Meadan Brewing to continue without Bryan; production moves to Beer Bazaar Brewery in Kiryat Gat

Bryan Meadan, the founder of a gluten-free and kosher-for-Passover brewery in Carmiel, has left the brewing industry.  Meadan beers will continue to be made at the Beer Bazaar Brewery in Kiryat Gat, with Bryan maintaining some involvement.

Better days: Bryan Meadan in his gluten-free,
kosher-for-Passover brewery in Carmiel.
(Photo: Mike Horton) 

"It was strictly a business decision," Bryan told me.  "I started brewing gluten-free beers 11 years ago and was able to open up my own brewery in Carmiel five years ago.  We brewed beer using malted chickpeas (hummus) and buckwheat instead of wheat, barley and rye -- grains which contain gluten.  Our date beer was certified kosher-for-Passover in 2016.  We even exported it for the holiday to Jewish communities in the U.S.

"But in the end, we just could not keep it going economically."

Because the Beer Bazaar Brewery uses grains containing gluten for all of its other beers, the Meadan beers from there cannot legally be called "gluten-free," but, according to Bryan, it will be clear from the label that people who are gluten-intolerant and gluten-sensitive can drink the beer without ill effects.

Gluten-free and kosher-for-Passover
Date Ale from the Meadan Brewery.

"Concerning the kosher-for-Passover beer," Bryan explains, "it depends on whether the brewery wants to take the time and trouble to thoroughly clean out all of the grain from the equipment and from the premises before Passover.  That's an economic decision they'll have to make."

Bryan himself is now looking to become involved in a subject that he feels passionately about (after  beer, of course): the problem of climate change.

"I wasn't too successful in making money," he sighs, "so now I have decided to save the planet.  It should be much easier."

Read more about the Meadan Brewery and kosher-for-Passover beers here (2016), here (2016), here (2017) and here (2018).