Look out, folks, there’s a new beer in town!
That’s right – BAZELET – by the Golan Brewery. They make some killer, fresh, handmade, creative, high-end brews. The four varieties are a Pilsner (a light, bitter lager with a honey finish), a Wheat beer (oh so blond, floral, bready-banana – 2nd fermentation happens in the bottle), an Amber Ale (an Irish-German variety, creative blend of 5 different malts – one of the favorites among the group, and again, a 2nd fermentation with added yeast in the bottle), and finally a Double Bock (dark lager, rich, creamy, sweet, made with twice the amount of malt, giving this darling beer an 8.5% alcohol content). Bazelet refers to the basalt soil and rock in the Golan Heights, the resulting water coming through is thus of a high caliber.
All I can say is TRY IT. It rivals the Belgian, German, and Czech imports. It’s available at a lot of the fine wine stores these days, and it’s getting there in terms of top restaurants. It’s just so fresh and the demand is high…you know the story.
I had a chance to go to a private tasting and meet the brewmeister. It’s a bit dim, but here’s a look at all 4 beers:
From left: Pilsner, Wheat, Amber Ale, Double Bock
On a related note, I had a chance to let loose this past week at the Dancing Camel, a small micro-brewery in the center of industrial Tel Aviv. They make a fascinating array of beers, and I was given the full spread (of what they had at the moment on tap – there are a bunch of specials they sometimes make).
From the bottom: Gordon Beach (mint and rosemary infused wheat beer), Wheat Beer, Pale Ale, Amber Ale, and a Cherry Vanilla Stout
Yes, that’s the nutty bartender’s head I tried to cut off. It’s a fun night out, a quiet bar inside a big hanger, and of course, lots of beer to taste. They also have a kosher sandwich menu, and you can actually order this:
It's called the "Penis" and comes with a side of mayonnaise.
Finally, there’s a big beer expo this week, Wednesday and Thursday, at the Nokia Stadium (where Maccabi Tel Aviv play – on Yigal Alon, I believe). If you like beer, this is the place to be!
I’m still plugging away at grad school applications, but I’m breathing, somehow. Have a great week everyone!
I am really not a beer drinker,but those Bazelet beers make me really want to try them,you described them so temptingly! Are you going to be at the Beer expo?
I am working at the beer expo – wed night and all day thursday. Are you coming? I look forward to sharing these with you. They are spectacular – you can drink them like wine – no joke.
I’m getting thirsty already:)
We will see you there! I’ve been looking forward to it for like a week. What time do you show up Wednesday?
I think I’ll be there from 5 or 6 pm to close. Thankfully. It’s my last day of class for the semester. I’m hoping to get a lot of work done today because if I can manage the stress, tomorrow could be a great day – watching Tom Jones movie from the 60s for my last literature class! And then the beer fest!
I will be there too!
Sounds great. I was at Flatlanders last night and the beer was flat and weak. Any chance of this coming stateside?
Hi Joan – no, the beer is too fresh and production is too low at this point. Need to corner the Israeli market first.
Bezelet is great, but why is it so damn expensive? 13-15 NIS for a bottle of domestic beer? Gimme a break.
It’s expensive because it’s incredibly fresh, made with expensive ingredients, by world experts; the demand is high, the supply is low. It’s logical. It’s at the same price or only slightly higher than Belgian/German artisanally-made beers. And if you buy the 750 ML instead of the 330, you save. Quality is worth paying for. That’s my spiel.