Choosing a Kosher Beer

For millions of observant Jews around the world, following the kashrut, or Jewish dietary laws, is a very important part of everyday life. Food and drink that are in accord with halakha (Jewish law) are termed kosher in English. Kosher simply means fit for consumption by Jews according to traditional Jewish law. And beer can be kosher, too.

In order for food or drink to be kosher, it must first be inspected and certified by one of the many certifying bodies around the world. One of the largest certifying agencies in North America, Star-K, is responsible for certifying most of the beers made in, and imported to, the United States.

Based on the kashrut, most beers produced by typical methods don’t violate dietary law. In other words, beer is generically kosher; none of the raw ingredients and additives used to brew regular beer present kashrut concerns.

The rules change, however, when atypical ingredients, additives, and flavorings — fruit, fruit syrups, spices, and so on — are added. In these cases, the beer requires certification. Likewise, if beers with higher alcohol content require fermentation with yeasts other than typical beer yeast, the beers require certification.

Here are a few safe generalizations:

• All unflavored beers with no additives listed on the ingredient label, are acceptable, even without a kosher certification. This generalization applies to both U.S.-produced and imported beers, including nonalcoholic and dark beers.

  
  



• All unflavored beers, including dark or malt beer, from the following countries are kosher: Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, Mexico, Norway, and the Netherlands.

  
  



• Although the safest route is to purchase beer with kosher certification, in circumstances where facts of evidence overwhelmingly prove no kashrut concerns exist, the Torah yields to whatever the evidence shows.

  
  

Any beer that contains lactose (milk sugar) is non-kosher due to its inclusion of dairy ingredients. Lactose is typically used to make Sweet Stout, which may also be marketed as Milk Stout or Cream Stout.

Products that have been certified as kosher are labeled with a mark called a hekhsher that ordinarily identifies the rabbi or organization that certified the product. The kashrut status of a product changes with changes in production methods or kashrut supervision. Always look for the kosher mark on the beer label or packaging.

A Sampling of Kosher Beers

Beer*	Brewery	Country
Best Extra Stout	Coopers	Australia
Extra Strong Vintage Ale	Coopers	Australia
Original Pale Ale	Coopers	Australia
Premium Lager	Coopers	Australia
Special Old Stout	Coopers	Australia
Amber Dry	Brick	Canada
Anniversary Bock	Brick	Canada
Brick Premium	Brick	Canada
Blue Moon	Coors	U.S.
Bohemian Black Lager	Spoetzl	U.S.
Boston Ale	Sam Adams	U.S.
Boston Lager	Sam Adams	U.S.
Brooklyn (all products brewed in Utica)	Brooklyn	U.S.
Cherry Wheat	Sam Adams	U.S.
Chocolate Bock	Sam Adams	U.S.
Copperhook Spring Ale	Redhook	U.S.
Cranberry Lambic	Sam Adams	U.S.
Cream City Pale Ale	Lakefront	U.S.
Double Bock	Sam Adams	U.S.
Eastside Dark	Lakefront	U.S.
Fuel Cafe Stout	Lakefront	U.S.
FX Matt (all products)	FX Matt	U.S.
Hefeweizen	Sam Adams	U.S.
Honey Porter	Sam Adams	U.S.
Imperial Stout	Sam Adams	U.S.
Imperial White Ale	Sam Adams	U.S.
Klisch Pilsner	Lakefront	U.S.
Longhammer IPA	Redhook	U.S.
Oktoberfest	Sam Adams	U.S.
Old Fezziwig	Sam Adams	U.S.
Pale Ale	Sam Adams	U.S.
Redbridge Gluten-free	Anheuser-Busch	U.S.
Redhook Blonde	Redhook	U.S.
Redhook ESB	Redhook	U.S.
Riverwest Stein Beer	Lakefront	U.S.
Saranac (all products)	Saranac/FX Matt	U.S.
Shiner Blonde	Spoetzl	U.S.
Shiner Bock	Spoetzl	U.S.
Shiner Hefeweizen	Spoetzl	U.S.
Shiner Kosmos Reserve	Spoetzl	U.S.
Shiner Smokehaus	Spoetzl	U.S.
Summer Ale	Sam Adams	U.S.
Winter Lager	Sam Adams	U.S.
Winterhook Winter Ale	Redhook	U.S.
White Ale	Sam Adams	U.S.

*Included in this list are all unflavored Heineken, Guinness, and Corona products.

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