The affordable alcohol prices abroad, the multiple ski trips and frequent visits of relatives from other countries in the world do bring you a variety of flavors and aromas, but create quite a few kosher problems.
Especially when bringing from those places a pampering whiskey bottle that may be a kosher obstacle, many in the sector who see a bottle without a kosher stamp will be quick to declare it ‘non-kosher’, when the exact opposite is true, most bottles from famous brands are strictly kosher even without a kosher stamp. Drink them and they are strictly kosher, in a fitness organization that has examined the issue, are reluctant to say that this is possible provided the exact conditions written on the side of each of the photos are met.
You can purchase the products that are defined as mehadrin, even if they do not have a “mehadrin” stamp
A fitness organization that serves as a body of guidance and advice on kosher issues, has published a list of strictly kosher whiskey and vodka, through which consumers will be able to know how to purchase the strictly defined products, even if they do not have a “mehadrin” stamp. Fitness emphasizes that this is a list of common drinks.
Photo: Fitness organization
List of types of whiskey that can be drunk even without a kosher stamp on them
Mehadrin products: All types of whiskey without special flavors
Mehadrin products: All the company’s products
Mehadrin products: Only those with the numbers 12 and 15
Mehadrin products: everything that is written on it BOURBON CASK RICH OAK
Mehadrin products: only the type in the picture (everything we see in this design)
Mehadrin products: only number 10
Only red is mehadrin
Mehadrin products: legacy AMERICAN OAK CASK
Mehadrin Products: Number 30 and Pines
Mehadrin Products: Highland Crimea
In addition, Kashrut explains that the kashrut of whiskey consists of two parameters: the kashrut of the production process and the kashrut of the raw materials. Some whiskeys are not kosher because of their production process.
Whiskey Ingredients: Whiskey is made from grains and legumes, and its ingredients are not problematic. Sometimes, however, various aids are added to it without explicit marking on the bottle.
Production process: The whiskey producers claim that aging the whiskey in barrels that were previously used for wine – gives it an ‘aroma’ of wine and enhances its taste. In this case, even when the ingredients of the whiskey are kosher, there is a concern about its kosherness, since the wine soaked in barrels is forbidden as ‘Nesek wine’. Some have also made it easier to drink aged whiskey in wine barrels, because in their opinion the taste of the wine is void. This permit was supported by the owner of Minchat Yitzchak and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, but they wrote that it is true that God will prevent him from drinking.
There are also types of vodka that are strictly kosher even without a kosher stamp
According to the fitness organization, the vodka is made from alcohol extracted from potatoes or grains. Although the basic raw materials of the vodka are kosher – do not drink vodka without kosher, because there is a fear of a “new” ban, or the addition of whey (gentile cheese), as well as the law The Israeli does not forbid adding to the vodka various substances whose kosherness is in doubt. ”
Photo: Fitness organization
Tomer Ben-Zvi, fitness director and research director of the organization: “Many consumers of alcoholic beverages are not aware of the kosher problems that exist in the field. Be sure to check according to our guidelines to avoid consuming problematic beverages. Happy Purim to the people of Israel. “