White House puts its signature beer recipe up for grabs

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the administration would release the recipe if enough beer-drinkers sign a petition.

White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Thursday that the White House has no plans to release the recipe of the beer that is brewed in the executive mansion.

But Carney walked back his statement on Twitter late Thursday evening, saying the Obama administration would release the recipe to its "White House Honey Ale" if enough beer-drinkers sign a petition.

How many signatures, exactly? 25,000.

"If it reaches the threshold, we'll release it," the White House spokesman said on Twitter through his handle @presssec.

Currently, there are at least two petitions circulating in an effort to push the administration to reveal what's in the brew — including one on the official We The People website set up by the White House. A separate Freedom of Information Act request has also been filed.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 5,000 people have signed the petition.

The "brew-haha" began when Obama, on campaign stops in Iowa last week, mentioned that the White House brews its own ale.

Carney originally said he wasn't "aware" of any plans to release the recipe.

"I'll have to take the question," Carney said, after sipping a cup of water at the podium. "Examine it ... taste it."

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