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The result was a two-batch production of 710 bottles each, made from 139 tons of barley harvested in spring 2025 and malted in Germany and Austria.
By Shula Rosen
Two years after the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, Kibbutz Be’eri launched its first whisky, transforming trauma into a project of revival.
The release of “Single Be’eri” — a single malt crafted from barley grown in the kibbutz’s own fields — marked a highlight of Whisky Live 2025, held at Expo Tel Aviv in September, Ynet reports.
The initiative began just months after the attack that devastated Be’eri and other Gaza border communities.
During an emotional gathering in February 2024 at Milk & Honey Distillery in Jaffa, survivors from the kibbutz opened up for the first time about their losses.
It was there that former Knesset member Haim Jelin, a Be’eri resident, proposed planting barley on the kibbutz’s scarred land to make whisky.
The collaboration with M&H Distillery and VP of Sales Tal Chotiner quickly took shape.
The result was a two-batch production of 710 bottles each, made from 139 tons of barley harvested in spring 2025 and malted in Germany and Austria.
Chotiner noted that even in the early stages of distillation, the whisky’s flavor hinted at the quality they had hoped for.
Jelin proudly said foreign producers were impressed but turned down their purchase offers to keep the project rooted in Israel.
The label’s name, “Single Be’eri,” is a nod both to the single malt and to the kibbutz’s beloved mountain bike trail. Its creators say it stands not only for craftsmanship, but also for the spirit of a community that chose to rebuild.
Among those behind the project was Avida Bachar, who lost his wife and son in the massacre and was severely wounded. Alongside Hagay Hakar — who also lost family members — they returned to the fields to sow the barley.
Fellow whisky enthusiast Gil Firth, a firefighter and leader of Israel’s largest online whisky community, helped produce “Supernova,” another post-attack blend honoring victims of the Nova rave. He said the tragedy gave rise to a renewed patriotism among Israeli whisky drinkers.
Jelin emphasized that proceeds from the project will support recovery efforts in the region. “We came from grief, but what we’re building now is a symbol of life,” he said.
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