Trending Stories
Goose Island Announces 2026 Bourbon County Brand Family Details
Goose Island Announces 2026 Bourbon County Brand Family: Full Details
Breweries
The Taproom Identity Crisis: Why Consistency, Not Novelty, is the Key to Craft Survival in 2026
The Taproom Identity Crisis: Why Consistency, Not Novelty, is the Key to Craft Survival in 2026
Beer Education
Easy Jack & Electric Eagle Featured in New Firestone Walker IPA Mixed Pack
Easy Jack & Electric Eagle Featured in New Firestone Walker IPA Mixed Pack
Breweries
2026 Summit Brewing 40 Anniversary 12-oz Cans
Summit Brewing 40th Anniversary Imperial Porter: A Milestone Release for 2026
Breweries
2026 Burial Beer 13th Row 16.9-oz Bottles
Burial Beer Adding 13th Row To Celebrate 13 Years
Breweries
2026 Glenfiddich 28 Year Aston Martin 700ml Bottles
Glenfiddich 28 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aston Martin Edition
Distilleries
Skip to content
  • Breaking
  • Beer News
  • New Beer
  • Education Icon
  • Beverages
  • Spirits
  • Resources
  • Reviews
  • Travel
  • Blogs
  • Beer Education
  • Travel Education

mybeerbuzz Oval header
Contact Us
Account
mybeerbuzz Oval header
Account
  • Breaking
  • New Beer
  • Beer News
  • Education
  • Beverages
  • Spirits
  • Resources
  • Reviews
  • Blogs
  • Travel
Home / Beer / Beer Press Releases / Shmaltz Death Of a Contract Brewer Returns In New Packaging

Shmaltz Death Of a Contract Brewer Returns In New Packaging

Shmaltz Death Of a Contract Brewer Returns In New Packaging
MyBeer Buzz Story by: MyBeer Buzz
Published: October 8, 2015 | Updated: July 5, 2025
Share this article
Share options

Share This Article

Comments 0

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • All

No Readers' Pick yet.

imageFrom Shmaltz:

Thursday, October 8, 2015 — Arise and take possession of a new Halloween treat for craft beer ghouls and goblins roaming the beer isles in search of a scary good black IPA. This Halloween season, behold Shmaltz Brewing’s latest spellbinding limited-edition release:DEATH BLACK IPA®. Overflowing with characteristics of coffee, dark chocolate, and fresh citrus with a mix of pine, the jet black IPA’s deep roasted malt flavors provide support for a bold mix of bright and bitter West Coast hops. Available for the first time on retail shelves as a 4-pack (12 oz. bottles) and on draft at select bars, DEATH BLACK IPA® is brewed with 7 malts, 7 hops, and comes in at 7% ABV. DEATH BLACK IPA® is now nationally available in 35 states through Shmaltz’s extensive distribution network. To find a wholesaler near you, please visit shmaltzbrewing.com/HEBREW/distributors.html

image"Dante said it best with, ‘They yearn for what they fear.’ These words could only have been spoken about a black IPA so endearingly cruel looking yet so devilishly aromatic and appealing," said Shmaltz Brewing Company lead brewer, Richie Saunders.

Initially released as a commemorative beer (Death of a Contract Brewer®) to mark Shmaltz Brewing’s transformation from 17 years as a contract brewer to their new life at their very own Upstate New York brewery, DEATH BLACK IPA® is the perfect libation for any ghostly autumn occasion. Whether trick-or-treating, apple bobbing, or carving jack-o’-lanterns, don’t forget to hit up local craft beer havens to experience what might just become the new favorite bewitched creation,DEATH BLACK IPA®. Only available through Halloween, DEATH BLACK IPA® features updated packaging design by Shmaltz’s award-winning Art Director Matt Polacheck.

Standout Praise for Death of a Contract Brewer®:
"Death of a Contract Brewer® Black IPA is phenomenal." –
Philadelphia Weekly
"Death of a Contract Brewer® is no gimmick. While the style of a black IPA isn’t new, Shmaltz takes it to new heights…This is a serious beer for fanatics of the style." –The Ledger (Central Florida)
Drink Me Magazine – 150 Elite Awards: "2014 Products of the Year" – Beer Winner – Death of a Contract Brewer®
RateBeer.com – Death of a Contract Brewer® – 96 Rating

About Shmaltz Brewing Company
Ranked in 2013 as one of the "Top 100 Brewers in the World" by RateBeer.com, Shmaltz won 9 Gold and 5 Silver Medals in the World Beer Championships in 2012. A recipient of the "Distinguished Business Award" by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Shmaltz was also included in the "Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies" by San Francisco Business Times.
Founder and owner Jeremy Cowan established the company in San Francisco in 1996 with the first 100 cases of He’brew Beer® hand bottled and delivered throughout the Bay Area in his Grandmother’s Volvo. He’brew® now sells across 35 states, through 40 wholesalers and nearly 5,000 retailers. In 2007, Shmaltz released a new line of craft brewed lagers under the Coney Island® banner. The Coney Island brand was recently acquired by Alchemy and Science, a craft beer incubator, owned by Boston Beer (Sam Adams).

