In Germany for the G-7 summit, President Obama stopped by the village of Kruen for a glass of beer with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and fellow world leaders to celebrate German culture.
During the morning event, Obama drank a glass of beer while eating pretzels and schnitzel surrounded by local costume-clad citizens.
“I have to admit I forgot to bring my lederhosen,” Obama said as he arrived, “I’ll have to see if I can buy some while I’m here.”
After drinking, he observed that “it was a very fine beer” and that he wished he could stay for the entire festival. “There is never a bad day for a beer and a Weisswurst,” he said.
According dpa News, village mayor Thomas Schwarzenberger informed that press that since the beer tasting took place in the morning, officials requested that the beer to be served be non-alcoholic.
“President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer were served only non-alcoholic beer,” the mayor reported.
But that didn’t stop Obama from heartily praising the event and the beer that was served.
“We should have all our summit meetings in this incredible village and drink beer … but I think we will have to negotiate with the security people,” he said, according to dpa News.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest stipulated that Obama didn’t specifically order a non-alcoholic beer, but indicated that he drank the beverage provided for the event.
“I can tell you only that I’m not aware of what kind of beer the President was served, but I’m confident that he did not order a non-alcoholic beer,” he said. “I don’t know what he was eventually served. But I would be very, very surprised if he ordered a non-alcoholic beer — even after an overnight flight on a Sunday morning.”
(All photos via The Associated Press)