A few weeks ago, Jerusalem Post readers learned about wine labels that commemorated soldiers and civilians killed on Oct. 7 or during Operation Swords of Iron. We read that drinking wine together in memory of the fallen is a suitable way to express our sympathy and gratitude.
Well, anything wine can do, beer can do better – or at least just as smoothly! After all, beer has been a social drink for some 5,000 years. People would gather with their chalices, cups, tankards, mugs, or glasses to pass the time of day or night, exchange news and opinions, and drink, as we do today, to the life and memory of dear ones. Recently, the BeerBazaar Brewery in Kfar Daniel used its beer to honor the different corps in the Israel Defense Forces and to commemorate one of the fallen. Smaller boutique breweries have also introduced beers in memory of soldiers and civilians.
How are Israeli breweries honoring the IDF and Israeli civilians?
“Our Bad Animals project is the most emotional and complex we have ever done,” says Lior Weiss, CEO of the BeerBazaar Brewery (including pubs and retail outlets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem). “We produced 13 different labels for our beers, each one dedicated to a unit in the IDF. Each label depicts a wild-looking animal, with a slogan associated with the corps, and text written by the soldiers themselves.”
The beers are dedicated to the Air Force, the Navy, Nahal, Golani, Paratroopers, Givati, Kfir, Engineering, Armor (tanks), Artillery, Border Defense, Israel Police, and Border Police.
The beers are the regular core beers from BeerBazaar but, as Weiss jokes, “They are already wearing their Purim costumes.”
Here are two examples of the labels (with my translations from the Hebrew):
Purple Unit – in honor of the Givati Brigade. “From a house to a building complex, in a Namer (APC) or by foot, the Givati fighters are always in the front. Nights without sleep, weight on their backs: they are used to all this. At the end of a week packed with activity, they need to forget a little of their pain. This is why we brewed Purple Unit – a tough and purplish beer, a beer for wolves.”
Battery Target – in honor of the Artillery Corps. “The order comes over the walkie-talkie, the entire crew is tense, they push in the shell and fire! Mud, dust, grease from the cannons, 42-kilo artillery shells – this is the life of the Artillery Corps. But all this is forgotten in a minute, and their chests swell with pride when the first volley hits the target. This is how Battery Target was born: Powerful beer and bursting with flavors.”
For each 12-pack of Bad Animals sold, BeerBazaar donates NIS 10 to the Association for Israel’s Soldiers. People can also purchase an Adopt a Lone Soldier 12-pack that will be given to a lone soldier on his/her next leave. This is done in cooperation with the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin.
The BeerBazaar had earlier issued a new beer called Karnaf (rhinoceros) in memory of Amir Naim, who fell on Oct. 7 while defending Kibbutz Erez. Naim was a home brewer, and the rhinoceros was his favorite animal. BeerBazaar used one of his recipes to brew 2,000 liters of Karnaf. All profits are being contributed to the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization.
Karnaf is a Belgian-style golden ale (7.8% alcohol) with added honey from the Kibbutz Erez apiary. It is semi-hazy, with aromas of honey, malt, and Belgian ale yeast. The taste is sweet and alcoholic, with a finish of Belgian ale yeast. If you enjoy Belgian ales, Karnaf is your kind of beer.
A SMALLER boutique brewery, Amalya (located on Moshav Revaya), introduced beers to memorialize two men from Emek Hama’ayanot, who were killed at the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7. They both loved music and beer, especially together.
The Amalya Brewery is 10 years old and a part of Jordan Spirits, which also includes the Zoara Distillery. Arnon Enoch is the brewer. The beers are brewed with water directly from the springs and are only available locally.
Amalya Pardes was brewed in memory of Shoval Yaakov, aged 27, when he was murdered while helping a friend erect a lighting system for the festival.
Pardes is a light ale brewed with juice from red grapefruits grown in the valley. The fruit is very noticeable in the aroma and taste. It is quite sweet and easy drinking, ending with a gentle alcoholic kick. Alcohol by volume is 6.3%.
