This evening, I ran to Chipotle to get myself a filling burrito bol while my family was out of town. I was pleased to find out that the gourmet burrito and taco joint now serves Patrón margaritas.
In the words of Pitbull, DALE!
The real alcoholic surprise came when I arrived home.
While enjoying the contents of my bol, I noticed a gold and red 6-pack of beer sitting on the edge of our kitchen table. The words emblazoned across the packaging–Goldstar.
It’s like the Israeli beer and I had an immediate connection. I wanted it, and it wanted me to drink it. The gold stars on the bottles seemed to shine like Orion’s belt.
Where did my saintly mother and Israel-loving sister find this this Israeli delicacy, you ask?
Three hours south of here in Cincinnati at Jungle Jim’s International Market, 4450 Eastgate South Drive.
I immediately put one of those dark lagers in the freezer so it would be cold in one hour to have as an after dinner treat.
As I’m writing this, I am drinking the dark, bold taste that is Israel’s top selling beer. It is taking me back to the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where I roamed the streets bar hopping till the wee hours of the morning. I probably spent more than 50 shekels getting as much of this kosher brew as I could find all while maintaining healthy levels of sobriety.
Although I rejoiced in finding my first Goldstar in the U.S., I have to say that it didn’t taste as good as the ones I had on tap in Israel. This gold star was darker and more dense, while the beer I knew from Israel was lighter in both taste and color. My decreased levels of enjoyment could also be due to the fact that I was drinking it in my kitchen, not close to the beaches of Tel Aviv.
Oh well, at least I got my Israeli beer fix! If you don’t want to drive to Cincinnati to get yours, check out www.israelikosher.com, where you can buy a 6-pack and have it shipped to you for $13.
You can also follow Goldstar to see if it comes to a joint near you at beermenus.com.
mwiner@jstylemagazine.com
