Alexander Hita Yisra’elit
Brewed by Alexander Brewery
Style: Weissbier – Hefeweizen
Alexander, Israel
Alexander Beer is an Israeli craft brewery, founded in August, 2008 in Emek Hefer, near the Alexander River stream in Central Israel. They aim to brew the best Israeli craft beers, using only top European malt and hops (too hot to grow hops in Israel) and Israeli water from the famous Sea of Galilee.
After his discharge from Israel’s air force in 2007 following a 30-year career as a pilot, Ori Sagi 54, decided to become a brewmaster. Putting his hobbyist’s love for brewing and his business degree to use, he launched Alexander Beer with the support of investors. The name of the brewery of course is named after the Alexander River that runs close to the operation, while the logo of the turtles, well they are a plenty in that said river! Today, Alexander Beer produces about six different kinds of beer, bottles and kegs combined, as well as special edition beers a few times a year.
A while ago they made the papers for selling a limited edition ‘Gaza Border Beer’ where profits went to support Israeli farmers living in border communities, whose fields suffered from clashes with Palestinians. Some of the ingredients for the beer were made from wheat that survived torched fields targeted by incendiary devices (kites and balloons) launched from Gaza. So definitely not a hipsters beer of choice then. As for me, not a shit I give…….its beer and I drink. And plenty others are on the same page as the beers were an overwhelming success, selling out quick fast and, to date, over $60,000 from the beer sales has been contributed to the Gaza border farmers. Of course the positive PR with this act no doubt helped the company too…..
Review: 33cl bottle of Alexander Hita Yisra’elit: 5.0% vol.
Coming in an interesting bottle, with some Hebrew that looks unpronounceable to me, its not immediately clear what’s the name of this beer, but I picked it as I wanted to try a beer from Israel, a new nation on the list for me.
I do see the word Alexander, which I guessed at the time was the name of the brewery, and there is also the point that this is an “Israeli boutique brewery”, and that this beer is “a non conventional wheat beer”, which sounds dead exciting.
There is a nice logo of a flying turtle, which is a bit strange, but looks cool! And wheat fields with pretty flowers on show at the front, all very nice and colourful.
On pour got a very nice frothy white head, very good, and a yellowish golden colour. A decent appearance. Head maintained very well and stuck around, standing tall in this good looking brew. Looks the business. Some lacing present.
Yes got the usual Hefeweizen aroma, wheaty for sure, the cloves, the spices, the fruits, the malts, all present. Typical of the style but a very, very nice beer on the nose.
The taste is not bad, get a full mouthful of the wheat, Israeli wheat at that, very nice. Like a typical Hefeweizen, fruity and spicy, wheaty, coriander, cloves, all nicely balanced, nothing out of joint.
The wheaty taste dies down a bit the more you get into the beer, but its fine to drink. I think perhaps a regular Hefeweizen drinker might be a tad disappointed but for me its fine.
I would class it as safe, not daring, doesn’t want to disappoint. All the typical Hefeweizen tastes here but nothing strong enough to make an impression.
All in the front, hits you right from the start, and it isn’t bad, but overall its just too light, especially for the style. But for me it was overall ok, pleasant enough and I might try again.
Made by Boon Rawd Brewery, a well-known Thai brewery and beverage company founded by entrepreneur Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi (Boonrawd Sreshthaputra, his birth name), the county’s first brewery. Boonrawd toured Germany and Denmark to learn how beer was made. On his return, he constructed his brewery in 1933, and the first bottles rolled off the assembly line in 1934. The brewery remains under the management of his descendants, who use Bhirom Bhakdi as their family name.
The colour is a pale golden yellow with a small white head, that does die a death very quick. Some carbonation and the general look is ok.
Schöfferhofer’s Hefeweizen Naturtrüb is considered the undoubted classic in their wide range of beers. Naturtrüb means naturally cloudy, ie unfiltered beer that is cloudy because it is bottled while there is still some active yeast naturally carbonating the beer.
Getting the usual hefeweizen aromas, no surprise there, the malts, cloves, the citrus and fruits, and a hint off the spicy hops. Smell is fine, but not strong, weak and on the low level.
Perhaps a fan of the old weissbier might not be enamored, but I like it, its manageable for me at least who is not a regular drinker of these wheat beer types. 