After 17 years of being an outspoken cheerleader for contract brewing, Shmaltz recently broke with tradition and opened its own New York State production brewery in Clifton Park, NY, 10 minutes north of Albany’s capital district. Shmaltz’s new home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity. The new brewery packages 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal favorites, and hosts fans and beer tourists in their new tasting room for tours, barrel-aged previews, and special releases.

In 2010/11, Cowan published his small business memoir, Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah: How It Took 13 Years, Extreme Jewish Brewing, and Circus Sideshow Freaks to Make Shmaltz Brewing Company an International Success. A free sampling of Chapter One and suggested beer pairings, can be viewed atwww.craftbeerbarmitzvah.com. In 2012, Cowan spearheaded the creation of the non-profit New York City Brewers Guild (which manages NYC Beer Week) and served as its Founding President.
Cowan also has presented at the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference, as well as previous Great American Beer Festivals, BevNet’s Brewbound conference, Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Festival, the Atlanta and the St. Louis Jewish Book Fairs, and the San Francisco and New York Jewish Museums.

Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN Headline News, Beer Advocate Magazine, NPR’s "Weekend Edition," Fox Business News, Men’s Health, San Francisco Chronicle, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, and Washington Post.

For more information, please visit:
www.shmaltzbrewing.com

© 2007-2024 mybeerbuzz.com.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED mybeerbuzz.com © 2024 COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Use of this content on ANY site without written permission is not allowed………. zzubreebym

  • ADVERTISEMENT

  • On SALE Now @ Amazon
MyBeer Buzz

Founder, owner, author, graphic designer, CEO, CFO, webmaster, president, mechanic and janitor for mybeerbuzz.com. Producer and Co-host of the WILK Friday BeerBuzz live weekly craft beer radio show. Small craft-brewer of the craft beer news sites and one-man-band with way too many instruments to play........Copyright 2007-2025 mybeerbuzz.com All Rights Reserved: Use of this content on ANY site without written permission is not allowed.

Post Tags: #Beer News#New York#Press Releases#Shmaltz
RELATED NEWS
Goose Island Announces 2026 Bourbon County Brand Family Details

Goose Island Announces 2026 Bourbon County Brand Family: Full Details

Breweries
Easy Jack & Electric Eagle Featured in New Firestone Walker IPA Mixed Pack

Easy Jack & Electric Eagle Featured in New Firestone Walker IPA Mixed Pack

Breweries
2026 Summit Brewing 40 Anniversary 12-oz Cans

Summit Brewing 40th Anniversary Imperial Porter: A Milestone Release for 2026

Breweries
2026 Burial Beer 13th Row 16.9-oz Bottles

Burial Beer Adding 13th Row To Celebrate 13 Years

Breweries
Ornery Beer Announces Closure of Fairfax City Brewpub

Ornery Beer Announces Closure of Fairfax City Brewpub

Breweries
mbb oval logo for footer
mbb oval logo for footer

Bringing Good Beers and Good People Together Since 2008
© 2025 All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT
.
CONTACT
.
ADVERTISING
.
SAMPLING

DEPARTMENTS
  • Breaking
  • Beer News
  • New Beer
  • Education
  • Beverages
  • Spirits
  • Resources
  • Reviews
  • Blogs
  • Travel
TRENDING BREWERIES
  • 10 Barrel
  • 21st Amendment
  • 3 Floyds
  • Abita
  • Alaskan
  • Alchemist
  • AleSmith
  • Allagash
  • Almanac
  • Anchor
  • Anderson Valley
  • Angel City
  • Anheuser-Busch
  • Avery
  • Bale Breaker
  • Ballast Point
  • Baxter
  • Bear Republic
  • Bell's
  • Black Raven
  • Blue Moon
  • Blue Point
  • Boulevard
  • Braxton
  • Breaker
  • Breckenridge
  • BrewDog
  • Brewery Vivant
  • Brooklyn
  • Bruery
  • Burial
  • Cantillon
  • Cape May
  • Capt Lawrence
  • Chimay
  • Chuckanut
  • Cigar City
  • Creature Comforts
  • Crooked Stave
  • Crux
  • DC Brau
  • Deschutes
  • Destihl
  • Dock St
  • Dogfish Head
  • Double Mtn
  • Drakes
  • DuClaw
  • Elysian
  • Epic
  • Evil Twin
  • Firestone Walker
  • Flying Dog
  • Founders
  • Free Will
  • Funky Buddha
  • Genesee
  • Gigantic
  • Golden Road
  • Goose Island
  • Great Divide
  • Great Lakes
  • Ground Breaker
  • Guinness
  • Harpoon
  • Heavy Seas
  • Hi-Wire
  • Hill Farmstead
  • Hoppin' Frog
  • Hopworks
  • Idle Hands
  • Indeed
  • Iron Hill
  • Ithaca
  • Jacks Abby
  • Jester King
  • Karl Strauss
  • Lagunitas
  • Lakefront
  • Lakewood
  • Lawsons
  • Left Hand
  • Leinenkugel's
  • Long Trail
  • Lost Abbey
  • Maui
  • Melvin
  • Mikkeller
  • MillerCoors
  • Modern Times
  • Monday Night
  • Narragansett
  • New Belgium
  • New Glarus
  • New Holland
  • New Realm
  • Night Shift
  • Ninkasi
  • North Coast
  • Oakshire
  • Odell
  • Off Color
  • Offshoot
  • Ommegang
  • Oskar Blues
  • Pelican
  • Perennial
  • Prairie
  • Reubens
  • Revolution
  • Rogue
  • River Horse
  • Russian River
  • Saint Arnold
  • Samuel Adams
  • Schlafly
  • Shiner
  • Sierra Nevada
  • Sixpoint
  • Ska
  • Sly Fox
  • Smuttynose
  • Southern Tier
  • Stone
  • Summit
  • Sun King
  • Surly
  • Susquehanna
  • SweetWater
  • Terrapin
  • Tired Hands
  • Toppling Goliath
  • Tröegs
  • Uinta
  • Victory
  • Wallenpaupack
  • Westbrook
  • West Sixth
  • Weyerbacher
  • Wicked Weed
  • Widmer
  • Yards
  • Yuengling
mybeerbuzz.com Black Hop Cone logo 512px x 512px
  • Write for Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Partners
  • Radio
  • Press Releases
  • Sampling
  • Disclaimer
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
  • Sitemap

