The Israeli Craft Beer Scene

Before leaving for Israel, I was cautiously optimistic about their craft beer scene. I was told there was a small but dedicated industry that really started to blossom in the late 2010’s. While there are dozens of breweries around the country, the retail scene can be boiled down to about 15 companies and 5 styles. It took me roughly one week to realize I set my expectations too high.

While shopping for local beer in stores, you’ll typically see the following styles on shelves: amber/red ale, wheat beer, pilsner, pale ale, and blonde ale. The hot climate plays a big role in the industry, so while heavier styles such as bock, porter, and stout do exist, they aren’t as common. Additionally, the Israeli palate is (surprisingly) sensitive to bitter flavors, so IPA’s have yet to really catch on. Instead, the most common brews you’ll find at bars and on store shelves are basic lagers from Goldstar and Maccabi.

In the first weeks of my Israeli beer exploration, I noticed nearly all of them had something in common. Regardless of style, they were too sweet. Some even tasted like liquid malt extract (LME), an ingredient used by beginner home-brewers and results in a syrupy mouthfeel.

Israeli stores generally sell beer in singles, without much of a discount on 6-packs (if they even sell them). With single cans and bottles going for $6-$10 each, you can quickly burn a hole in your pocket just trying to find something you like. It didn’t take long for me to settle on the reliably delicious German imports, far superior in taste and cheaper than local options. I arrived in Israel a certified beer snob, quick to thumb my nose at cheap European lagers like Stella Artois and Carlsberg. My time in Israel made me appreciate the refreshing simplicity these options offer as well as their place in the beer world. That place is most often a beach in a hot country with a poor selection of local brews.

Now, this is not to say good Israeli craft beer doesn’t exist. To find it, you have to actually visit the breweries. While we lived in Tel Aviv, Dancing Camel was the only brewery in the city up until the month before we left. The second, Schnitt Brewing, I’ll get to below. Dancing Camel was founded by an New Yorker, so you can find hoppier, more American-style beers there. My favorite brew of theirs is Patriot Pale Ale (I’m biased, being the Boston sports fan I am), but they make some really tasty dark beers, too. The bar has a fun vibe, not to mention small events most days of the week.

Beer Bazaar has locations throughout Israel, including a small bar located in near Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. However, the physical brewing is done about an hour south of the city in an industrial area. I interviewed with them and was offered a job, but due to a variety of factors, I didn’t immediately accept. Then the pandemic started. By the time their operations were up and running again I had started working for the Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv. During my interview, I learned how the company was at the forefront of Israeli brewing innovation, using a variety of odd fruits, spices, and other flavorings you see among American brewers. They had even talked about making the first Israeli hard seltzer, although that seems to have been derailed by coronavirus.

The newest brewery in Tel Aviv is Schnitt Brewing Company, which opened its doors in our final days in Israel. While the selection was limited when I visited, I was impressed by the quality of what was available and range of styles they planned on making in the future, not to mention the great logo. Unlike other breweries that focus on a narrow window of malt-forward ales, Schnitt makes a variety of hoppy styles, including a SMASH (single malt and single hop) ale, New England IPA, English bitter, and west-coast style DIPA. They also had a refreshing sour ale, a style I can’t believe hasn’t caught on yet given the 8-9 months of beach weather that the country sees.

Jerusalem has a lot more breweries than Tel Aviv does, which is surprising given the outgoing, millennial population of Tel Aviv. Unfortunately, the only one we visited was Hatch Brewing in Machne Yehudah Market. It had a fun atmosphere and as many good beers as bad ones. Like Schnitt, they also had a nice variety of flavors, although the sour was pretty flawed stylistically, much to my disappointment.

One thing I didn’t expect was the quality of Palestinian beers we tried. Taybeh Brewing, which has been around since 1994, makes a well-balanced IPA and a delicious black lager that may be my favorite beer from the region. Shepherd’s blonde ale is a very refreshing beer we enjoyed with lunch during our Christmas trip to Bethlehem.

As the beer scene in Israeli continues to grow and brewers gain more experience, I expect it to improve over the coming years. With younger crowds enjoying a wider variety of flavors, it’s only a matter of time before styles now popular in the US catch on in Israel. I look forward to seeing where it all goes!