'Save the Kinneret, drink beer'

The 7th Annual Jerusalem Beer Festival is set to serve over 50,000 liters of beer of over 150 different brands from mainstream, local, boutique and international breweries.

By LOREN MINSKY/ ITRAVELJERUSALEM.COM TEAM
Beer Feestival_521 (photo credit: Amos Fridlin)
Beer Feestival_521
(photo credit: Amos Fridlin)
Over 20,000 are expected to attend the 7th Annual Jerusalem Beer Festival tonight and tomorrow night at the Old Train Station in Jerusalem. Israel is becoming a hub for beer lovers with festivals in Haifa, Kibbutz Ma'abarot, Be'er Sheva, Tel Aviv, Ashdod and the mountains of Judea.
One of a few independent beer festivals in Israel, the Jerusalem Beer Festival began in 2004 to meet the need for an independent festival showcasing all local and foreign beer available in Israel. This year the festival will be exhibiting premium and boutique breweries as well as homemade beers with rare flavors such as honey, coffee, banana, strawberry, cherry, caramel and various herbs. The main stars include Goldstar, Carlsberg, Tuborg, Heineken, Maccabee, Guiness, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Pauliner, Murphy’s, Stella Artois, Weihenstephan, Alexander, Shapira, Krombacher, Belhaven, Duהel, Shamai, Maredsous, Schneider, Lindemans and Dancing Camel.
“We have a huge selection of beers, allowing us to proudly compete with the largest beer festivals in the world,” says Eli Giladi, producer of the festival. “Of course we also offer a sweet selection of Israeli and Jerusalemite beers.”
The primarily young audience will be treated to a live show and the latest songs by popular Israeli bands, Mercedes Band and Beit Habubot. This will be followed by a party hosted by top Israeli DJs, Elad Varon from the Toy Bar and Dror Shalit.
Festival-goers can wander the stalls selling a selection of kosher food, an accessories market and a beer store selling exclusive beer brands. The Beer Land store, located at the main entrance to the festival, will offer discounted prices on any of the special beers tasted at the festival as well as a special gift with every purchase. The store will safeguard all beers purchased until the end of the event. There will also be an interesting live demonstration of the beer production process.
“The aim is to make the Jerusalem Beer Festival synonymous with Octoberfest, the largest and most famous beer festival in the world” says Eli. “The festival is simply a localized version with the unique Jerusalem energy, climate and music. The passionate audience is growing in size each year.”    Beer connoisseurs are recommended to arrive early to avoid queues, enjoy a chat and learn a bit about the various beers.
The 7th Annual Jerusalem Beer Festival takes place tonight and tomorrow night at the Old Train Station, Hebron Street, Jerusalem. Tickets cost 30 NIS (25 NIS for students, soldiers and Jerusalemite card holders) and are available at the entrance.
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