Clifton Park, NY — Break out the latkes, gelt, Chanukah candles, and He’brew Beer┬«, it’s time to start prepping for the holidays! This November, Shmaltz Brewing Company rolls out three limited-edition releases straight from their newly expanded brewery in Clifton Park, NY. First up is the debut of Shmaltz’s long awaited homage to the 8 crazy nights: Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer┬«, a Dark Ale brewed with 8 malts, 8 hops, and 8% ABV. Next in line is the Anniversary beer, Jewbelation 18┬« (18 malts, 18 hops, and a highly sessionable 12.4% ABV), which marks the birth of an entirely new take on the Award-Winning Jewbelation┬« series. Last, but certainly not least, the 5th Annual He’brew Gift Pack┬« hitting stores this Thanksgiving. Candles Won’t Be The Only Thing Getting Lit this holiday season!
Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer®
After only 18 years in business, America’s largest, most award-winning and still only Jewish themed Craft Brewery, Shmaltz Brewing Company is proud to debut Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer┬«. Destined to become the official chosen beer of the holiday season, Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer┬« is a luscious Dark Ale brewed with 8 malts, 8 hops, and heats up at 8% ABV. 8 is a miraculous number in Jewish life. Its cultural/religious significance runs the gamut with several holidays spanning 8 days (Chanukah, Passover, Sukkot), a bris (circumcision) taking place on the newborn’s 8th day, and Seinfeld running for 8 years (for more deep shtick, see the 4-pack label). As latkes are frying and the battle royale of dreidels are spinning, Shmaltz lends some much needed light to the impending winter darkness with Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer┬« launching nationally in 12 oz bottles in 4-packs starting on November 1, 2014, as well as in the He’brew Gift Pack┬« 2014.
Jewbelation 18®
Over the last decade, Shmaltz Brewing has boldly elevated each year’s Jewbelation┬« with increased amounts of malts, hops, and ABV — in 2004, they debuted Miraculous Jewbelation┬« with 8 malts, 8 hops, 8% ABV and continued through last year’s Jewbelation Reborn┬« (17 malts, 17 hops, 17% ABV). Jewbelation 18┬« features a brand spankin’ new craft beer category, Black Session Barleywine.
When asked about this year’s Jewbelation┬«, Shmaltz founder Jeremy Cowan says, “So many friends have inquired about when will we stop upping the ante with the level of malts, hops, ABV, and my response has been ‘Never… well, um, I mean now!’ Witness our newborn Black Session Barleywine. 18 malts, 18 hops, and now available in a sessionable 12.4% ABV so we can ship to allll our states again. Jewbelation is now in session. L’Chaim!”
Jewbelation 18┬« will hit the national market just before Thanksgiving in 22 oz bottles, on draft at select bars, and included in the soon to be released 5th Annual He’brew Gift Pack┬«.
5th Annual He’brew Gift Pack┬« 2014
Shmaltz’s 5th Annual He’brew Gift Pack┬«, a showcase of 8 of He’brew’s most sought after beers, is sure to add cheer this holiday season and will light up any cold winter night. The eight pack of 12 oz. bottles includes the 18th Anniversary Jewbelation 18┬« Black Session Barleywine, and the brand new Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer┬« Dark Ale (8 malts, 8 hops, 8% ABV). It also includes the rare, barrel-aged sour beer, 2014’s Funky Jewbelation┬«, the Gold Medal winner Rejewvenator┬«, plus the unique collaboration beers with Terrapin Brewing (Reunion Ale ’14 – A Beer For Hope┬«) and Cathedral Square Brewery (St. Lenny’s — The Immaculate Collaboration┬«). The only Chanukah themed Beer Gift Pack on any shelf this season is rounded off with year-round favorites Death of a Contract Brewer┬« Black IPA (7 malts, 7 hops, 7% ABV) and World Beer Championship Silver Medal winning Messiah Nut Brown Ale┬«.
The Gift Pack┬« features a custom glass, Chanukah candles and a beautifully hand-painted “Build Your Own” Beer Menorah portrait by local Ballston Spa, NY painter Jennifer Maher (www.yourtoyportrait.com; please see the attached portrait below). Transform each of the 8 iconic bottles, plus one Shamash bottle (0 malts, 0 hops, 0% ABV), into your very own beer menorah. Snap a photo and enter your masterpiece in the 5th Annual “Build Your Own Beer Menorah” Facebook competition for a chance to win a chosen prize!
Detailed information regarding Shmaltz’s set of national events taking place at 18 Chosen Bars will be announced in the coming weeks.
About Shmaltz Brewing Company
Ranked in 2013 as one of the “Top 100 Brewers in the World” by RateBeer.com, Shmaltz won 9 Gold and 5 Silver Medals in the World Beer Championships in 2012. A recipient of the “Distinguished Business Award” by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Shmaltz was also included in the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies” by San Francisco Business Times.
Founder and owner Jeremy Cowan established the company in San Francisco in 1996 with the first 100 cases of He’brew Beer┬« hand bottled and delivered throughout the Bay Area in his Grandmother’s Volvo. He’brew┬« now sells across 37 states, through 40 wholesalers and nearly 5,000 retailers. In 2007, Shmaltz released a new line of craft brewed lagers under the Coney Island┬« banner. The Coney Island brand was recently acquired by Alchemy and Science, a craft beer incubator, owned by Boston Beer (Sam Adams).
After 17 years of being an outspoken cheerleader for contract brewing, Shmaltz recently broke with tradition and opened its own New York State production brewery in Clifton Park, NY, 10 minutes north of Albany’s capital district. Shmaltz’s new home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity. The new brewery packages 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal favorites, and hosts fans and beer tourists in their new tasting room for tours, barrel-aged previews, and special releases.
In 2010/11, Cowan published his small business memoir, Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah: How It Took 13 Years, Extreme Jewish Brewing, and Circus Sideshow Freaks to Make Shmaltz Brewing Company an International Success. A free sampling of Chapter One and suggested beer pairings, can be viewed at www.craftbeerbarmitzvah.com. In 2012, Cowan spearheaded the creation of the non-profit New York City Brewers Guild (which manages NYC Beer Week) and served as its Founding President.
Cowan also has presented at the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference, as well as previous Great American Beer Festivals, BevNet’s Brewbound conference, Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Festival, the Atlanta and the St. Louis Jewish Book Fairs, and the San Francisco and New York Jewish Museums.
Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN Headline News, Beer Advocate Magazine, NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” Fox Business News, Men’s Health, San Francisco Chronicle, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, and Washington Post.