Hanukkah is brewing at Shmaltz

Break out the latkes, gelt, Hanukkah candles and He’brew Beer; it’s time to start prepping for the holidays! In November, 18-year-old Shmaltz Brewing Company rolled out three limited-edition releases straight from their newly expanded brewery in Clifton Park, New York. First up is the homage to the eight crazy nights: Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass The Beer, a dark ale brewed with eight malts, eight hops  and 8 percent ABV. Next in line is the anniversary beer, Jewbelation 18 (18 malts, 18 hops, and 12.4% ABV), which marks the birth of an entirely new take on the award-winning Jewbelation series. Last, but certainly not least, the 5th Annual He’brew Gift Pack which hit stores at Thanksgiving.

Ranked in 2013 as one of the “Top 100 Brewers in the World” by RateBeer.com, Shmaltz won 9 Gold and 5 Silver Medals in the World Beer Championships in 2012. A recipient of the “Distinguished Business Award” by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Shmaltz was also included in the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies” by San Francisco Business Times.

Founder and owner Jeremy Cowan established the company in San Francisco in 1996 with the first 100 cases of He’brew Beer hand-bottled and delivered throughout the Bay Area in his Grandmother’s Volvo. He’brew is now sold across 37 states, through 40 wholesalers and nearly 5,000 retailers. The holiday brews are sold locally at High Spirits, Wines & More of RI, Nikki’s Liquors, Sandy’s Liquors, B & C Liquors, The Grange, Bridge Liquor and Bottles.

After 17 years of being an outspoken cheerleader for contract brewing, Shmaltz recently broke with tradition and opened its own New York State production brewery in Clifton Park, NY, 10 minutes north of Albany’s capital district. Shmaltz’s new home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity. The new brewery packages 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal favorites, and hosts fans and beer tourists in their new tasting room for tours, barrel-aged previews and special releases.