Is It Kosher? Here is a four page letter from Rabbi Lopatin, which answers questions about dairy products, reliable hechers, fruits, and vegetables, and more.

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Almost all American kosher wine is Mevushal - Kedem, Baron Herzog, Weinstock - except when noted; many of the Israeli wines, especially Golan, Yarden and some Tishbi wines, are not. However, there are many outstanding Mevushal Israeli wines such as most Barkan wines, Kinneret Wines – especially recommended, Cabernet-Merlot-Franc – and Carmel wines . Chilean wines are usually NOT MEVUSHAL, Australian wines are usually MEVUSHAL and French wines can go either way. In order to make your table as inclusive and comfortable as possible for all people, please look for the word MEVUSHAL on the back label of the kosher wine you buy. Sometimes it is in the Hebrew .

There have been cases where there has been non-Mevushal wine on the table, and someone has told a non-Jewish guest not to touch it: The gentile was deeply hurt by this incident. Please, go the extra step to make your home comfortable for everyone you welcome into it.

Fruit juices
Except for grape juice, pink grapefruit juice and prune juice, which always need reliable supervision, other fruit juices which are 100% pure - orange, apple, pineapple, grapefruit, etc. - with no added natural or artificial flavorings or added "fruit juice" listed in the ingredients, do not need supervision. However, if possible I would recommend finding juices with supervision. Tomato juice always needs reliable supervision. Hawaiian Punch of ALL VARIETIES is kosher even without any kashruth label, except that boxes of Hawaiian Punch, powder or one-gallon bottles are NOT RELIABLY KOSHER.

Other Beverages
Please be careful to look for supervision on any juices that have added fruit flavorings in them (all tomato juices and grape juices need supervision). Most pops are kosher. For a complete list provided by the Chicago Rabbinical Council , you may contact their website directly: CRCweb.org under "kosher lists". The new Coke product, Coke Blak, is kosher but dairy.

All whiskies and unflavored spirits (vodka, gin, Scotch, bourbon, etc.) which are not grape derived are kosher. I rely on Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, and the London Beth Din for this ruling. Unflavored beers do not require supervision. New Zealand beers may be dairy. Liqueurs require reliable supervision except for Amaretto Disaronno, Peter Cherry Herring and Drambuie, which are all kosher without a kosher sign. Kahlua, even from Mexico, is no longer certified kosher, unless it has an OU symbol on it.

Plain and decaffeinated coffees and teas are all kosher. Flavored coffees and teas need supervision. You can buy plain or decaffeinated coffee made or ground at Starbucks, Caribou, Intelligentsia, etc. Please check the creamer before using it; milk and half and half require supervision.

 Mike’s Hard Lemonade is not kosher by community standards: Their response to YCT Rabbinical Student, Drew Kaplan:

Hey there Drew,

Thank you for taking the time to contact mike’s hard lemonade with your question.

Although mike’s hard lemonade products do not contain any inherently non- kosher ingredients such as animal derivatives or grape juice, we have not applied for kosher certification. Our products are produced at multiple sites throughout North America that are co-manufacturers for our products and are unable to make any claims as to what ingredients are or are not used in other products run on the same equipment.

Have a great day and Make it Mike's! (Editor: NOT!)

A four page letter from Rabbi Lopatin
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