Beer Man Here

Walking home from shul with Alan Abbey from Moreshet Avraham - Conservative shul in East Talpiyot. We went because Henoch's were staying right there and coming for lunch and why walk forever to other locations as we all did the night before (Shira Hadasha, dinner in the Baka area - Henoch's at Alan and Lisa and us at Nir-David's). Alan and I were talking about beer. Turns out that he loves beer, in addition to baseball and scotch. This is not a bad combination in a person and he is a very likeable guy, as is his wife, Cheryl. Of course, Jess knows them, they are both fellow writers. I had found an article about a brewer he had featured a few months earlier. Not just any brewer, the first microbrewer here in Israel (it's a developing area). Of course, he knows the guy, a David Cohen who used to live in Park Slope (wife, Sue) and is friends with Alan and Lisa. I had already established email contact with his wife and was in the process of getting in touch with David. Alan had just been out drinking David's beer, Dancing Camel, the other night at a bar in town.

Yesterday, finally spoke to the beer man. You could tell right off the bat that this man lives, sleeps and thinks beer. He's been in Israel for 3 1/2 years and right away planned his retirement from accounting in order to take up beer making. He's still doing a bit of accounting as he doesn't imagine he'll clear a profit for some time. The beer's been in process since last year, when he opened the brewery but his first beer was only released this past August. Even so, he's gotten some good press and his beer is being poured at a variety of good bars in Tel Aviv and in other parts of the country.

He has a special etrog beer coming out. Yes, it's Sukkot influenced but as David says, it takes a few months to make the beer so we'll enjoy it in the spring. As well, they have a special Purim release coming out - high alcohol content in an Ice Beer (I learned all about the first Ice Beers, ask me if you are really interested), for all those really looking to enjoy their Purim. David and I have plans to meet and taste some beers, discuss scotch and why he likes the Red Sox.