The Brew Guru tastes Goose Island Honker's Ale, or, How beer solved everything. Again.

After last week’s adept handling of a nationwide freak-out over police, race and politics, does anyone still think there isn’t a problem that can’t be solved – or at least buried – by beer?

The Brew Guru speaks, of course, about President Barack Obama’s stunt to turn the page on the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates and subsequent national debate about how blacks are viewed by the (white) boys in blue, in this case arresting officer James Crowley.

Obama’s plan, quickly seconded by The Brew Guru: Let’s all have a beer.

On the table or mid-quaff at last weeks’ “beer summit” at the White House: From left, Henry Louis Gates’ Sam Adams Light; Joe Biden’s Buckler nonalcoholic “beer,” with a lime slice; police Sgt. James Crowley’s Blue Moon, with citrus garnish; and Obama’s (sigh) Bud Light. And the nation’s finest silver, serving up salty snacks.

Political maneuvering aside, how could you not love the idea? The entire debate had shades of a barroom disagreement that escalated to the brink of fisticuffs: misunderstanding and pride (by both Crowley and Gates), speaking hastily (by Obama) and, finally, beer, camaraderie and an awkward, reluctant fist bump.

Yes, The Brew Guru thought, drink and discuss. Perfect, not just to put the issue to bed but also to hold up a mirror to the men involved to see just who they are.

Vice President Joe Biden wasn’t really involved in the dispute and wasn’t really involved in the “beer summit” either, although he was there. He doesn’t drink and had a Buckler, a nonalcoholic brew from the makers of Heineken. Biden half-drunk is a scary thought anyway, considering what comes out of his mouth when he’s apparently sober.

Gates had the best choice of the four: a Sam Adams Light, a beer previously endorsed by The Brew Guru that perfectly represents the Boston area from which he and Crowley hail.

Crowley went with a Blue Moon Belgian white, served with what The New York Times reported as an orange slice but The Brew Guru thought looked suspiciously like a lemon wedge.

The commander in chief, meanwhile, initially left The Brew Guru scratching his head by reaching for a Bud Light. Really? The most powerful man in the world chooses the least powerful beer in the world? Recoil from it if you will, but Obama has always positioned himself as a populist, and Bud Light is the most popular beer in America. His approval ratings declining, perhaps it was a calculated play to Joe Six Pack.

But Obama has always found small but significant ways to show the kind of man he is and pay homage to his roots – think the White Sox jacket he wore at the baseball All-Star Game a few weeks earlier. The Brew Guru was disappointed he didn’t see the beer summit in that light, so let’s suggest what Obama should have drunk in the Rose Garden last week.

This week’s brew: Honker’s Ale

Style: English-style ale

Brewed by: Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago.

Availability: Goose Island’s flagship beer is widely available at liquor and many larger grocery stores.

What it’s like: It’s a different style, but the Sam Adams of the Midwest is an apt comparison.

In the glass: A dignified but not intimidating amber, Honker’s looks the part of a presidential pour. The malt is grainy but the body light – clearly an Obama preference – and there’s gentle citrus and fruit notes underneath. It finishes with a mild hop character very different from the powerful bitterness that turns many people off the India and American pale ales.

Backwash: Indulge The Brew Guru in a though experiment for a moment. He’s a middle-class guy. Politically, he’s moderate but mostly disinterested. He voted for Obama mostly because of the persona and because McCain really scared him. He drinks MGD or Bud, whichever is on sale, about a 12-pack a week. He sees on the news that Obama drank a beer from Chicago called Goose Something so he thought he’d check that out. It was pretty good. Different. Not his kind of beer, and certainly not an every-day type beer. It’s a little too pricey for him to drink all the time, but it was from Chicago, like Obama, and he respected that Obama respected that. He could see the prez kicking back and drinking it at the end of a tough day wrangling over North Korea and health care and stuff. Yeah, that Obama, he’s OK.

3½ mugs (out of four)