The Israeli craft brewing industry seems to have struck a plateau – at least for the time being. Almost no new breweries are opening (read about one exception at the end of this article), but none are closing either. Beer produced equals beer consumed.
It’s not surprising, then, that most breweries are sticking to their core beers and their regular annual specials, without introducing a whole lot of new brews. However, with summer being the peak beer-drinking season, a few of our craft breweries have capitalized on the heat to bring you some new choices.
The BeerBazaar Brewery in Kfar Daniel has hitched its new American Lager to this summer’s greatest sporting event – the World Cup.
Five new cans depict icons from great moments in past Mundials. Beginning with the 1970 Mexico tournament (the only time Israel played in the World Cup finals!), we see Israeli captain Mordechai Spiegler.
The 1986 Mexico can shows Argentina’s Diego Maradona scoring his “Hand of God” goal against England in the quarterfinal.
The 2002 Korea and Japan design portrays Brazilian star Ronaldo with his famous half-shaved haircut.
The 2006 Germany container shows Zinedine Zidane of France headbutting Italy’s Marco Materazzi’s chest in the final, for which he was thrown out of the game.
The 2014 Brazil edition depicts Dutch striker Robin van Persie scoring a diving header against Spain in the group stage, four years after losing to La Roja in the final.
The appeal of the cans is matched by the quality of the beer inside. The American Lager pours out clear and pale, with a thick and foamy head and high carbonation. The hop aroma is fresh, spicy, and grassy. The very low bitterness leads to a sweet aftertaste. The finish is crisp and dry. Alcohol by volume is 4.9%.
The good balance between the malt and hops makes American Lager a suitable beer for most foods. An enjoyable and very drinkable beer.
BeerBazaar brews can be purchased at all BeerBazaar stores and pubs, and from the online store.
Zion - The Jaffa Orange Pale Ale from Pardes Hanna
“ZION” IS THE NAME of a new beer from the Shevet Brewstillery in Pardes Hanna. It’s called a Jaffa Orange Pale Ale. The brewery itself explains it was an attempt “to take a familiar international style [Pale Ale] and infuse it with a distinct local character. Into the balanced and refreshing profile of the Pale Ale, we blended Jaffa orange – one of the most iconic symbols of Israeli culture and agriculture.
“The result is a beer with rich aromatic layers of fresh citrus, subtle sweet notes, and a clean finish that invites another sip. The smooth and light body makes it exceptionally accessible, yet the balanced bitterness maintains depth and character – the exact balance between easy drinkability and a complexity that respects beer lovers.
“There are plenty of hops that have the flavors and bitterness of citrus fruits. The bitter sweetness of the orange zest meshed really well with the flavors and aromas of Mandarina Bavaria and Citra hops.”
Zion beer pours out a beautiful golden color with a mid-high head. The aroma is citrusy and mildly sweet. Perhaps you can detect some orange. The sweet aroma draws you in, but then the bitter taste shocks. I thought that most of the bitterness comes from the orange rind rather than the hops, but this was difficult to tell. The finish was long and bitter. Alcohol by volume is 4.7%.
Shevet beers are available at many beer and liquor stores, and can be ordered from the website.
Katzrin's Bazelet Brewery opened in 2006
THE BAZELET BREWERY in Katzrin (on the Golan Heights) is one of the more veteran Israeli craft breweries, opening in 2006. For 20 years, they have basically produced the same seven or eight core beers, though occasionally issuing limited editions in the Og series.
Bazelet (also known as the Golan Brewery) has now introduced Inbar Noam, a “special summer edition” beer. The label says it combines the characteristics of a Wheat Beer with an IPA, using four hop varieties, including a dry-hopping process. Alcohol by volume is 6%.
The beer is a clear amber color with a foamy head. I noted a sweet smell, but was disappointed by the lack of hop aromas. The initial taste was what you expect from an IPA, but it then turned sweet. That could be because of the wheat malt. Inbar Noam has a good taste, but as an IPA with four different hops, it’s weak. I enjoyed the beer, though neither as a Wheat nor an IPA, but a different style altogether.
