Jeremy Cowan Interview
Shmaltz Brewing Company started brewing beer in 1996 in California. Owner Jeremy Cowan moved his operations
to Mendocino Brewing Company in Saratoga Springs.
Zak Davis, Shmaltz's West Coast regional Representative describes the Coney
island Craft Lager Line. "All of the beers in the Coney Island Craft Lager line are lagers. Because not many
craft breweries are playing around with lager styles, it gave us a unique and fun opportunity to really experiment. We've
mostly taken ale-styles and reinterpreted them into lagers.
Coney Island Albino Python is a 6% abv white, spiced lager.
Like classic wit beers, it is brewed with wheat malt, giving it its color and cloudiness. Where most wit beers
are brewed with coriander and orange peel, Albino Python is brewed with a combination of sweet orange peel, crushed fennel
seed, and ginger. It shares certain characteristics with wit beers, but the lager yeast give it a completely different
personality. There is a noticeable lack of esters, which gives the beer a much drier flavor and mouthfeel. It
also makes the spices more prominent.
Coney Island Sword Swallower is our interpretation of an I.P.A. It is 6.8% abv hoppy lager that is brewed with 8 hops
(including 3 used for dry-hopping). Like many lagers, it's got a very light body, but is complemented by a moderate
hop bitterness. It's definitely prominent, but not overwhelming. Lots of pine and evergreen.
Coney Island Lager is an American
Amber Lager. It's 5.5% alcohol content. This is probably the most 'mainstream' of any of our Coney
Island Lagers. Inspired by an Amber Ale, Coney Island Lager is brewed with 6 hops and 8 malts. It's darker
in color than most lagers and has a robust nuttiness and a light/moderate hop bitterness. Because the brand is Coney
Island-centric, this is the beer that we have in the local bars in the area. We wanted it to be something that was accessible
to even the most inexperienced craft beer drinker, but would also satisfy the pallet of the most well-seasoned beer drinkers.
Coney Island Human Blockhead
is a 10% American Strong Lager. It was released in line with barleywine season, but I wouldn't necessarily
call it barleywine-inspired. More than anything, Human Blockhead is inspired by European Strong Lagers like EKU 28 and
Samichlaus. While those beers exclusively use European malts and hops, Blockhead uses a combination of European and
domestic ingredients, including malts like wheat, rye, and oats, which you would never see in a European Strong Lager. We've
also added more hops than traditional strong lagers, so, while it's very malt-forward and floral and creamy, it also comes
across with a light hoppiness.
Finally, Coney Island Freaktoberfest is our Halloween beer. It's blood-red and 6.66% abv. It
was not meant to be an accurate representation of an Oktoberfest style, although most of the criticisms of this
beer tend to stem from that discrepancy. More than anything, it was fun. It's a nice alternative to a pumpkin
ale and, when poured into a glass, definitely offers something that other Halloween seasonals don't, blood-red color."