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Ale to the chiefs: Bipartisan brew crews face off in congressional beer contest

The Washington Times

Link to the Original Article

A serious beer bout will take place in the nation’s capital on Wednesday.

That would be the sixth annual Brew Across America Congressional Brewing Competition, set to take place at a spacious spot not that far from the Capitol itself.

 

Six bipartisan “brewing teams” made up of 12 members of Congress will go head-to-head for the coveted Brew Democracy Cup.

Yes, that is “brewing teams” — you read that right. Here are the details:

“Anheuser-Busch’s Brew Across America Congressional Brewing Competition is part of its broader Brew Democracy initiative to promote democracy by providing opportunities for those from differing political backgrounds to come together over a beer,” the organizers tell Inside the Beltway in advance information about the event.

“In its lead up, members of Congress and their bipartisan buddies collaborated on a signature beer with Anheuser-Busch brewers to create a bipartisan brew using local ingredients from their districts and states,” they note.

Yes, they made beer.

The brews will be judged by a panel of media and beer industry experts, who will rank each beer and choose the winning brew. The Anheuser-Busch Foundation will also donate $75,000 split between six nonprofit partners.

Here are the actual names of the signature beers in question, plus the congressional team members, their brewery allies that actually brewed the final product, and the partner charities:

• “ErieLee Good Beer,” brewed by Reps. Susie Lee, Nevada Democrat, and Dave Joyce, Ohio Republican, and the Anheuser-Busch Los Angeles Brewery; partnered with the National Volunteer Fire Council.

• “OK, ILL Drink to That,” brewed by Reps. Stephanie Bice, Oklahoma Republican, and Sean Casten, Illinois Democrat, and the Oklahoma City Lid Plant; partnered with Folds of Honor.

• “To Be Rather Than to Seem,” brewed by Reps. Patrick McHenry, North Carolina Republican, and Deborah Ross, North Carolina Democrat, and Wicked Weed Brewing; partnered with the National Medal of Honor Museum.

• “Bipartisan Brew,” brewed by Reps. Mike Carey, Ohio Republican, and Jimmy Panetta, California Democrat, and the Anheuser-Busch Columbus Brewery; partnered with Honor Flight.

• “Gip & Tip Pilsner,” brewed by Reps. Brad Schneider, Illinois Democrat, and Kevin Hern, Oklahoma Republican, and the Goose Island Brewery; partnered with Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

• “Little Rockies Lager,” brewed by Reps. Brittany Pettersen, Colorado Democrat, and French Hill, Arkansas Republican, and the Anheuser-Busch Fort Collins Brewery; partnered with the American Red Cross.