Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Beer blogging
Mrs. TigerHawk acquired a basket of delightful microbrews and imported wonders at a charity auction, so I have a huge choice of different beers to sample. Tonight's choice:
That's right: It's "Messiah Bold: The Chosen Brew." You can learn more at the brewer's web site (shmaltz.com, as if there were any doubt). Here's a graphic of its recent, er, "marketing tour":
Not surprisingly, it is certified as kosher, although not by an organization I've seen before (a past president of the Orthodox Union once told me that there are "a lot of entrepreneurs" in the kashrut gig). Or perhaps it is surprising. Beer has long been considered "inherently kosher," so historically there has been no need for kashrut supervision. In recent years, though, more brewers have sought supervision, both to quell anxiety about modern manufacturing methods and because kosher certification has, in some circles, taken on broader appeal as a "seal of approval."
As for Messiah Bold: It is manifestly a spiritual experience.
That's right: It's "Messiah Bold: The Chosen Brew." You can learn more at the brewer's web site (shmaltz.com, as if there were any doubt). Here's a graphic of its recent, er, "marketing tour":
Not surprisingly, it is certified as kosher, although not by an organization I've seen before (a past president of the Orthodox Union once told me that there are "a lot of entrepreneurs" in the kashrut gig). Or perhaps it is surprising. Beer has long been considered "inherently kosher," so historically there has been no need for kashrut supervision. In recent years, though, more brewers have sought supervision, both to quell anxiety about modern manufacturing methods and because kosher certification has, in some circles, taken on broader appeal as a "seal of approval."
“Beer has always been accepted by the kosher community as inherently kosher,” said Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the OU. ”Recently, though, a number of factors have brought breweries to the OU.”
The use of adulterants, adjuncts, and flavorings in beer casts some doubt on beer’s overall purity, he said. In addition, some light beers use enzymes in the brewing process that are derived from animals: these products would warrant scrutiny under kosher laws.
An additional factor, however, may be marketing: kosher certification can prove to be a powerful sales tool. Today people of many cultures use the term “kosher” to describe something that is proper and meets accepted rules and quality specifications. Coors reported a marked increase in sales following certification, and other breweries may be following their lead.
As for Messiah Bold: It is manifestly a spiritual experience.
1 Comments:
By 
John A, at
Thu Apr 14, 05:16:00 AM:
Hey, didn't you click on the little tag -
*Two Jews walk into a bar...*
Not as prominent as when I first heard of them, which is too bad.
