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Jerusalem Beer Festival features international and local producers, music and merriment.
The Old Jerusalem Train Station was the setting for the seventh annual Jerusalem Beer Festival, featuring booths serving more than 100 international beers and more than 20 local producers from boutique breweries to tiny home operations.
Festival producer Eli Giladi stresses that this is the only such festival not sponsored by a beer maker. And lots of non-natives come to check it out.
"We're originally from California," says a representative of Isra-Ale (http://thewinemaker.homestead.com/Beer-Styles.html), who intended to start a brewery the minute he immigrated to Israel. "Everybody told us we're stupid to do such a thing, because nobody drinks in Israel. They were wrong!" he concludes with a laugh.
Herzl Beer was there offering flavors including "Cuban cigar," accomplished with the aid of oak chips and the leaves of the cigars. Pretty tasty.