Comments on: Shmaltz Brewing Company – Freaktoberfest

By: Zak Davis

Zak Davis — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:43:24 +0000

Thanks very much for the compliment. I think that homebrewers and bloggers are some of our most supportive and vocal customers. It takes me just a few minutes to show my appreciation, but I’ve found that that goes a long way.

Thanks again, again. ~Zak

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:29:04 +0000

Zak gets a lot of credit for doing what he does in my book. Its VERY seldom that a brewer rep will take the time to participate in lowly blogs such as this one, but I see Zak doing it everywhere. Kudos.

I think it makes them more accessible, and more likable, and it shows they care about what people think.

Regarding the marketing, I think Zak is right too. We definitely judge books by their covers and marketers know this. There’s a science behind it, and sometimes packaging can make or break a product.

Zak, thanks for stopping in, and I’ll keep an eye out for the Jewbelation 13! Most of your stuff is easy to find in my area.
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Jersey Beer Blogs – Ferment Nation =-.

By: Zak Davis

Zak Davis — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:37:21 +0000

Hey guys. I’m all about wading. As you can imagine, a lot of people think there’s nothing more to the beer than the marketing. That’s one reason why a) we try so hard to make great beers and b) we try to reach out to those people that are willing to spend the money on a beer they’ve never tried.

I’ve noticed a funny trend in the industry. If the marketing on a beer is too good, people assume that it must be overcompensating for the quality of the actual product, as Jim so eloquently said. On the other hand, if the marketing on a beer sucks, then people assume that the quality of the product must match the quality of the marketing. Kind of a lose-lose situation. I’m not sure if middle-of-the-road marketing would be any better though…

Nate, I’m glad that you’ve had the chance to try some of our other offerings. Jewbelation 13 JUST came out, so you should start seeing it on shelves and on tap at your top beer bars soon. It’s ridiculous this year. 13 different malts, 13 hops (added 13 times, every 13 minutes, over the course of a 169 minutes boil), and punching in at 13% alcohol; all to celebrate our 13th anniversary.

Again, I appreciate you guys checking out the beer and I especially appreciate all of the conversation that this post has facilitated. If you have any other questions, feel free to holler at me at zak@shmaltzbrewing.com.

L’Chaim!! ~Zak

By: nate

nate — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:54 +0000

Jim,
I’d look for their Jewbelation 12. I haven’t found the 13 yet, but the twelve was out of this world, and cheaply priced.

Their Bittersweet Lenny’s RIPA is awesome too. I understand where you are coming from…I kind of had the same prejudice too for while, but found their beers to be pretty good, and few are exceptional.
.-= nate´s last blog ..Sip with us Saturday: Review of Stone’s Pale Ale =-.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:10:19 +0000

I’ve avoided these guys primarily because of all the hype on the labels. Perhaps I’m allergic to fun, I dunno.

For some reason I think that a brewery that tries so hard to sell schtick on their labels might be overcompensating. But that’s just my totally uninformed opinion. I think I need to sample one of their selections. Anyone have a suggestion of what’s good?

And bonus points for Zak for wading into the mix here. The boy has chutzpah, that’s for sure.

By: Brian Welch

Brian Welch — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:46:48 +0000

Haha, well it can't be all that bad if the zombies are grown organically. I haven't had the chance to try it yet, haven't seen it in any of my local stores/distributors but it's a pretty neat concept. .-= Brian Welch´s last blog ..Gift Idea #1: The Complete Joy of Homebrewing =-.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:22:27 +0000

Hey Zak, thanks for stopping in. You're right, if everyone all had the same taste and loved all the same stuff, this would be a rather boring world! Its cool to see brewers take some risks with their brews, like this one. Keeps it all fresh and interesting. Good to see your zombies are organic, I know a lot of other brewers pump them full of chemicals and growth hormones. Not good. .-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Pumpkin Ale =-.

By: Zak Davis

Zak Davis — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:36:46 +0000

Hey guys. This is Zak Davis from Shmaltz Brewing Company. Thanks so much for picking up that bottle of Freaktoberfest. Sorry it didn’t do it for you. The response this year has actually been overwhelmingly positive, but we can’t expect everyone to love every beer. I appreciate you not basing your entire judgement of the brewery on this one beer. Aside from all of the Coney Island Lagers, we’ve also got some delicious brews in our other brand: HE’BREW: The Chosen Beer. Freaktoberfest is actually not brewed with beet juice. We’ve got a farm up in Northern California where we’re raising the most organic and grass-fed zombies in existence. We color the beer with their blood. Thanks again for checking out the beer and looking forward to future reviews. Cheers! ~Zak

By: Ian

Ian — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:27:05 +0000

I concur will all thoughts on this beer. It was a little gimmicky and the glass was not finished. .-= Ian´s last blog ..Driftwood Sartori Harvest IPA =-.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:27:14 +0000

Beet juice, huh? Well, I think its a very cool beer conceptually, but to be honest I had a hard time finishing the whole thing. The novelty wore off rather quickly. .-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Bud Light Golden Wheat Beer Review =-.