Jewish Man Shoots Bartender Over Clamato Cocktail
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A Jewish man from Montana was charged with attempted murder for shooting a bartender who served him a non-kosher drink.
Monte Leon Hanson, 59, allegedly shot Joe Lewis, who is also his neighbor, and killed Lewis’ dog the morning after the bartender made Hanson a red beer — beer and tomato juice — at his Hamilton bar using the Clamato tomato drink rather than tomato juice.
One of the ingredients in Clamato is clam broth, which is non-kosher as it is made with shellfish.
When Hanson learned the drink was made with Clamato he became angry, saying it was against his religion, according to the affidavit, The Missoulian reported.
Early the next morning, on May 9, Hanson reportedly followed Lewis when he left their apartment building to take out his dog. Another neighbor then heard four to six gunshots. He found Lewis holding his dog, dead from a gunshot wound to his head. Lewis also was injured from the gunshots.
Lewis had been carrying the dog, who had a leg injury, which protected him from some of the bullets. Hanson’s bail was set at $250,000.
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