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BEER IS PRODUCED by brewing and fermenting starches, which are typically derived from cereal grains. The most used grain is malted barley. However, beer can also be made from any ingredient that is rich in starch if the appropriate enzymes are added. Most modern beers are brewed with hops, which add flavor and aroma, and act as a natural preservative.
Because these core ingredients are inherently kosher, traditional beer was historically considered a low-risk product from a kashrus standpoint, and many consumed unflavored beers without formal certification.
Changing Industry Practices
In recent years, however, the beer industry has changed dramatically. Many breweries now produce specialty and flavored beers alongside their regular, unflavored beers. These flavored varieties may contain non-kosher or non-certified ingredients, such as fruit concentrates, botanicals, dairy, wine, oyster, or other flavor additives.
This does not mean that all beer has suddenly become problematic. Rather, it means that the production environment has become more complex, and ingredients that once were rarely used are now common in many facilities.
Equipment Concerns
A key issue arises when unflavored beers are produced on the same equipment used for flavored beers that may contain non-kosher or non-certified ingredients. Heat and processing can cause bliyos (absorbed taste), which affects the kosher status of any beer processed on that equipment. Without proper certification and independent audits, there is no reliable way to know the full production story.
This does not mean that every unflavored beer is non-kosher. It simply means that today’s brewing practices carry a higher risk than in the past, and assumptions that once were safe can no longer be relied upon.
Current Recommendations
Because it is generally impossible for consumers to determine how and where an unflavored beer was produced, OK Kosher, along with several other major kashrus agencies, only recommends beer with reliable kosher certification. OK Kosher only permits kosher certified beer in foodservice establishments and catered events under our supervision.
