We are amidst a long overdue beer renaissance in Israel,  and it is truly a magical time.  Beer lovers are rejoicing! Even the occasional beer drinker may have noticed more Israeli brews on tap at restaurants and bars, or that their local bottle shop now has beer donning labels of new Israeli brands, or perhaps, has even accepted an invitation to one of the several beer festivals happening around the country.

Crafting beer is about so much more than creating an alcoholic beverage. A well-crafted beer often serves as an emblem of its land and its brewer. The brewer takes raw ingredients from the land–hops, wheat, barley, water–and develops a unique recipe, giving us a taste of that deep connection between man and his homeland. And that taste is damn good.

The metaphor suits Israel so well, it’s surprising that the craft beer scene hasn’t surfaced sooner. Israel brewers sometimes have to import ingredients but many add special spices or tastes known to Israel.

Many have written about how the beer scene in Israel has changed rapidly in the past few years. The legend has it that it all began with David Cohen of Dancing Camel.  Cohen is described as the pioneer of craft brewing in Israel, beginning his brewery in 2006. Now there are close to 30 licensed breweries and handfuls more of home brewers and contract brewers trying to make it into the scene.

But while the beer renaissance is hopping (pun intended), it still is in its youth. And for that reason it needs continued support. Brewing isn’t easy in Israel. The people who decide to dive in head first into microbrewery are taking a passion-led risk and often not making a huge profit. You’ll hear about a new brewery, have a tasting at a fair, and before you know it, their website is down and they’re no longer answering the phone. There are a range of issues stemming the beer boom, from the lack of demand for good beer (Israelis drink less than most countries) to the high cost of Israel-brewed beers to fragmented distribution.

We want the beer renaissance to succeed. So we decided to join the cause by creating a crowd-sourced beer map of all of the craft beer in Israel and by documenting our beer adventures as we galavant around the country.

This website will be dedicated to the beer renaissance as it’s happening, highlighting delicious brews and the story of their brewers, discussing the issues of the craft beer scene and how you can help it progress, converting non-beer-believers into craft beer supporters and last, but certainly not least, we are putting Israel craft beers on the map, so anyone who wants to find a good beer can locate it.

But it will take more than just two beer lovers with a map, a blog and dog. We need your help!

Join us in fighting the good fight:

-Add your favorite craft beer locations to the map
-Share and visit the blog or map
-Sign up for our newsletter
-Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
-Drinking Israel craft beer

Map it. Drink it. Live it.

L’Chaim!