A Great Time is Brewing at the Jerusalem Beer Festival

Sample 120 different kinds of beer at the Jerusalem Beer Festival!

By: Rebecca Stadlen Amir/Israel21c.org

The Jerusalem Beer Festival is returning to Independence Park on August 29-30 for its 14th summer, one of the biggest events in the Israeli beer industry.

The two-day festival will feature 120 varieties of beer, from well-known brands to boutique breweries from Israel and around the world.

Founded in 2004, the event has become a Jerusalem tradition, hosting tens of thousands of visitors and beer lovers from around the country. Independence Park in Jerusalem’s city center will be transformed into an outdoor beer garden with an array of bars set up to serve thousands of liters of the celebrated brew.

The concert lineup for this year’s festival including performances by Full Trunk, Nechi Nech, Girafot, Mercedes Band, The Paz Band and others.

In recent years, business has been brewing for Israel’s craft beer industry. Though it was practically nonexistent until a decade ago, Israeli craft beer is now available in more than 100 styles.

The taste of Israel inside each bottle provides hints of locally sourced herbs and fruits, such as mint, rosemary, date, passionfruit, mango and citron. Another special Israeli flavor is pomegranate, brewed for Rosh Hashana in the early fall.

“We’ve won global awards for our beer so obviously we’re taking it by storm and approaching it without compromise,” Beer Bazaar owner Avi Moskowitz told ISRAEL21c.