Mira, a brewery founded in 2016, by two old friends, Jacques and Aurélien, who got the inspiration while on their travels around the world.
Despite a lot of carbonation the head is still rather small, overall not a looker. 
The cities foundations are owed to the Benedictine Monastery of St. Leodegar founded in 750, later acquired by Murbach Abbey in Alsace in the middle of the 9th century, and by this time the area was called Luciaria, later to be known in Latin as Lucerna “lantern”, but why so no one exactly knows. In 1178 the city was independent and doing quite well, with a good economy and a rising population (3000). The Habsburgs, one of the most influential and distinguished royal houses of Europe, looked on and decided they would like a piece of the action. In response the residents of Lucerne along with the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden formed the Swiss Confederacy, on November 7, 1332 as a bulwark to an attack. Later the cities of Zürich, Zug and Bern joined the alliance, and thus ending the Austrian rulers influence in Switzerland. This resulted in Lucerne expanding even more free from the fear of an attack from outside forces. The city developed its infrastructure, raised taxes, and appointed its own local officials.
Owing to its location on the shores of Lake Lucerne and within sight of the famous mountains of Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn in the Swiss Alps, Lucerne is truly a city with one heck of an amazing setting. Add to this its well-preserved medieval Altstadt (Old Town), its souvenir and watch shops, which are always full of Chinese visitors, the many high quality restaurants and top of the range bars, and beautiful waterfront promenades. the town is for sure a top destination for many travel groups and individuals on their journey through central Switzerland.
One of the city’s famous landmarks is the Chapel Bridge, a wooden bridge first erected in the 14th century, and hard to miss once you exit the train station, but be forewarned it is always bustling with tourists eager to take the best photo of the bridge. Not like anything I would do at all!! Other things to see and visit is the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal, found in a small park just off the Löwenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. The Swiss Museum of Transport is also well worth a visit, a large and comprehensive museum exhibiting all forms of transport, including locomotives, automobiles, ships, and aircraft. It is to be found beside the lake in the northern-eastern section of the city. but generally the best thing to do in Lucerne is just to walk around the lake shore and take in all the breathtaking views. Or you could also take a boat trip on the lake itself. I have done both options numerous times, and it is great for rebalancing the mind and spirit when the fresh mountain air runs through your nostrils and into your body energising you at the same time. Nothing like it. Love it. Love Lucerne. 
Getting to the city is very easy, its central location means it is never too far from Switzerland’s other main cities, either on the motorway or by the extensive rail network in the country. Roughly 40 minutes by car from Basel, Zurich and Bern, and by rail about an hour from these same three cities, showing just how central Lucerne really is. 
First pub of the day for me was to be the Anfield Pub, not that far from the main bridge of the city,crossing the street and down an alley. The exterior of the pub is pretty bland. I actually walked past it looking for it, I figured owing to its name it might have some red colouring, but no a boring black and grey and easy to pass by. 
The bar is fine but something must be up if you can’t entice customers in on a Saturday midday, considering all the people just off the main drag around the corner. It is also a bit cheesy as well, calling a bar after the home ground of an English team considering you are in one of the most scenic cities in Switzerland. Use your local history? No connection, just looks silly, in my opinion. 
Could have went for the usual suspects you can get in an Irish bar, Guinness, Smithwicks, or even a Kilkenny, but wanted to try something different so I went for an ale called a Braufrisch from the Feldschlösschen brewery in Rheinfelden. It looked lovely in the glass, and went down better. Very good beer. 
Sat at bar, got a good seat in the front and ordered a “Fursty Ferret“, an interesting amber ale they had on show. Well poured and looked very appetising, dived in and sure enough it was lovely. Well worth the try, so, so tasty and one to look out for again in the future.
Next pub wasn’t too far to find as it was right next to Mr. Pickwicks, Rathaus Brauerei also on the promenade near the Chapel Bridge. 
The place was quite busy, and people were not only drinking but eating from the extensive menu on show. Food served looked good coming hot from the kitchen, but I was happy enough with the nourishment I was getting from the beer, going down well. Had a nice chat with a lovely gentleman who was telling me that there is actually a 70-meter long underground line through the Rathaus to the fermentation and storage cellar in nearby Eisengasse, piping the wort through. Cool. The copper brew pans are also on show behind the bar and restaurant and there are lots of cellars to be seen on your travels to the toilets!!
