REAL ALE buffs marked the closest run US presidential election today (Tuesday, November 6) by lifting a pint brewed from Barack Obama’s own home brew recipe.

The presidential recipe, posted on the White House website, was converted to metric measures and produced by celebrated Tyneside home-brewer Ken Oliver, before being unveiling at the Courtyard Café Bar at Washingon Arts Centre, in Washington, Wearside.

Honey PotUS (President of the United States) Porter is 5.3 per cent alcohol by gravity.

Alastair Gilmour, editor of Cheers North East magazine said: “Barack Obama apparently bought some home brew equipment last year and he has supposedly been home brewing.

“In response to publicity about the brew, the American Homebrewers Association petitioned the White House for his recipes. He has two recipes - and I got a hold of one of them.

“Home brewer Ken Oliver is extremely efficient and has a really nice little kit, so we got him to brew it.”

Mr Oliver converted all the measurements to metric units and used an American hop.

Mr Gilmour said: “The president said he used honey from hives on the White House lawn, but we got ours from a local supermarket.

“I thought let’s do something with the brew and got hold of the Courtyard Bar, which is a super little pub with several real ales. And being Washington we thought why not sample there.”

Because it was home brewed it could not be sold, but customers were asked for donations for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Having sampled a pint, Mr Gilmour said: “It is very good actually . . . a really nice beer.

“It is very dark, as I expected it to be with being a porter-style beer.

“It bit like stout and has a flavours of liquorice and a little bit of coffee and smokiness.

“It gets my vote. For a home brew it is excellent. It could be a commercial brew, no problem.”