Hoisting a cold one, He’Brew style

From Feb. 6 to Feb. 15, it was San Francisco Beer Week, the first of what will hopefully turn into an annual event. Did you hoist one? Or several? (Maybe hundreds!?) There were about 150 events at brewpubs, bars and restaurants all over the greater Bay Area (there was even a circus/beer-swilling event at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma).

On one of the early nights of the 10-day festival, I decided to hop (pardon the pun) on over to a spot near the office after work. They weren’t scheduled to have an event, but they were featuring six or seven different Anchor Steam beers on tap.

While there, who did I run into but He’Brew beer founder Jeremy Cowan, whom I had never met before. Yowza! It was an unlisted, informal beer sampling! Cowan regaled me with some insight into his Shmaltz Brewing Company’s new line of Coney Island beers, but more importantly, he poured me several samples of his wares. And then a few more. This guy was some traveling salesman.

The most intriguing was called “Bittersweet Lenny’s RIPA,” very hoppy, although not in the big, bold West Coast hop-head style; rather, it had a certain throaty smoothness provided by the addition of rye (somewhat masking a powerful 10% alcohol content). The acronym is a conglomeration of “rest in peace” and “India pale ale,” and like many of his beers, Cowan is keepin’ it Jewish: This one is meant to honor late comedian Lenny Bruce, who 42 years ago died at age 40.

On the label, it says “The Tribute to Jewish Stars: No. 1” – but Cowan was tight-lipped about who’ll star as No. 2 and No. 3 in the series, even though he told me has two people in mind. I suggested Hank Greenberg for one of the spots, and Cowan didn’t pooh-pooh the possibility. Going ... Going ... Bombed!

Cowan, a San Franciscan who created He’Brew in 1996, did let one secret slip: Rejewvenator, a seasonal beer infused with fig juice that made a splashy debut last summer, is going to be back again when the weather turns warmer. But this year, it'll feature an additional ingredient: dates. Figs and dates – how very Israeli.

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