Keepin’ It Kosher

As the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan approaches, it’s almost time for Passover! Now, I will never stake any claim to being an expert in the traditions of Judaism, but I did accidentally become a member of the Colgate Jewish Union because I attended so many of their fun (catered) events. And, I even took an extended study course where I had the opportunity to participate in a kosher chicken slaughter! Wait, maybe I am an expert…? No, not a chance.

Today, my “expertise” has been called upon by my roommate Allison to provide my humble beverage goy-dance (Get it? Like guidance?) as it applies to the world of kosher bevs. We’re talking all about what it means for a wine to be kosher vs. kosher for Passover, how Manischewitz became a Passover essential, and a few unexpectedly kosher selections for sipping during seder.

Kosher vs. Kosher for Passover

The various protocols surrounding how to determine if a product is kosher or kosher for Passover are simultaneously simple and complex. Adherence to and observance of kosher practices varies between sects of Judaism as well as on an individual practicing basis, but the foundational principles and beliefs remain fairly consistent.

One distinction I’d like to make from the jump is that there is a difference between a product being kosher and being certified kosher. This is similar to the distinction between being organic and being certified organic. There are a handful of different organizations that regionally and internationally take on the task of certifying products as kosher and kosher for Passover. These certifications vary in how strictly they expect manufacture of products to abide by the Jewish dietary law of kashrut as well as to other tenets of the faith depending on their level of orthodoxy.

For our purposes here, I’ll be focusing on the ultra-basic must-know fast facts for understanding how booze fits in with the views of the Jews. This is very hard for me because there are so many interesting details and controversies about what it means for something to be kosher that I desperately want to share with you!

To start, what does it mean for wine or alcohol to be kosher? The primary dietary guidelines for keeping kosher speak to meat and dairy, so it’s pretty irrelevant to wine consumers that the wine cannot come from a bird of prey or a land animal without cloven hooves. In that sense, a lot of folks who keep kosher still consume wine without paying too much attention to if it is certified kosher.

To be certified kosher a wine must meet these three qualifications:

1. The wine cannot use grapes that were harvested within the first three years of the vine’s life—this is generally just a good winemaking practice to begin with and is the case for the vast majority of wines.

2. The wine must be made using all kosher ingredients including in the bottles, labels, and corks. Aside from some wines that boast their natural, buggy contents (insects are not kosher), the vast majority of wines also satisfy this category.

3. The wine must be handled and supervised from crush to bottling only by Sabbath-observant Jews. Some certification organizations consider this qualification to be met if there is simply a rabbi on the premises of the winery during production.

Now, what extra qualifications need to be met for something to be kosher for Passover? During Passover, a category of food known as chametz is prohibited from consumption. Chametz includes leavened grains such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, and spelt. This means that most beers and a good chunk of grain alcohols are chametz and cannot be consumed during Passover. For Ashkenazi Jews, corn syrup also falls into the category of chametz, so while that takes most sodas off the table, wine is still fair game!

And, finally, what does this mean in the context of getting your kosher drank on? At the end of the day, a lot of alcohol is kinda kosher, and a solid percentage of that is kinda already kosher for Passover. When in doubt, check the label to see if a product is certified kosher by an independent organization. If that still doesn’t clear anything up, call your rabbi!

Manischewhat?

Manischewitz! Best known for their budget-friendly wine made from Concord grapes, this Canandaigua-based winery has a legacy of being synonymous with Jewish culture. Often regarded in the wine world as a truly garbage representation of what wine can be due to its unusual aroma and astronomically high residual (and additive) sugar content, Manischewitz is a household name for Jews and goy alike.

Interestingly enough, year-round bottlings of Manischewitz contain corn syrup! Per the above guidelines, this makes Manischewitz chametz for Ashkenazi Jews. During Passover, Manischewitz uses cane sugar as an additive sweetener instead which ensures adherence to kosher for Passover guidelines.

Kosher & Killing It!

All of ANXO’s ciders (excluding Hereford Gold) are certified kosher by the National Synagogue, Ohev Shalom. The only reason Hereford Gold doesn’t receive this certification is because it is produced in England outside of Ohev Shalom’s certifying purview. ANXO’s “District Kosher” is a 6.9% ABV apple wine that calls back to the days where Jews celebrated Passover with a variation of hard cider because of the limited ability to grow wine grapes in the regions where they were settled. This apple wine is made from 100% Pennsylvania Northern Spy apples and fermented with wine yeast making it tart, fruity, and crisp—perfect for pairing with your maror.

No. 209’s “Kosher for Passover” gin is the world’s only gin that is certified kosher for Passover. Distilled in San Francisco from sugar cane and infused with Napa Valley bay leaves, this gin is a remarkable project that is supervised from start to finish by the Orthodox Union. With the sugar cane base, it was a challenge for No. 209’s Master Distiller to formulate a unique infusion of 11 botanicals to balance out the liquor’s sweet backbone and bring this bottling into competitive conversation with the complex world of craft gins. The result is a citrusy, slightly spicy gin that is a delight for crafting cocktails year-round or for sipping on during seder.

L’Chaim!

Julia Cooper