Amalya Spring Ale is brewed with honey, which is very evident in the aroma and taste. It also has a nice malty backbone. Spring Ale commemorates Ram Sela, nicknamed “Nesher,” who was part of the production team at the Supernova festival. He was 32 and married just over a year.
Hadas Karmazin from Moshav Talmei Yaffe near Ashkelon teaches about brewing, organizes beer events, and sells ingredients for home brewing. One of her students was Shlomi Davidovich from Kibbutz Gevim. On the morning of Oct. 7, he was riding his bicycle when the sirens went off. He ducked into a roadside shelter and was killed when terrorists threw in a hand grenade. He was 51 and married with four children.
In his memory, Karmazin brewed three beers using his recipes. The labels include his photograph and nickname, Shlomiti.
Soon after, Karmazin saw a request on the Internet from a woman whose husband and son were killed defending Kibbutz Be’eri. The woman asked if any brewer would be willing to make a beer in their memory, since they both – Gil, 55, and Inbar, 22, of the Bowom family – were beer lovers.
“I haven’t been very busy since the war started,” Karmazin told me, “and I was very touched emotionally when I read this request. I responded immediately, and I am very grateful that I was permitted to be a part of this project.”
Karmazin brewed three different-style beers, named Bowom, to memorialize Gil and Inbar. They were distributed at a commemorative event held by the family.
Recently, the Hatch Brewery in Jerusalem released a new beer named Tsfargol to honor the men and women serving in the IDF Armored Corps, including the brewery manager. Tsfargol is the slang name for the badge worn by Israeli tank crews. It’s a combination of the Hebrew words for “frog” and “rooster” – apparently because that’s what some people think the badge looks like.
Tsfargol is a Vienna lager, a style where the malt flavors are dominant, and the bitterness and flavors from the hops are low. Tsfargol is a light amber color, with gently roasted malt prevalent in the aroma and flavor. There are no other hop or yeast flavors, and the body is noticeably thin. Alcohol by volume is a light 4.2%. Its “neutrality” makes Tsfargol a beer that will go well with almost any food.
A mini-sized gypsy brewery named Gush Etzion Brewstillery issued a toasted ale in memory of Captain Rotem Levi, killed in Gaza in December. Brewed at the Oak & Ash Brewery in Beit Shemesh, Rotem the Redhead is a clear, red-tinged brown color with an aroma and taste if roasted malt, very dry, with a thin body.
The label records that Rotem, “loved life, nature and hiking – and always had a cold beer in hand. He met his wife at the BeerBazaar pub in Jerusalem’s Mahaneh Yehuda market when they were both having a beer.”
GlentzBeer, another microbrewery, made three beers named after Tomer Nagar, a soldier who was killed defending the Kisufim base on Oct. 7. Moshe Glentz, owner of the Yeroham brewery, told me, “Tomer loved beers, especially dark beers. He was the kind of person all of us would love to drink beer with. We hope that people in Israel and all over the world can sit together and raise a glass to Tomer’s memory and to our life – together.”
Lastly, the Six-Pack Brewery (makers of Superheroes beers) introduced Iron Sword in remembrance of Sgt. Shoham Moshe Ben-Harush, a soldier in the Nahal Brigade who was severely wounded in the Kerem Shalom base on Oct. 7 and died three weeks later. His family respected his wishes to donate his organs.
Six-Pack brewed the beer at the request of the owners of the HaGirit Pub on the Golan Heights, where Shoham lived. They said that the soldier was especially partial to Superheroes beers and was waiting for them to make a beer in the style of a New England IPA.
“We brewed this NEIPA in Shoham’s honor,” says Meidad Ram, a brother-partner of Six-Pack. “This is beer in the style he loved, from the brewery he liked the most, and from the pub that will forever love him.”
The writer is the owner of MediawiSe, an agency for advertising and direct marketing in Jerusalem. He writes a Web log on Israeli craft beers called Israel Brews and Views, which can be found on Facebook.