Follow Us:

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Threads
  • Bluesky
  • Link
  • Tumblr
mbb oval logo for footer
mbb oval logo for footer

Bringing Good Beers and Good People Together SInce 2008
© 2025 All Rights Reserved.


  • Write for Us
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
  • Radio
  • Press Releases
  • Sampling
  • FAQ
  • Disclaimer
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Breaking
  • New Beer
  • Beer
  • Beverages
  • Spirits
  • Resources
  • Reviews
  • Blogs
  • Travel
  • 10 Barrel
  • 21st Amendment
  • 3 Floyds
  • Abita
  • Alaskan
  • Alchemist
  • AleSmith
  • Allagash
  • Almanac
  • Anchor
  • Anderson Valley
  • Angel City
  • Anheuser-Busch
  • Avery
  • Bale Breaker
  • Ballast Point
  • Baxter
  • Bear Republic
  • Bell's
  • Black Raven
  • Blue Moon
  • Blue Point
  • Boulevard
  • Braxton
  • Breaker
  • Breckenridge
  • BrewDog
  • Brewery Vivant
  • Brooklyn
  • Bruery
  • Burial
  • Cantillon
  • Cape May
  • Capt Lawrence
  • Chimay
  • Chuckanut
  • Cigar City
  • Creature Comforts
  • Crooked Stave
  • Crux
  • DC Brau
  • Deschutes
  • Destihl
  • Dock St
  • Dogfish Head
  • Double Mtn
  • Drakes
  • DuClaw
  • Elysian
  • Epic
  • Evil Twin
  • Firestone Walker
  • Flying Dog
  • Founders
  • Free Will
  • Funky Buddha
  • Genesee
  • Gigantic
  • Golden Road
  • Goose Island
  • Great Divide
  • Great Lakes
  • Ground Breaker
  • Guinness
  • Harpoon
  • Heavy Seas
  • Hi-Wire
  • Hill Farmstead
  • Hoppin' Frog
  • Hopworks
  • Idle Hands
  • Indeed
  • Iron Hill
  • Ithaca
  • Jacks Abby
  • Jester King
  • Karl Strauss
  • Lagunitas
  • Lakefront
  • Lakewood
  • Lawsons
  • Left Hand
  • Leinenkugel's
  • Long Trail
  • Lost Abbey
  • Maui
  • Melvin
  • Mikkeller
  • MillerCoors
  • Modern Times
  • Monday Night
  • Narragansett
  • New Belgium
  • New Glarus
  • New Holland
  • New Realm
  • Night Shift
  • Ninkasi
  • North Coast
  • Oakshire
  • Odell
  • Off Color
  • Offshoot
  • Ommegang
  • Oskar Blues
  • Pelican
  • Perennial
  • Prairie
  • Reubens
  • Revolution
  • River Horse
  • Rogue
  • Russian River
  • Saint Arnold
  • Samuel Adams
  • Schlafly
  • Shiner
  • Sierra Nevada
  • Sixpoint
  • Ska
  • Sly Fox
  • Smuttynose
  • Southern Tier
  • Stone
  • Summit
  • Sun King
  • Surly
  • Susquehanna
  • SweetWater
  • Terrapin
  • Tired Hands
  • Toppling Goliath
  • Tröegs
  • Uinta
  • Victory
  • Wallenpaupack
  • Westbrook
  • West Sixth
  • Weyerbacher
  • Wicked Weed
  • Widmer
  • Yards
  • Yuengling
  • Cider
  • Seltzer
  • Whiskey
  • All Reviews
Scroll to top
Search
  • Breaking
  • Beer News
  • New Beer
  • Education
    • Beer Education
    • Travel Education
  • Beverages
  • Spirits
  • Resources
  • Reviews
  • Travel
  • Blogs