Took his advice and ventured in. Small enough place, really just a tiny circular bar with a few tables and chairs and not much else. Sat at the bar and ordered a Eichhof from the very friendly bar man.
Got chatting to two Lucerne FC supporters, and enjoyed the casual atmosphere in the place, a good friendly vibe to the place, very chilled. Seemed it was made up of mostly locals, which is cool. 
Got a bit lost and tired so popped in here to charge the phone and recharge my own batteries. Nice enough place, kind of a cafe type bar, easy going relaxed atmosphere building, with a nice modern interior. Sat at bar and ordered a Feldschlossen beer, just a regular lager on the tap, served fast and with a nice smile by the friendly bar lady. 
Followed the music that was coming from afar, it was pumping from the entrance to this bar and restaurant. A DJ was playing some great dance tunes from the 90s and early 2000’s, banging them tunes out. Brilliant.
The place is pretty big inside, they do a lot of food and have enough room to pack out a big crowd. I decided to stay outside and have my hot food and beer and enjoy the music from the DJ. Later I read they do good pizza’s, perhaps next time I am this side of the world.
A club was to be born, called “FC Luzern” and was mentioned in an add in the local paper, the “Luzerner Tagblatt“ in 1897, in which a meeting was called in the Café Alpenclub for ideas on how to get the ball rolling and start up this team in the city. Owing to a slow initial response it was 4 years before that team came into existence in 1901, initiated by friends Adolf Coulin, Ernst Haag and Hans Walter, with its official launch in the Restaurant Seidenhof, near the train station. Two years later they joined the Swiss FA, starting off in the third highest division. 
The club got a professional manager in 1921, Dionys Schönecker from Rapid Vienna of Austria, and his appointment was an instant success as Luzern faced Servette from Geneva in a title decider on 25 June 1922 in Basel. They were unlucky and bowed out 2-0. 
Afterwards the club did nothing of substance for many years and even skirted with the idea of going out of business as the debts racked up. In 2001, their centenary year, they entered administration and had to be rebranded and repackaged in order to continue, with much thanks to the effort of their supporters who helped financially when the call was put out for help. 
The club play at home in the Swissporarena which was newly built in 2011, at the cost of EUR €60 million, on the site of the old stadium, Stadion Allmend. The stadium is used mostly for football matches of FC Lucerne, but the Swiss national team use it at least once in every qualifying campaign for the World Cup or Euros. Its capacity is of 16,800 spectators. 
Tickets for FC Luzern matches can be bought online, at the Fanshop at the stadium, or at the Neue Luzerner Zeitung at the Pilatusstrasse 12 (about 200 metres from the main railway station). Don’t worry about not getting a ticket, as so often with Swiss football, Luzern will only sell out at the very odd high-profile match.
The ground itself is all modern and kind of funny looking, with golden looking stands formed all round, it’s kind of shit looking to be honest. Not the most attractive stadium I have ever seen for sure. Inside it looks a little better, all seats decked out in the club colours of blue. 
Not long after the second half got underway Thun were right back in it with a well taken goal by Marvin Spielmann, rifling it into the net. Nice one, game on. Now at this stage a lot of the fans were further retreating back into the stands due to how bad the weather was. It was near torrential at this stage, making it hard to stay focused on the game, for us the supporters never mind what it was like for the players to kick the ball around the soggy pitch!!
One I got on the holiday island of Corfu. 
Barley strong in this one, plus very grainy. 
Pour a pure yellow colour, looks like a very watered down dilutable orange drink more than anything else, or you could say some fruit juice. No such thing as a head on this fella, but then did you really expect one?
In the northwestern corner of the beautiful holiday island of Corfu lies the Corfu Microbrewery, situated in the small town of Arillas.
Got it on my holidays in Corfu. Comes in a very nice distinctive black bottle with a coat of arms of the company that is impressive to see, stands out in the supermarket. 
On the taste, yeah this is really like an old fashioned red ale, spot on. 
Has some good flavours and tastes, grainy and with a touch of caramel, can also get the hops.
Their Appenzell Beer (
Bought this beer from the local Coop supermarket here in Basel, bought it in a six pack in a nice black packaged box. The bottle itself had a smart logo with the majestic looking Swiss Alps looking all nice and shiny. 
No carbonation and also not a lot in the bottle, I wonder where it all went to!