By Harley Zipori. Last week’s pre Yom Ha’Atzmaut rant was a great way to clear the mind and prepare for the rigors of the Independence Day celebrations. It was with great ease that I managed to keep my oath not to drink any mass-produced beer on Yom Ha’Atzmaut.
Not surprising since I was pretty much in control of events and can’t seem to be able to drink very much (which is a good thing actually).
The day started early as I was picked up next to my home by Richard, a neighbor who has ties to David Cohen at the Dancing Camel. David has invited me to join him at the Tel Aviv Port where the Dancing Camel has a booth at the port market (Shuk Ha-Nemal) which they do on most Fridays, the big day for the shuk there. Little did I know that there was going to be a mini-beer festival with 6 boutique breweries and a producer of sparkling, fermented apple cider.
Arriving early as people were still setting up, Richard and I set out our chairs in the shade and enjoy the festive atmosphere of the port on a holiday. It was a small and intimate event with a mellow crowd that included lots of parents with small children, lending the whole event a holiday atmosphere. The indoor part of the shuk was selling all kinds of treats as well as the usual quality fruits and vegetables, meat, cheeses and herring filled baguettes (I kid you not).
I was not able to taste beers from all the breweries, but then I really didn’t try. My loss actually. I also had to leave fairly early to meet other social obligations.
The breweries represented at the port that day were:
- HaNegev Brewery
- Srigim Brewery (a new venture of Emek HaElah and Ronen breweries)
- Golan (Bazelet Beer)
- Alexander Brewery
- Pavo Brewery
- Dancing Camel
I started my day with a Dancing Camel American Pale Ale (APA). I am growing fond of pale ales of late. I like the balance a good one achieves between the bitterness of the hops and the flavor of the malts along with the more delicate aromatics the hops can give a beer. The Dancing Camel APA is a good one and one of the flagship beers of the brewery.My second beer was Ofer Ronen’s Wicked Brown Ale. This was a brown ale with a bite from a generous helping of hops and the richness of the dark malts. I am a big fan of dark ales for years so it is no surprise that I enjoyed it immensely.
When I saw the Alexander Brewery there I immediately thought of Patrick Van Damme who unfortunately is no longer with the Brewery. However his legacy lives on in the beers and I was looking forward to tasting the Alexander Green. This is the Alexander’s version of an IPA, India Pale Ale, a style known for extra hops and noted bitterness. Now the Alexander beers are known for balance and depth, so an IPA is a not quite what you might expect from this brewery. However, true to their reputation, they brew an IPA that is everything you might expect from an Alexander IPA. They strike a fine balance between the hops, malt flavors and the aromatics leaving a truly memorable beer. It is no surprise that it won a double gold at the Bira 2011 competition last October (see my blog from October 14).Unfortunately I had to pack it in and leave shortly after noon. I certainly wish all the brewers there good luck and will not fail to review the missed brews in the future.
I then went on to our annual Yom Ha’Atzmaut barbeque at friends house, where my wife and I have been going now for well over a decade (probably closer to two). I have been bringing my beers to the barbeque ever since brewing my first batch in 2009 (my own version of a wicked brown ale) and always receive favorable reactions from the crowd. Considering that there are usually a few people from England and a good friend who grew up on Belfast, Northern Ireland, I do not take these compliments lightly.
This year I introduced my latest effort, my dark steam beer. I wrote about this batch in previous blogs. Modeled after a German Schwarzbier, it was fermented with lager yeast during the cold months of February, so the temperature never got above 15 C during the fermentation. Bottle now for a few weeks, it is truly coming to its own and I am quite pleased. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it making the whole event a great success. Not to mention the great food and company.I Hope that everyone reading this in Israel, had a fun holiday.
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