The Jerusalem Beer Festival (Ir HaBira in Hebrew) is
returning for its 14th year next week on Thursday and Friday, August
29-30. A huge fenced-in area in
Independence Park will once again be devoted to beer, food, music and great
vibes for the two nights.
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The old blogger with Eli Giladi. (Photo: Mike Horton) |
Two craft breweries will be making their first appearances in
Jerusalem:
Hagibor ("The Hero") – A new brand from the Meadan
Brewery in Carmiel. They make a Brown
Ale, an IPA (India Pale Ale), an Extra Stout and a Bavarian Wheat.
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(Photo Netanel Tobias) |
Two new beers from craft breweries will be introduced at the
festival:
From Barzel Beer on Kibbutz Ha'ogen comes Effi, an IPA with citrus
and piney flavors. The beer is made at the
Alexander Brewery in Emek Hefer.
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(Photo Netanel Tobias) |
There are some other interesting beers that you should be looking
out for at the festival:
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(Photo: Mike Horton) |
Shapiro Brewery in Beit Shemesh is also offering an IPA, their 2018
version brewed with Citra hops. Another
great beer being poured by Shapiro is their Imperial Chocolate Barrel-Age
Porter, introduced in very limited quantities only a few months ago. It's a dark, chocolatey, roasty and alcoholic
porter, better suited for the cold Jerusalem winters than the warm summer
nights – but definitely worth a taste.
HaDubim ("The Bears") Brewery will be pouring their new
Love Ale, with its rainbow colored label as a sign of solidarity with Israel's
LGBT community. It's a mildly bitter
amber ale with tastes of caramel, and citrus and tropical fruits. Brewed at the Beer Bazaar Mivshelet Ha'aretz
in Kiryat Gat.
On tap from the Tog Brewery in Beersheva (brewed at the Beer Bazaar
Mivshelet Ha'aretz in Kiryat Gat) is Beera Masala, a Belgian wheat beer brewed
with the Indian spices used to make masala tea.
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(Photo Netanel Tobias) |
Entry to the Jerusalem Beer Festival costs NIS 70 on the days of
the festival, but you can buy advance tickets online at a discount. Soldiers and students get a little bigger
discount. Go to: www.jerusalembeer.com for
more information.
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(Photo: Mike Horton) |
Here are some tips, based on actual experience:
·
Take
public transportation. It's not easy to
find parking, and you don't want to drive home anyway after enjoying a few
beers.
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(Photo: Mike Horton) |
·
Eat
some carbs and fatty foods before the festival.
Pizza and pasta, for example, are good choices. These slow down the absorption of alcohol and
let you sample more beers. Also, drink
water between beers and have something to eat during the festival as well. There will be several food stands.
·
Reconnoiter
before you start drinking. Make a mental
note or a real note of the beers you're interested in, and then go back to
taste them. (Bringing along a pen or
pencil is also a good idea since you may want to write down things to
remember.)
·
Try
beers you're not familiar with. This is
the perfect place to expand your repertoire.
Don't be ashamed to speak with the brewers and ask questions. You don't have to be a beer geek to learn
more about beer.
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(Photo: Mike Horton) |
[A similar version of this article appears in In Jerusalem,
the local weekly newspaper of The Jerusalem Post.]
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