NEW YORK (Reuters) - The California beermaker who brought the world He'brew, Miraculous Jewbilation and Genesis Ale has come up with a new brew commemorating the late Jewish comedian Lenny Bruce on the 40th anniversary of his death.
Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. has hit more than 1,000 stores in 25 states in a tribute to Bruce, the ground-breaking comic and social critic who died on August 3, 1966, at age 40. The beer is made with "obscene amounts of malts and hops," says a statement from Shmaltz Brewing Co., in reference to Bruce's arrests for obscenity in his standup act. A rye India pale ale, or R.I.P.A., it packs a punch with 10 percent alcohol. "It's completely outrageous in terms of actual beer style to go along with his sensibility," said Jeremy Cowan, the brains behind the Jew brews.
Cowan said the inspiration for a tribute to Bruce came from his Jewish grandmother, who told of going with his grandfather to see Bruce perform at San Francisco strip clubs. The San Francisco brewer, who lives part of the year in Brooklyn, started his He'brew beers 10 years ago and introduces a new brand each year. Total sales have passed 2 million bottles. Cowan is not observant but said in a telephone interview he takes religion seriously and keeps his products kosher.
"I'm not making fun of Judaism. I'm having fun with Jewish culture and tradition," he said,
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Lenny Bruce is probably single-handedly responsible for one of the most difficult artforms in the modern world, good stand-up comedy, so for this money-grubbing arsewipe to make money off his memory like this really gets my goat. Has he no respect for what Bruce achieved? I doubt he even knows about Bruce's personal crusade to mock "obscenity".
Would the Dutch release a beer called "Van gogh" and market it as a tribute to his absinth drinking, ear chopping, insanity? Well, I'm not sure actually, but I doubt it!
