This song is a parody of Tommy Makem's "Paddy Kelly's Brew" and is sung to the same tune. I believe a little background information is necessary for the understanding of this parody. Many of you have seen the KEDEM brand label on kosher wine as well as many other food products. Ernest Herzog, who was given the title of Baron in Europe, was an orthodox Jewish wine maker who came to the USA after WWII, as a Holocaust survivor. He started the Royal Wine Corp. in the upstate village of Milton, N.Y., located in the Hudson Valley. Today, the KEDEM brand, which is owned by the Herzog family enjoys a virtual world wide monopoly in the kosher wine market. They swallowed up every other wine company with the exception of Manichewitz. Their most recent acquisition was the Carmel Wines of Israel. They have the most reliable Rabbinical certification or Hashgocho (in Hebrew), that is universally trusted by all spectrums of the Jewish community. In fact they have 2 such certifications. One is from the Orthodox Union known as the OU. This endorsement appears as a U within a circle on the label. The other is a Hasidic certification from the Grand Rabbi of the Celem (pronouced as Tselem in Hungarian) Hasidic Dynasty. This appears in Hebrew writing on the label. These 2 facts are mentioned in the chorus. I am the proud author of this song, which I wrote 12 years ago. It is my most requested song when I perform before Jewish audiences.

THE BALLAD OF BARON HERZOG (also known as BARON HERZOG'S BREW)

                                 Copyright 1992 by Sol Zeller

Ernest Herzog was his name
And from Hungary he came
Emigrating from the old world to the new
He spent one night at the Hilton
Then he went upstate to Milton
Where he started making Baron Herzog's brew

         CHORUS: It comes in many flavors
                  And many colors too
                  Hashgochos from the Celem and OU
                  If they call you Sir or Madam
                  You can celebrate with KEDEM
                  Won't you try a glass of Baron Herzog's brew

Oh he cultivates the vines
That produce the finest wines
There's Concord and Sangria, Champaigne too
You can sip some Bartenura
Drink le'chayim on Malaga
All varieties of Baron Herzog's brew

                CHORUS

When a boy is eight days old
He is brought into the fold
It's his Bris that really makes him for a Jew
There's the Mohel and the Kvata
The Sandik and the Tata
And a Kos (goblet) that's full of Baron Herzog's brew

                  CHORUS

Shabbos starts on Friday night
With the candles burning bright
It'a holy time for each and every Jew
And soon it's Kiddush time
So we pour the KEDEM wine
And we fill our kos with Baron Herzog's brew

                  CHORUS

Shabbos morning it's the rule
When we all come home from Shule
That we pour another cup of Herzog's brew
We make Kiddush once again
Ladies hear it from the men
And we give three cheers for Baron Herzog's brew.

                   CHORUS

Yes Havdollah we say too
When the Shabbos it is thru
And we usher in the working week anew
Oh the candle we do light
And the cloves they smell just right
Then we drink another glass of Herzog's brew

                     CHORUS

At the seder Pesach night
When the men all dress in white
We sing praise to Hakadosh Boruch Hu (God)
We have matza, we have karpas
we dip maror in charoses
And we drink four cups of Baron Herzog's brew

                        CHORUS

Ernest Herzog went to heaven
After four score years and seven
Now he's smiling down on each and every Jew
For the folks are living longer
and their frumkeit's (faith is) getting stronger
Cause they keep on drinking Baron Herzog's brew

                         CHORUS