Budgetary Alement Goes to Sacramento from Half Moon Bay

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislative leaders now have an appropriately-named drink to celebrate the long-overdue passage of the state's budget earlier this month: Budgetary Alement Ale.

Brewed at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, its taste is cheekily described as "a strong ale for a weak economy" by its creators. Yesterday, five bottles were sent to Sacramento in honor of breaking through the budget impasse after being 100 days overdue.

Brewing Company founder and owner Lenny Mendonca was inspired to come up with the ale as a way to engage and keep the community informed about state politics and current affairs. "We thought it would be an interesting thing to do to get people talking about about what's going on in Sacramento,"  Mendonca said.

Budgetary Alement has generated conversation at the brewery, according to Mendonca, along with evening talks at the brewery focused on the state's political and economic challenges of recent years.

Though the ale has been on tap at the brewery since February, it has only been in stores for a week. According to Brewing Company CEO Mike Laffen, 2,388 bottles have been sold since the first batch was bottled in February this year.

"We would have sent them a six-pack," Mendonca joked in an email, "but but times are tough for small businesses in California now."

"I hope after 100 days it isn't too bitter for them and they hop to getting on moving California Forward," Mendonca concluded in the email, with a reference to California Forward, the nonpartisan government reform organization that Mendonca is involved with as part of its Leadership Team.

California Forward will receive $1 for every bottle of Budgetary Alement sold. Budgetary Alement can be purchased at Bay Area Beverages and More (BevMo), New Leaf Community Market in Half Moon Bay and Roberts Markets in Woodside and Portola Valley.