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After two nights with a nomadic tribe in Jordan and hiking through Petra, I was now back in Israel. Traveling with my 74-year-old father, I decided to book a private room at the Abraham Hostel in Jerusalem to allow for some uninterrupted rest. Much to our satisfaction, the hostel was located in the Mahane Yehuda Market district. After a rejuvenating hot shower and morning yoga on the roof of the hostel, I set out to explore the Mahane Yehuda Market. Even though this is an open-air market and the wind was blowing through, I was hit with a wall of fantastic aromas. Fresh spices were artistically designed to create multicolored "sandcastles", a large stone was spinning turning sesame seeds into tahini, a plateful of Jersusalem Mix was sizzling on a flattop, then off in the distance a crowd and sign stole my attention, BeerBazaar Jersusalem. Making my way through the crowd, I was able to take a closer look. To my pleasant surprise, right in the middle of the market was a brewpub. Homebrews, craft beers & ciders have been an interest of mine since I was 18 and in college in South Carolina, USA. I was able to snag a barstool near the end of the bartop and I was quickly greeted with a list of beers. You could see the brewhouse and fermentors behind a glass wall. There was not a large amount of equipment but just enough to get the job done. After scanning through the menu I ordered a flight of beers. The BeerBazaar beer flight included five 3 oz pours of your selected beers. After working my way through the flight, one beer stood out from the rest... the FAT CAT PALE ALE. I was astonished by the crisp depth of flavor, but more importantly, there was a lot of familiarity going on with my taste buds. My flight was done, so the barkeep inquired if I cared for anything yes. "Absolutely," I said, "bring over a pint of that FAT CAT!" When he returned with the FAT CAT, we began to talk about the pub. I shortly discovered this barkeep is in fact the owner of BeerBazaar, Avi Moskowitz. He lived in Californa, USA prior to moving to Jerusalem and opening the brewpub. We discussed many American craft beers and found out we enjoyed many of the same breweries back "home" in the states. After another FAT CAT or two, I bought a few bottles to take with me and began to close my tab. He wished me the best and safe travel, then suggested a little "hole in the wall" restaurant a block or so away. I followed Avi's advice, founded the restaurant which was more of a booth, and ordered a Jerusalem Mix pita wrap to-go, then made my way back to Abraham Hostel. Sitting on the roof of the hostel eating my J-Mix Wrap and polishing off another FAT CAT, I relished on my experience and the friendship I made. Discovering a brewpub in Jerusalem was a great surprise, making a connection with the owner was a memory I will not forget. It has been four years since I met Avi and discovered his brewpub. My tickets are bought and my bags are ready to be packed, I will be back in Jerusalem in three weeks. BeerBazaar, here I come!