Shmaltz Brewing Company is an American craft brewing company headquartered in Troy, New York. Originally primarily known for its He'Brew flagship brand, the company produces a large line of Shmaltz Brewing beers and numerous other brands including 518/838 craft beers and the Alphabet City Brewing brand. It also produced Coney Island Craft Lagers until that brand's acquisition by Boston Beer Company in 2013.
Shmaltz Brewing now sells across the U.S. East Coast and select other U.S. markets. As of 2021, its year-round line includes Hop Manna IPA, Hop Momma IPA, and numerous ongoing specialty releases. Year-round Alphabet City releases include 7th Street Blonde and Village IPA.
The company marked its 25th anniversary in September 2021 with the announcement of the final season for the Shmaltz brand. Founder Cowan and his staff will continue to focus on Alphabet City Brewing Company, the 518 Craft tasting room in Troy, and further developing their consulting practice helping other craft brewers.
Its brews have won awards including Grand Champion (Giant Beer Category) at the United States Beer Tasting Championship (Jewbelation Reborn), a silver medal (Sour & Barrel Aged Category) at the World Beer Cup (Funky Jewbelation), and a silver medal at the Calgary Beer Fest (Death of a Contract Brewer.
The company's name refers to shmaltz, a type of cooking fat frequently associated with Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. Its He'Brew and related lines nod to Jewish tradition in a variety of humorous, punning, and tongue-in-cheek ways, beginning with the "Chosen Beer" slogan in humorous opposition to the slogans of the large industrial breweries such as "the King (or the Champagne) of Beers." Cowan has described "the Three Pillars of Shmaltz" as "Quality, Commitment, Shtick."
Early history: West Coast founding and He'Brew beer
Founder and owner Jeremy Cowan established Shmaltz Brewing in San Francisco in 1996. The initial He'Brew Beer began as a Hanukkah experiment when Cowan and friends squeezed pomegranates to produce juice for a brew inspired by ingredients mentioned in the Old Testament. Early on, Cowan distributed his first beer himself out of the trunk of his grandmother's Volvo in the San Francisco Bay area.
In 1997, Anderson Valley Brewing Company began brewing He'Brew, and the brand's distribution expanded to small craft beer wholesalers in California, Chicago, and New York.
2003–2007: East Coast production, National expansion
In 2003, Shmaltz moved production to Mendocino Brewing Company's facility in Saratoga Springs, New York. During this period they began packaging Genesis Ale and Messiah Nut Brown Ale in six-packs. Genesis 10:10 was their 10th-anniversary brew, fermented with pomegranate juice resembling Cowan's original brew.
In 2004, Shmaltz launched the limited seasonal Jewbelation line. Each yearly edition uses the same number of malts, hops, and alcohol-by-volume value as the number of years the company has been brewing.
In 2006, Shmaltz Brewing marked its 10th anniversary with the release of its Origin Pomegranate Strong Ale along with its Genesis 10:10 beer, whose multiple-malt formula also includes pomegranates (pomegranates symbolizing righteousness in the Jewish tradition). In the same year, the company debuted Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A., a rye double IPA dedicated to Lenny Bruce, as the first in a series of "Tributes to Jewish Stars." It won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival.
In 2007, Shmaltz released a new line of craft-brewed lagers under the Coney Island Craft Lagers banner in collaboration with the arts nonprofit Coney Island USA, which works toward the cultural and economic revitalization of the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City. A portion of the proceeds went to the organization.
2008–2012: Brooklyn, Coney Island Craft Lager, Founder's Memoir
Shmaltz operated the Coney Island Brewing Company's brewery, the smallest commercial brewery by volume in the world, at Coney Island seasonally.
In 2010, the Coney Island brand was awarded "Best Craft Brewer" and "Best in Show" at Beverage World Magazine's BevStar Awards for product quality, brand marketing, and overall creativity in "pushing the limits of lager". The brewery's 2011 ribbon cutting was attended by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Carl Hum. Shmaltz also received a "Distinguished Business Award" from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.