Comments on: Final Shuk Tours 5769, Lalush - Whiskey, Liqueurs & More on Hotels

By: Milhouse

Milhouse — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:44:15 +0000

Unflavoured vodka has a strong chazakah of being kosher. The treif and milchig ones are a small minority. Unless you know of issues with a particular brand or country, you can rely on the chazakah lechatchila.

Ones to look out for: anything made in New Zealand may be milchig. Ciroc is made from grapes, and therefore treif.

By: Dovi

Dovi — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:09:01 +0000

The London Beis Din holds similarly for Scotch and Irish Whisky. Not sure about Vodka.

By: Elie Greenblatt

Elie Greenblatt — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:51:20 +0000

Adding to Isaac B’s comment: Yes, just spoke to world reknowned kashrus expert who has traveled through Russia and other countries finding extensive glycerin use in unflavored Vodkas, as well as plain milchigs (as Issac B writes) and in one instance basar v’chalav! Also, the shnaps expert at Rabbanut told me while Scotch Whisky, aside from blend and barrel issues are okay, Irish Whisky must have hechsher cuz may be treif additives.

By: Isaac Balbin

Isaac Balbin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:19:00 +0000

I found it hard to parse your sentences especially when you grouped whisky and liquors together. I don’t think this pairing is helpful in the context. Liquors by their nature are made up of varied ingredients. Unless I am mistaken, whisky is contentious only by those who are concerned by the wine based barrels. As you allude, there are poskim of great stature who always permitted such lechatchilo.

If you are wanting to simply say that for mehadrin everything needs full certification then I’d suggest your comments about vodka are astray. There is milchic unflavoured vodka (and beer to).

So it’s all or nothing?

Either way, liquor and whisky should not be grouped in my opinion

By: ESC

ESC — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:14:58 +0000

Re: #3 (hard drinks at Smachot), I thought the Eida does not give a hechsher on events?