L’chaim, fellow beer lovers! To life!
Let’s raise a glass (or a bottle or a can) to inclusiveness.
We are proud to announce that some of Darling Brew’s most popular beers (listed below) have been Kosher certified, ensuring that our Jewish patrons can kick back and relax with a worry-free beer in hand!
But what’s that? Kosher beer? Seems like a few of you are scratching your heads. Well, let’s remedy that and talk about what exactly it means to have a Kosher beer.
FIRSTLY, WHY KOSHER BEER?
Well, why not? South Africa currently has the largest Jewish community in Africa, boasting over 75,000 followers of the Jewish faith. We just want to be part of a spirit of inclusivity and dietary ease. As a South African business we want to be considerate of of our Jewish patrons’ dietary laws.
We want to be at your side!
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, ‘KOSHER’?
The Hebrew word “KOSHER” is used almost exclusively in the food and beverage arena. Its literal meaning is “FIT” i.e. that the food item or beverage is fit to be ingested by one who adheres to the laws of Kashrut (Kosher Dietary Laws).
According to Rabbi Tzvi Rosen, quoted in the brewlliant online essay https://oct.co/essays/kosher-beer-hanukkah-101, “the basic tenets of keeping kosher are easy to remember: “no bacon, no fins-and-scales-free seafood like shrimp, no chicken parm or other meat-and-dairy combos”.
With that being said, when it comes to beer the rules become a bit fuzzier. While most beer is naturally Kosher, meaning that the ingredients they use (barley, yeast, hops, water) are “pareve” (doesn’t contain meat or dairy), the process leading to the final product could be problematic.
WHAT WOULD MAKE A BEER NOT KOSHER?
One of the main concerns, besides additives and artificial flavouring, is the use of gelatine as a clarifying agent for beer. While some brands might be acceptable, a large number of gelatine products aren’t Kosher since it “may contain bones of animals not slaughtered according to the strict rules of kashrut,” the essay explains. Additionally, no one brewery can be declared as Kosher but only the specific beers they produce, which also has to be certified by an accredited institution to make it official.
This is a process we underwent last year with Rabbi D. Maizels from the UOS (Union of Orthodox Synagogues).
HOW DID WE CERTIFY OUR BEERS AS KOSHER?
To fully certify our beers, we had to declare our ingredients and their sources. From the German-imported malt and the trees they were extracted from to the yeast used in our brewing process, Rabbi D. Maizels meticulously investigated every step of our various beers’ production.
After a thorough assessment, the Rabbi confidently declared these Darling Brew beers as Kosher.
View Kosher Certificate HERE
FIT FOR CONSUMPTION: DARLING BREW KOSHER CRAFT BEER
The Union of Orthodox Synagogues (UOS) has confirmed that the following beers produced by Darling Brew are Kosher:
- Black Mist
- Blood Serpent
- Bone Crusher
- God Father
- Gypsy Mask
- Long Claw
- Pearl Rose
- Rogue Pony
- Rooi Bok
- Satao’s Ivory
- Slow Beer
- Sun Gazer
- The Golden Tail
- The Ruby Jewel
- Thunder Bird
- War Lord