Schmaltz Brewery recently premiered Miraculous Jew-Belation, "The most extreme Chanukah beer ever created!" Er, I suspect that translates to "the only Chanukah beer ever created," but it cracks me up anyway. Their slogan for this beer? "Get lit." (Found via JewSchool.)

Alas, I didn't hear about this early enough to urge my local liquor store to stock Chanukah beer, so we won't be blessing bottles of Miraculous Jew-Belation tonight. But I'll be frying a veritable mountain of latkes tonight with Seth and a couple of other friends. We may also be making Crab Rangoon, because it's one of Seth's favorite foods, and there's a recipe in the current issue of Saveur. Plus they're deep-fried, which makes them appropriate for Chanukah. Of course, they're also treif. Can't win 'em all, I guess.

In addition to the traditional blessings said on the first night of Chanukah, we'll be setting a few intentions for ourselves, hopefully connecting with the words of a short-and-sweet ritual for the first night of Chanukah:

As the year reaches its darkest point, we gather to kindle light. As we commemorate the triumph of the few over the many, of miraculous faith in the face of mighty odds, let us reconsecrate ourselves to illuminating the dark places in the world and in our hearts....

It's available for download here. I welcome comments on the ritual, either via email or in comments here. And if you've tried that Chanukah beer, tell me how it is!