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To celebrate the 8th Anniversary of the Best Jewish Beer in America™, HE'BREW -
The Chosen Beer is proud to announce the first, and only, coming of

MIRACULOUS JEWBELATION
The Most Extreme Chanukah Beer Ever Created!

San Francisco, New York, Beyond, November 1, 5765/2004 -- 8 is a miraculous number in Jewish life. Chanukah, Passover, and Sukkot span 8 days. 8 humans survived the deluge on Noah's ark. Maimonides delineated 8 levels of tzedakah (charity). A bris (circumcision) comes on day 8. King Solomon completed the First Temple in the 8th month of the 8th year.... "Seinfeld" ran 8 years. Dylan has 8 Grammys; Babs, 8 Golden Globes. Einstein couldn't write until age 8. Freud, the eldest of 8 children, took 8 years to complete his medical degree. Mel Brooks stole a cap gun from Woolworth's at age 8, and "The Producers" won 8 Outer Critic Circle Awards. Winona Ryder had 8 prescription medications in her purse when arrested for shoplifting.

2004 brings a most personal miracle of miracles: The 8th Anniversary of Shmaltz Brewing Company and the limited release of HE'BREW's Miraculous Jewbelation!

From humble beginnings in 1996—100 cases hand bottled, hand labeled and hand delivered for Hanukkah from the trunk of a Granny's Volvo—to distribution in 2004 in 25 states through 35 wholesalers and over 1000 retailers, HE'BREW Beer has succeeded by zealously preserving its core traditions, The Three Pillars of Shmaltz Brewing: Quality, Community, and Shtick.

Miraculous Jewbelation springs from this fertile foundation with our highest octane offering yet. 8000 pounds of 8 different specialty malts of roasted barley, wheat and oatmeal gives Jewbelation its deep ruby color and its luxurious, irresistible character. 8 additions of 8 of the finest American and European hops blend complex spices into a magnificent balance of lavish flavors. At 8% alcohol, aficionados and amateurs alike can revel in that warming glow that will light up even the coldest nights during the darkest days of the calendar.

The Chosen Beer's community involvement stretched across the country during the continuing saga of "40 Days and 40 Nights: The Wandering HE'BREW Beer Tour of America." During the epic journey and throughout 2004, HE'BREW supported fundraisers for synagogues, educational organizations, and environmental groups, as well as showcases for independent films, young artists, and of course, comedy. In September, HE'BREW was the exclusive beer sponsor of New York City's First Annual Jewish Music and Heritage Festival celebrating 350 years of Jewish life in America.

Jewish interpretation suggests that the number 8 transcends the purely physical world with its 7 days, 7 colors of the rainbow, 7 continents. 8 emanates beyond the limits of what simply exists reflecting our human drive to participate in the evolving drama of creation. Like the octave, we add one more mark to bring the cycle to completion. In Hebrew, "8","oil" and "soul" share the same linguistic root: At Hanukkah, each of us is commanded to light our own menorah.

And the larger debates will continue: Was the miracle of Chanukah the military victory of a small band of righteous warriors against an intolerant and aggressive empire; or the sacred oil burning 8 times longer than nature should allow; or simply the courage shown by those victorious survivors who actually lit that last vial in the face of an uncertain future.

Is playing dreidel more profound than playing quarters? Is it Chanukah or Hanukkah?

Whatever your chosen spelling, the translation means one thing: "Dedication." From bris to brisket, Boca to Brooklyn to the Bay Area and beyond, Miraculous Jewbelation celebrates all the dedicated souls with the chutzpah to rise up and risk lighting those precious drops of sacred oil. To the courageous and the curious, the clowns and the creators. To all the Tribe of Shmaltz - To Life! L'Chaim!

Throughout November and December, surf www.shmaltz.com for events celebrating the release of Miraculous Jewbelation: in New York, Washington DC, select spots in the Midwest and South, and the 8th Anniversary Shmaltz Ball in San Francisco, CA.