The not quite official beer of the DNC

Ah, American opportunism. Charlotte will be seeing a lot of it in the next couple weeks as people take in the Democratic National Convention, one of the most important events our city will experience, and think: "How can I make a buck off that?"

That's not a bad thing in itself, although we're sure to see a couple entrepreneurial headshakers before the convention leaves town. There will be some gouging, but also some things that leave a not-so-bad taste. To that end, we bring you beer.

The folks at Kinston's Mother Earth Brewing have repackaged a popular brew in their lineup as a DNC collector's item. The brew is Endless River, and the bottle features a red, white and blue label that's very reminiscent of the Charlotte in 2012 logo. We're checking to see if Mother Earth founders and Kinston natives Trent Mooring and Stephen Hill got permission for the label. Let's just say for now that we hope the DNC's honchos aren't litigious types.

Your O-pinion blogger today also happens to review beers for the Observer. Is Endless River worth opening? It's a Kolsch-style beer, a light-bodied brew that's terrific for beer drinkers who haven't tried craft brews. Mother Earth has put together a solid version of the genre that has a backbone of sweet malts and finishes with a hint of citrus hops.

It's what craft beer drinkers call a "session beer" - light enough that you can have more than one as you ponder the important political questions of the day, such as "If Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were beers, what kind would they be?" (careful now, commenters) or perhaps "do I vote for the candidate who hasn't revived the economy or the candidate who hasn't offered a detailed plan to do so?"

Nah - too sobering. Just enjoy your beer.

Peter St. Onge

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