Tuesday Brews Day: Schmaltz Brewing, He’Brew Origin

No weather report this week. We’ll jump into an odd little brewery named Schmaltz, located in the San Francisco Bay area. He’brew is their name given to a line of delicious brews that “go to 11”. Fans of the Tap, rejoice.

Today we look at their Pomegranate Ale. Pomegranate, as described on the side label(what you thought I was smart or something?), is a symbol of life, regeneration, and marriage in ancient Greek times and is often associated with fertility in other cultures. Even the grenade owes it’s name to the pomegranate both because it was of similar size and due to the seeds’ resemblance to grenade fragments. Mostly though, the pomegranate is a sign of things hopeful and good. Even the British Medical Assocation has a pomegranate in it’s coat of arms. You get the picture.

Origin is dubbed as an “Imperial Amber Ale” and brings 8% alcohol by volume. Like an IPA you get a sobering and bitter slap on the pallet up front which is followed by a welcome abundance of sweet hops. Pomegranate juice is mixed in the brewing process and it rears it’s head towards the middle and end of the drink. The lingering flavor is pretty dang refreshing and puts this amazing ale in a class of it’s own. The pomegranate, hops and bitterness are mixed seamlessly together in what quickly became one of my favorite beers.

These “lesser” breweries might not create “The King of Beers”(Paaaalease) but are often unique and of the highest quality you can find. These guys obviously have a sense of humor, but are still serious about their craft, as evidenced in a bottle of Origin. Don’t be discouraged by their location. They distribute all over the US. Find a location here. It’s breweries like this that make the search for great beers worth all the while. To Life!