Mahane Yehude Market
Whether you’re looking at taking a break from the pure crazy that sometimes is “The Shuk” or you just want to sit with a fine beer whilst doing some very entertaining people watching (and it is very entertaining) then Hatch ticks all the right boxes. To be fair, if you just happen to be nearby, that is excuse enough to pop in and grab a glass. Isn’t it? At least it is for me. If I get a whiff of a nearby brewery you can’t hold me back, especially on holiday. One of my highlights about Hatch was its positioning. We turned up at the market in the evening when most of the shoppers had gone but to say the foot traffic therefore was light would be a lie. Pure, unadulterated chaos. We knew what we were looking for but had never been there before so we dove in and navigated around, past and sometimes seemingly through the other patrons trying to find the source of the beer. You have to imagine as well that some stall owners are cleaning up and closing down whilst you’re wandering the alleys, there are brooms and brushes coming at you from the sides, people charging past with sack barrows, people just standing still looking at goods for sale, staff workers call to you offering sample and bargains and those that walk at slower or faster paces than you that you’ll need to meander around or have brush past you. It can be intense but great fun.
…taking a break from the pure crazy that sometimes is “The Shuk”…
Finally you see a very large blackboard style façade with large white lettering -Hatch-, three stars above the name and “Micro Brewery. Macro Eatery.” underneath. It is by no means the largest taproom but it is in the middle of a busy market so I’d say it is pretty big for where it’s located. You can sit “inside”, with full view of the bar on one side and the brewing equipment next you behind a glass wall or you can sit “outside” either facing the bar and thus the boys and girls making drinks and prepping food or face outwards and be like 20cm from the action in front of you. We chose to sit at the bar outside, basically at the Hatch where they passed the beers to me. We struck up conversation with the bartender, he was an American living now in Jerusalem and seemingly enjoying himself very much. The last thing you want is a disillusioned employee to talk to, some downer that totally ruins the vibe. This wasn’t the case here, this lovely man explained each brew to us, ale or lager, flavour profile, alcohol content but then I heard my favourite few words, “you can have a tasting flight”, sold. One of everything, not too much of anything, it’s the best way to do it. I know there are people out there that prefer one style over another, don’t like certain styles at all or are on the quest for their perfect version of an IPA or Stout, that’s not me. How do you know which your favourite ice-cream is if you don’t try all the flavours?
Right, beer time. I’m watching five glasses being prepared for me, simultaneously a cocktail is being created for someone else and evidently mid pour a keg had to be changed. It’s busy. Still, time was taken to ask how I was, where I am from, how long am I here, what had I been getting up to, plus responses to my answers and to my questions. The hospitality factor here is high. Five glasses transfer from under the taps to the surface in front of me
1 – Rudolph The Red – Irish Red Ale | 5,0% | 22 IBU
2 – On A Boat – English IPA | 5,8% | 82 IBU
3 – Amber Got Jacked – Red IPA | 5,1% | 55 IBU
4 – BFG – Blonde Ale | 4,5% | 10 IBU
5 – Blonde Guy – Blonde Ale/American Pale Ale | 4,7% | 35 IBU
Once again I’m thrown a few cliffsnotes on each as they’re set up side by side and pointed at and off we go. To describe each beer to you might not make all the much sense here. Hatch rotates their beers a lot. The lists I’ve managed to find online for brews past and present is long. Personally, I like that. The brewers aren’t getting bored, they want to try new things, new styles, new mash ups. It keeps life interesting. The food coming out of the kitchen did also look extremely appetising and smelled incredible but leaned more in the American dinner direction whilst we we’re all about the local flavour so we didn’t partake.
If I found myself in Jerusalem again or near the Mahane Yehuda Market I’d stop by here for sure. I’d just need to know what new offerings were pouring. I thought their beers were very well balance, offering top flavours without any compromise in one direction or the other, hops and malts were nicely balanced and harmonised rather than competed, the bitter styles were bitter, the lighter styles were just that. They get a proper thumbs up from me, it was a pleasure visiting, sampling and chatting. I’d recommend any going to Jerusalem to do the same. The pursuit for hoppiness continues…
In The Pursuit Of Hoppiness 