Why Some Hope Bourbon Barrel Will Bring Compromise to Washington

— -- Can bourbon bring compromise to Washington?

It was an effective diplomatic tool for southern statesman Henry Clay in the early 19th century, and now a group of concerned Kentuckians are hoping to revive Clay’s “spirit of compromise” by bringing a 42-gallon barrel of bourbon to the nation’s capital.

The so-called “Bourbon Barrel of Compromise” arrived Tuesday at Washington’s historic Willard Hotel, where Clay himself was once known for keeping his own barrel of bourbon on hand. This year’s barrel was sent by the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship in partnership with a group of Kentucky’s premier distillers.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was there to receive the ceremonial barrel.

“Both bourbon and Clay had one thing in common: they excelled in bringing people together in the spirit of compromise,” McConnell said at the arrival ceremony that featured a bourbon tasting.

“The history of bourbon whiskey and the legend of Henry Clay have long been intertwined,” McConnell said. “It has long been said that whenever Clay went to Washington, he carried with him something to lubricate the wheels of government.”

Clay was known in the 19th century as “the great compromiser” for his role in brokering agreements between the North and South that are credited with delaying the Civil War.

“Three times in our early years of the American Republic, the split between North and South threatened to tear the nation ... apart, and three times before the Civil War began, Clay kept the nation together through compromise and negotiation,” McConnell said.

McConnell was joined by most of Kentucky’s congressional delegation (though Sen. Rand Paul was not in attendance) and members of the official Congressional Bourbon Caucus, which is composed of members of Congress concerned with the interests of the bourbon industry. The group assembled was mostly Republican, though not exclusively. Rep. John Yarmuth, a Kentucky Democrat, was at the event and is a co-founder of the Bourbon Caucus.

For Kentucky, known as the “birthplace of bourbon,” the spirit is big business. The state produces an astounding 95 percent of the world’s bourbon, pouring billions of dollars a year into the state’s economy.

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, was also at the arrival ceremony and was spotted enjoying a beverage that appeared to be bourbon.

No members of the Obama administration were noticeably in attendance. But with a barrel of premier Kentucky bourbon now situated between the White House and Capitol Hill at the Willard Hotel, the “Bourbon Barrel of Compromise” could very well serve as the booze for a bourbon summit -- should Sen. McConnell and President Obama decide to have one.

After the president told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl he would “enjoy having some Kentucky bourbon” with the new senate majority leader, distillers all over Kentucky began calling for a bipartisan "bourbon summit" in Washington.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters to “stay tuned” for a summit, but it hasn't happened yet -- and it turns out, the president wasn't always so open to boozing with McConnell.

At the White House Correspondent’s Dinner in April 2013, Obama jokingly dismissed the idea of getting a drink with McConnell:

“Some folks still don’t think I spend enough time with Congress. ‘Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?’ they ask. Really?” Obama quipped. “Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?”