Meeting in New York on November 13th, rabbis participating at the annual conference of the Association of Kashrus Organizations (AKO), learned that certain Anheuser-Busch beers were not kosher.
Although it has been known for generations that beer is inherently kosher, the rabbis noted that flavored beer produced by Anheuser-Busch were not.
Mott’s, a division of Dr Pepper/Snapple Group, sells a beverage called Clamato which contains clam powder, and Anheuser-Busch recently introduced a beverage called Chelada which is a mixture of Budweiser beer and Clamato.
In recent months, Kashrus Magazine wrote that since Chelada is tunnel pasteurized on the same equipment as other beer products, “the public should avoid all Budweiser products until the process is “inspected by a competent kashrus expert”.
The Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc), which certifies many items produced in the same plant as the Clamato, investigated this concern by visiting the plants where Clamato and Chelada are produced, reviewing formulas, extensive discussions with the companies, and independent research. They concluded that Anheuser-Busch beers sold in bottles are free and clear of any concerns.
Dr Pepper has already made changes to the production of the Clamato used in Chelada, without changing its basic recipe, so that Anheuser-Busch beers sold in cans will also be acceptable.
The kosher status of Anheuser-Busch beers are not affected by the Bud Light Lime beverage bottled on shared equipment.
(Source: Kosher Today)
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7 Responses
I believe that the tradition that beer is inherently kosher may be related to the late medieval statute of the “Holy Roman” Empire (which controlled most of central Europe) strictly regulating the beer industry. As with many products that were “inherently” kosher, modern manufacturing poses may questions that require someone competent to investigate, and perhaps we should expect a formal hecksher for all alcoholic beverages.
The think about the budwiser beer is olny a politic.
no one said “tradition”
“it has been KNOWN for generations that beer is inherently kosher.
after, of course, thorough investigation by food experts and Halachic authorities.
no legitimate heksher organization poskins based on traditions from the roman empire
Kashrus Magazine published a letter from AB that bud is shares some equipment with the clam stuff. I’m happy that this was clarified.
AB is kosher, only their special beer. 98.5% of beers are kosher regardless of colour, and this has been put on national kashruth sites
just watch for flavored stuff-which are clearly marked. If a company puts out flavour-they wantthat publicized
too many people in the community have mevateled othrs who drink beer, when it is a healthy beverage with vitamin B, half or less the alcohol in wine, and discussed in gemara as preferable after fish, as opposed to scotch which is the most unhealthy drink proven in studies, not even mentioning the shikker questions
Nothing new that flavored beer needs a reliable hechsher.
See Kashrus Monthly from kashrus magazine vol 17 no 8 aug 2008