Shmaltz Brewing Company - Messiah Nut Brown Ale

This brown ale pours an attractive deep brown color, capped by a crop of light brown foam that leaves a bit of lace as you drink. While there’s a light nuttiness on the nose, look for more prominent notes of brown bread, toasty grain, and a hint of sweet chocolate, with the hops leaning toward earthy with a bit of herbal spice. On the palate, we found toasted bread and bread crust to be at the center of the very satisfying malt core, along with caramel notes, some brown sugar, and nuttiness that wells up in the finish and lingers with a touch of bitterness. In addition to the bitterness, the American hops add an earthy, mildly herbal character, with a bit of floral Cascade standing out in the background. Tasty, while providing a satisfying roundness on the palate without being heavy, Messiah Nut Brown is a very sessionable and food-friendly beer from Shmaltz. Try it with grilled meats, a plate of nutty cheeses like Asiago, Gouda, Fontina, or Manchego, or spicy Indian chicken skewers. L'Chaim!

Though it’s clear Shmaltz approaches their marketing with tongue firmly planted in cheek, make no mistake, that’s where the joke ends; the beers themselves have always been the real deal, well-crafted by creative brewers whose passion is apparent with each sip.

The idea for their original He’Brew line of beers began one night in 1987, when founder Jeremy Cowan and friends were drinking and brainstorming wild ideas for Jewish-themed products. It was then that the idea was born for a Kosher, high holy days celebratory brew to be called “He’Brew,” and boasting the slogan “Don’t Pass Out, Passover!” In 1996, the dream became a reality; Cowan brewed up his first commercial batch of He’Brew Genesis Ale for that year’s Hanukkah celebration. After selling all one hundred cases of Genesis Ale out of the trunk of his grandmother’s Volvo, he decided the next year to quit his day job and focus his energy into building the innovative brewing company that stands before us today.

After having partnered for many years with Olde Saratoga Brewing Co. to produce the He’Brew line, Shmaltz took the plunge and opened their very own brewery in 2013. We’ve been excited to work with our friends at Shmaltz several times over the years, including for our 20th anniversay when they created Mazel Hops, a one-off IPA made just for our members. To learn more about Shmaltz and their wide array of beers, visit www.shmaltzbrewing.com.