It’s slightly off the beaten track but I hear it’s well worth the trip! After visiting the Gush museum, after the zip line, you just might want a tour of the newest addition to the Gush bloc, the Lone Tree Brewery, a microbrewery for boutique beers. Started by 4 couples living in the area, this brewery, in a pastoral setting (watch out for deer!) about 15 minutes south of Jerusalem, produces a wide range of beers. There are, for example, 3 different kinds of English-style ale, including Pale Ale, Indian Pale Ale and Northern Pale Ale. I noticed that they even make a Pomegranate Date Ale which would have been great for Tu B’shvat! They have an American Brown Ale, an Extra Oatmeal Stout and a California Steam Ale. The truth is that I am way out of my league and I don’t know what half of these beers taste like but I’m intrigued…they give small, personalized, very family-friendly tours; allowing participants to see the process from start to finish and taste the ingredients along the way. Just as wine has come a long way in Israel, so too now has beer. I am definitely adding the Lone Tree microbrewery to the itinerary for my next trip! To learn more about them and perhaps book a tour, visit their website www.lonetreebrewery.com.