in a big way.

At the Portsmouth Brewery in New Hampshire, the big event of the year is Kate Day. That’s when they offer visitors the chance to drink their “Kate the Great” beer. Kate is the 18th century Russian tsarina Catherine the Great.

This year, about 200 people lined up in the freezing rain. At the very front of the line was John Anastas, along with his uncle. They got in line the night before and set up two chairs and two umbrellas, and made a make-shift tent.

“It was pretty bad out. It was raining. It was really windy. We kind of had on-off sleep, but we made it,” Anastas said, adding that he changed his clothes three times through the course of the night.

Their 11-hour ordeal may have been a hardship and a bit extreme, but well worth it to taste a beer that’s only available once a year.

“I think it keeps it special,” said Tod Mott, head brewer at the Portsmouth Brewery, referring to the once-a-year tradition. “I think it keeps people guessing what it’s going to be like this year. And it enables us to keep that, ‘Oh, I’m going to get one this year,’ (feeling) alive.”

Surviving the Baltic passage

Russian Imperial Stout is similar to Guinness, but richer. It also has a much higher alcohol content, about 10-12 percent. This year’s Kate the Great is 10.5 percent. The 18th century stout was brewed with more malts and higher alcohol to help it survive the icy Baltic passage from England to Russia.

Tod Mott said the Russian Imperial stout was also brewed with more alcohol to keep pace with Russian vodka.

Mott brews his version of the stout only once a year because the whole process takes five months. He runs a small brewery, and the stout ties up a tank and a lot of equipment used to brew beer. Then, once tapped, the beer is gone in a matter of hours.

Still, it’s worth making. “Kate the Great” was ranked as the second best beer on the planet by Beer Advocate magazine in 2007.

Most of the people I met at Kate Day were bushy-bearded New Englanders. New Hampshire doesn’t have many Russians. But working at the brewery was Olga Safronyuk from Siberia. She said this mania for Russian stouts definitely doesn’t happen back home.

“Actually I never heard about Russian imperial stout before. The first time I tried it was yesterday,” said Safronyuk.

Safronyuk said the Russian beer mania was a bit “crazy,” but in the same breath, she added, “Why not?”

“I’m proud, that people remember Russia, remember about Russian history,” said Safronyuk.

Several other American breweries have also started making Russian stouts. Among the first was the North Coast Brewing Co. in Fort Bragg, Calif. Its “Old Rasputin” stout debuted 15 years ago. Doug Moody with the company said they wanted a label to catch the eye. I asked if using a crazed picture of Rasputin, the so-called Mad Monk, does that.

“Of course it does,” said Moody. “And that wasn’t an accident. The story of Rasputin leant itself perfectly to this beer.”

The story of Rasputin is that of perhaps one of the most bizarre, perplexing humans ever to roam the earth. And there are unsavory stories about Catherine the Great too.

Tapping the keg

When the brewmaster in Portsmouth finally tapped the Kate the Great keg, I was expecting bedlam, a primal release of joy. The reality was more like center court at Wimbledon: A polite round of applause with a few whistles thrown in the mix. The beer drinkers here weren’t here just to party. These folks were burrowing their noses deep into their glasses, and debating aromas.

I caught up with John Anastas and asked him for his opinion.

“It’s very nice. It’s smooth. You get a lot of dark chocolate, a hint of plum. But the big thing is it’s just so balanced,” Anastas said. He added that it was worth the 11-hour wait in the freezing rain.

Everyone I spoke with raved about their beer and wanted to discuss the complexity of flavors. These were serious beer people.

I too ordered a glass of Kate the Great. I’m not quite ready to stand in the rain for 11 hours for a taste, or even one hour. But I have to say, after a glass, I got the hype. I was really surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. It was indeed like no other beer I’ve ever tasted. But was it the best beer I’ve ever had in my life?

Yes, it was.