Bazelet beers are found in several beer and liquor stores, and can be ordered from the website.
The Schnitt Brewpub in Tel Aviv must be setting the Israeli record for turning out new beers. There are simply too many to keep track of, but I picked one that is perfect for summer drinking. It’s called Day Shift, a Session IPA. (The “Session” means that the alcohol by volume is kept low, in this case 5%, so that you can drink more than one of these beers in a “session.”)
Schnitt Day Shift is a refreshing and flavorful IPA, brewed with three New World hop varieties: Amarillo, Talus, and Galaxy. It’s the brewmaster’s skill that enables this beer to be moderate in alcohol while not losing any of the distinctions of a good IPA: Tropical and citrus fruit aromas and flavors in a bitter envelope.
Day Shift is a cloudy orange color, with aromas that bring to mind grapefruit, pineapple, and peach. The flavors are more tropical fruit and citrus, ending in a sharp, bitter finish. One of the best beers for an Israeli summer’s day.
Schnitt beers can be purchased at the brewpub in Tel Aviv, at all BeerBazaar outlets and other liquor stores, or from the brewery website.
The Desert Brewery is in the middle of the city
The newest brewery in Israel also has the most curious name. The Midbar (“Desert”) Brewery is right in the middle of Rishon Lezion, one of the country’s most metropolitan and developed cities.
“It’s no mystery,” explains Yaroslav Zemski, one of the brewery’s founding partners. “We intended to build the brewery in the northern Negev desert, where I live. For several technical reasons, that didn’t work out. My partner, Dimitry Rozhevsky, lives in Rishon Lezion, so we switched to Plan B and built the brewery there.”
Yaroslav (“Yaro”) and Dimitry (“Dima”) both emigrated from Russia and met here about 26 years ago. They enjoyed drinking beer together, and their families became friends. (Yaro is 45 with three kids, and Dima is 50 with two.)
“I began home-brewing around 20 years ago,” says Yaro. “I always tried to learn more and improve my beers.”
Three years ago, the two began thinking about brewing beer more seriously, but just for themselves, family, and friends. It was only some time later that they raised the idea of opening a commercial brewery.
The Midbar Brewery, today in Rishon, takes up 130 sq.m. and can brew in 500-liter batches. “We have the capacity to produce 5,500 to 9,000 liters of beer per month,” adds Yaro.
The brewery has been producing six different beer styles, though not all at the same time: Wheat Ale, Date Porter, Lager, IPA, Strong Brown Ale, and a Pomegranate Sour. Most of it is not bottled, but shipped in kegs to the pubs and restaurants where it is currently served: Fat Boy Bar, Ashkelon; Lauter Pub, Tel Aviv; Kishkashta, Rishon Lezion; Simu Lev Restaurant Bar, Tel Aviv.
I had the opportunity to taste only two of the beers.
The Lager, at 4.7% alcohol, is brewed with the addition of “desert herbs,” whatever those are. It pours out a pale amber color, very clear, with stable foam. The aroma is very malty, no hops, with some raisins and just a hint of alcohol. The taste is also malt-forward, though very balanced between bitter and sweet. The body is light, with a tingly mouthfeel. This is definitely not a “light lager,” but still quite refreshing and enjoyable.
The Date Porter is a thoroughly opaque dark brown with a foamy tan head. Although brewed with Negev dates, they are not noticeable in the aroma nor the taste. Instead, you get chocolate in the scent, with coffee in the background, and the opposite in the flavor: coffee first, with an aftertaste of bitter chocolate. The body is very smooth and full. Alcohol is 5.3%.
Although Yaro and Dima are putting more and more effort and time into the brewery, for the meantime, they are keeping their day jobs. Yaro is an electro-mechanic technician, and Dima is a construction contractor.
“Our next project,” Yaro concludes, “is to open a taproom at the brewery, where we can serve our beers to visitors. With a little imagination, maybe they can pretend to be in the midbar.”
The writer is the owner of MediawiSe, an agency for advertising and direct marketing in Jerusalem. He writes a Facebook web log on Israeli craft beers, “Israel Brews and Views.”