Try?
Well it’s about time. For all the years I’ve been drinking beer, and all the Christmas beers and winter beers and holiday beers that have passed these lips, I’ve never before come across a Hanukkah brew. Or is that Chanukah brew? The Schmaltz brewing company of Clifton Park, New York doesn’t exactly know either, so they’ve covered all their bases with Chanukah, Hanukkah: Pass the Beer, their official Hanukkah offering.
Schmaltz
is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and they are of
course the one brewery I would expect to release a Hanukkah beer. I just
thought they would have done it a lot sooner. Actually, they did release it
sooner than 2016, as it was first sold in 2014, but I would have thought
earlier still than that. Better late than never, though, so when I saw
Chanukah, Hanukkah: Pass the Beer on tap at Taco Mac I ordered it up right
away.
From the Schmaltz website:
No Matter How You Spell It, You Now Hold The Official Chosen Beer Of This Holiday Season. Enjoy Chanukah, Hanukkah: Pass the Beer while celebrating all the miracles of the 8 crazy nights. We hope our fermented creation will bring some light to the winter darkness and pair perfectly with the chocolate gelt, latkes and the battle royale of dreidels. Pass some HANUKKAH BEER over to your favorite friends and family and delight in the warming of the season. L’Chaim!
8 MALTS: Premium 2-Row Malted Barley, Pilsner Malt, Caramel Pils, Kiln Amber, Crystal 10L, Honey Malt, Acidulated Malt, Flaked Oats
8 HOPS: Warrior, Chinook, Centennial, Citra, Ahtanum, Liberty, Cascade, Amarillo
8% ABV
As
you can see, 8 nights of Hanukkah means 8 malts, 8 hops, and 8% alcohol by
volume for Chanukah, Hanukkah: Pass the Beer. Total Wine sells Chanukah,
Hanukkah: Pass the Beer for $10.99 a 4-pack, a bit high in price, but my
11-ounce draft was a reasonable $6.50. Schmatz describes this as a
Golden Strong Ale brewed with Cocoa Nibs.
It seems to change year to year.
My glass of Schmaltz Chanukah, Hanukkah: Pass the Beer arrived a rich golden amber color with a very light head formation and malty alcohol whiskey like notes in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer is deliciously smooth and malty, with notes of honey, alcohol, faint cocoa, subtle citrus and pine, and a dry, almost harsh alcohol burn in the finish.
Chanukah, Hanukkah: Pass the Beer seems stronger than its 8%, but it will serve perfectly to warm you on those 8 chilly nights. From all of us at Bruguru.com, Happy Hanukkah! Now pass the beer and crank up that Adam Sandler song…
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler
