What could be more Jewish than a concord grape-infused beer called Rejewvenator made by the He’Brew label (of Shmaltz Brewing Co.) and evocative of Manischewitz’s label design?
Well, it could be certified as kosher.
I don’t meant to be difficult here. I mean, pretty much all beers are kosher (what’s not kosher about wheat and hops?), and the bottles of this new blend feature an illustration of a chasid blowing a shofar, a "L’Chaim!" and He’Brew’s tagline, "The Chosen Beer." One would think that would be enough.
But it also features "all-natural concord grape juice" — and grape beverages, as kosher consumers know, require special supervision. This grape juice doesn’t have that, which is why Rejewvenator was not certified by the company’s certification agency, Kosher Supervision of America.
Here’s what Jeremy Cowan, He’brew’s founder, told us:
Unfortunately this year at the last minute I had to change suppliers on the Concord juice to brew with and though the juice itself is actually kosher, the plant that finishes the processing is not certified kosher. So I worked through it with Kosher Supervision of America (our certification agency) and did not get this one product this year certified.
But it sure is delicious…if you’re not keeping kosher enjoy!! Otherwise pass it on to a friend who likes great beer. L’Chaim!
