The organization BeerMaster holds the 7th annual Israel Beer Festival this week at the House of Wine restaurant on Kibbutz Mabarot.
By ZEV FORMANbeer 88(photo credit: )
When I was 17, as the saying goes, I drank some very good beer. It was a microbrew and it tasted nothing like the crappy, watery light beers I was used to. Since then, I have tried as many beers as I could get my hands on. As complex and varied as wine, a beer culture has grown up and developed the world over, a great testament in celebration of this wonderful beverage.
Upon my arrival to Israel I found almost no sign of this positive world trend. Local beer culture roughly translated to a couple domestic choices and maybe an import or two from Europe. Since then, however, the world of beer in Israel has begun to develop rather nicely. Aside from the importation of a wider range of beers, even a few domestic microbrews and home-brews have popped up around the country.
In helping Israel along the path to beer enlightenment, the organization BeerMaster holds the 7th annual Israel Beer Festival this week at the House of Wine restaurant on Kibbutz Mabarot. Known for its wine selection and romantic patio with spectacular views, the restaurant is housed in a historic building that once served as a natural refrigeration house. For three days this week, however, the wine will be left in the cellar and beer will hold the place of honor at this charming eatery.
In addition to imbibing, one can enjoy festival music, taste testing games and over NIS 10,000 worth of prizes. It is the beer, of course, that gives the festival its raison d'être with over 50 varieties to sample from. This impressive array includes many of the classic beers already featured in Israel's bars, new domestic microbrews, and even a few new beers, both imported and domestic, that are being featured here for the first time. This is the place to discover new imports soon to be available locally. Unfortunately, there are still no plans to import Skittlebrau, my personal favorite, but fortunately it can still be easily prepared at home by combining one pack Skittles to one liter lager.
Additionally, a panel of judges will determine "Best in Show" and give an award to the finest of the new brews. Not too surprisingly, beer tasting is very similar to wine tasting. Judges will check for the beer's color and head. One can tell a lot just from the look of the brew. Next, they take in the scent. Then it's all about taste, obviously the most important feature, with the judges holding the beverage in their mouths long enough to determine the full spectrum of flavors present.
The judges are not the only ones that will enjoy the sudsy goodness. You too can taste a plethora of beers and find your own "Best in Show." You'll see that it's easy and pleasant to help build the local beer culture, enjoy some special brews and drink the night away. After all, as a wise, yellow man once said, this elixir of the gods is "the solution to all the world's problems."
Entrance to the festival is NIS 30, which includes a tasting cup, and each 100ml sample costs a mere NIS 5. Running from October 15 to 17, the first two days go from 6 p.m. until midnight and from noon until 6pm on the last. For more information, please visit beerfestival.co.il.
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