Creator of The Chosen Beer will bring his brew to Tucson as part of a cross-country tour
by Lorrie Cohen
Tucson Citizen
Saturday, October 25, 2003
Why did the Jews wander in the desert for 40 years? Maybe they were looking for a good beer.
And now according to Jeremy Cowan, they don't have to look any further.
Cowan, 34, is the inventor of "HE'BREW: The Chosen Beer," a new product that he says offers high quality and great flavor with enough fun to tickle your Gefilte fish.
"People get a real kick out of it and see the value in it," said the Stanford University graduate. "There's no other product like this - and you don't have to be Jewish to like HE'BREW, it is appealing to those who get a kick out of Jewish schtick."
Monday evening, Cowan will be in Tucson when his Shmaltz Brewing Company presents "40 Days and 40 Nights: The Wandering HE'BREW Beer Tour of America!" at Plaza Liquor Beer & Wine, 2642 N. Campbell Ave. and Bison Witches Bar & Deli 326 N. Fourth Ave. The event will feature The Chosen Beer's "Genesis Ale" and "Messiah Bold."
Now you're probably asking - "So nu? Where can I get such a beer?"
Cowan's Arizona distributor says in addition to Plaza Liquor, Bison Witches and Monterey Discount Liquors, 6240 E Speedway Blvd., there will soon be a lot more places to find the brew.
"We've just had the product for one day," said Bruce McConnell, vice president of Little Guy Distributing in Mesa, after he received the product last week. "We're expecting it a lot more places shortly."
Why is he expecting more? Why is this beer different from all other beers?
Because it's unique, says McConnell.
"This one (product) actually did surprise us, the whole idea of a kosher certified beer is kind of unique and it's the only one we know like it. We are very pleased with the taste, the quality is very good and the idea of it? Very very unique."
You know, it's enough to make his mother "kvell."
So instead of Cowan's mother boasting "I'd like you meet my son, the Jewish doctor," - she can say "I'd like you to meet my son, the Jewish beer maker."
Oy.
After all - it was his mother, Michael Cowan, who helped him deliver his first 100 cases during Hanukkah back in 1996 in his grandmother's old Volvo.
That's something she will probably never let him forget.
Cowan hasn't forgotten. His humble beginnings began on the volleyball court after high school graduation in the San Francisco Bay area.
"It was an inside joke. Where I grew up there were not very many Jewish kids at that time and during a game we thought the Mexicans have Corona, the Jamaicans have Red Stripe and the Blue Bloods have Sam Adams. The Jews need a beer," Cowan said. "So we came up with "HE'BREW."
But the dream had to brew for awhile.
After he graduated with a major in English in 1991, Cowan headed to New Orleans to just hang out and work at a brew pub. Then when former President Bill Clinton got elected, Cowan took his liberal tushy to Washington.
"I had the misguided notion that every liberal ivy league grad would be given a really good job, so I just showed up thinking I'd get a really cool job. It didn't work out that way. I was in a huge line (for a job) and I was the only one NOT wearing a suit," he said.
How about a nice Jewish lawyer then?
"When I didn't end up at the White House, I was paralegal at a law firm. I was definitely thinking about law school but that cured me of that notion," he said.
After that, Cowan went to Israel for awhile and came home in 1995.
So then what's a nice Jewish boy to do?
How about make beer?
Since that day in 1996 when he sold his first 100 cases in what he still calls a "crazy experiment," Cowan's business has grown faster than you can say matzo ball soup. His projected sales are about 20,000 cases this year of Genesis Ale and Messiah Bold.
So what's in store for the king of beer?
"I just want to make enough to support myself," he said.
His mother should be proud.
"She loves it. Actually two things. She loves being the synagogue celebrity of the HE'BREW beer guy," Cowan said. "And she doesn't drink any beer except for HE'BREW."