Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mikeitz + Chanukah

The following is a brief summary of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha + Chanukah this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Bereishis 41:51 it says that Yosef called his eldest son Menashe because Hashem helped him forget his father's house. Thereafter it says in Bereishis 41:52 that Yosef called his son Ephraim, because Hashem gave him children in the land of his affliction.

R' Frand asked two questions - why is it good that Yosef forgot his father's house? Also, isn't the blessing of having children a greater kindness, so why does Yosef use this as the name for his second child?

R' Frand quoted the Sefer Beis Pinchas who says that when a person is harmed by another person, it does not only have a momentary impact. When someone says something not nice to another person, it stays with the person for a while and causes pain for days, weeks or years. When the person who injured the other goes up to Shamayim at the end of his time, he will have to pay for both the initial statement and the pain that stayed with the man. It is for this reason that the Beis Pinchas says that if someone says something that hurts another, he should be proactive in seeking him out to apologize.

Yosef knew that his brothers had inflicted great pain on him and that the longer he was in pain, the greater the price his brothers would have to pay. R' Frand quoted the Meshech Chachmah who says that this was the ultimate sin of ben adam l'chavero and that every year when a person does teshuva, there is an element of teshuva for this sin.

Yosef wanted this punishment of the brothers to end, and he recognized that Hashem helped him forget the pain of being away from his father. He is not saying that he forgot his father and the Torah of Yaakov. Rather, it was the pain that left him and this was so important that it was the name of his first child.

R' Frand next spoke to the name Ephraim, which the Ba'alei Tosfos says is the combination of two ashes - the ashes of Avraham who said that he was afar v'efer as well as the ashes of Yitzchak who was willing to become on the altar at the akeidah.

We see that the Jews pick up this name Ephraim as the pasuk states "Haben Yakir Li Ephraim Im Yeled Sha'ashuim." We get the name Ephraim because it is related to the ashes that Avraham and Yitzchak compared themselves to.

R' Frand also quoted R' Leib Shtaiman who gives another reason for the name Ephraim. He notes that Yosef rose from the dungeon of Egypt to be the second in command in the country, if not in the world. When a person rises that quickly, it often goes to his head. Yosef built in a defense mechanism so that this would not happen, by remembering the ashes.

R' Frand closed his shiur by quoting a Rambam in Hilchos Chanukah 4:12 which states that the mitzva of lighting candles is important in order to publicize the miracle. Later in the same halacha he talks about how it is important to add to the praise to Hashem for the miracles that he performed. Why is it that the Rambam uses both the singular and plural form of miracle?

R' Frand next quoted R' Daniel Lander of Monsey who noted that in the Maoz Tzur we mention four oppressions from which we were saved - Egypt, Bavel, Purim and Chanukah. But when we sing the Shoshanas Yaakov we only mention Purim. Why is it that on Chanukah we mention other times that Hashem saved us?

R' Frand answered by quoting the gemara in Megillah which observes that there is a fundamental difference between the holidays, since we say Hallel on Chanukah and not on Purim. The gemara offers many different reasons why this is so, but one which R' Frand seized on was that on Chanukah the Jews were free and were not enslaved to anyone. However, on Purim the Jews (although saved from Ahasverus) were still under the rule of another. Because the Jews in Chanukah were free they were able to say shirah and we say Hallel. The Jews of the Purim story continued to be under the control of another nation, so there was an obligation to publicize the miracle, but not to say shirah.

This is the meaning of Chanukah and the mixed use of singular and plural. Because we were free in Chanukah, the Jews were obligated to sing and give praise. Once this obligation kicked in, there was an opportunity to thank Hashem for all that he did and all the times that we were saved. 

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Sunday Night Suds - Blue Moon Rounder Belgian Style Pale Ale


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Blue Moon's Rounder Belgian Style Pale Ale.

First introduced in the beginning of 2013, the Rounder Belgian Style Pale Ale is Blue Moon's substitute for the relatively bland and tasteless Pale Moon (reviewed here kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/02/sunday-night-suds-pale-moon.html).

As defined by the experts at BA: 

Belgian Pales consume the Belgian brewing scene, and were initially brewed to compete with Pilseners during the WWII time frame. They differ from other regional Pale Ale varieties, by traditionally being less bitter, using aged hops for a delicate hop finish, and boasting sweetish to toasty malt overtones. They should be decanted properly, leaving the yeast in the bottle. This will showcase their brilliant color range from pale straw yellow to amber hues. Most will be crowned with thick, clinging, rocky white heads. Flavors and aromas will vary. Some have natural spice characters from yeast and hops, while others are spiced. 

The Rounder Belgian Style Ale does not draw its spice notes from yeast and hops as the beer is brewed with hibiscus and orange peel which the bottle says have been added for a "rounder taste." Having said that, the beer is a smooth "lite" wheat ale with an ample amount of sweetness which is not cloying or over the top.  I enjoyed mine this evening with left over Shabbos sweet and sour meatballs and the flavor went well with the sweet cranberry and marinara tang of the dish.

Blue Moon Rounder Belgian Style Pale Ale is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. For the experts take on the Blue Moon Rounder Belgian Style Pale Ale, please click here beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/306/90228.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayeshev

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Bereishis 37:25-27, the Torah writes about how the brothers sold Yosef into the pit and that shortly thereafter, a caravan of Ishmaelites who were carrying spices passed by. Yehuda had the idea to sell Yosef to the Ishmaelites and so it was done.

Rashi on the pasuk asks - why did the Torah have to tell us what the caravan was carrying? Rashi answers that the spices were a reward to Yosef and a recognition by Hashem that Yosef was a tzaddik. These caravans usually carried oil and pitch and Yosef would have been forced to smell it for days. Hashem takes mercy on Yosef and gives him the pleasant smell.

R' Frand then asked - why does this matter to Yosef? His brothers threw him into a viper pit and then hauled him out in order to sell him into slavery. Why does he have any comfort that the slave drivers are carrying spices?

R' Frand quoted a sefer called Nachal Eliyahu which quoted the Ilui of Telshe, who explained that there are two types of ways that Hashem can punish a person. A person can be abandoned by Hashem and left to the "statistics of the world" [where it seems that his punishment is a random act of violence]. The second form of punishment is directly from Hashem and the person recognizes that it is coming from Hashem. It is this second form of punishment which gives a person comfort, because he knows that it is coming from Hashem.

R' Frand next quoted R' Yonasan Eybeschutz in the sefer Ya'aros Devash that King David said a mizmor when he was fleeing from his son Avshalom. The gemara in Berachos (7b) asks - why is this a mizmor, it should have been an elegy! The gemara answers that David knew that Hashem was going to punish him with an evil from his own household because of the sin that he committed. David thought that the punishment would come from a soldier or a servant of the household, but when he saw that it was Avshalom he was happy. The Ya'aros Devash explains that it is not natural for a sun to rebel and usurp the kingdom, this must be from Hashem and Hashem still cares and is involved with me.

R'  Frand said that this is the explanation of Psalm 23 where David says that your rod and cane will comfort me. How does a striking rod give comfort?  Because sometimes a potch is a showing that there is a connection.

Yosef recognized that he could have been in a normal caravan with foul smelling items. However, since he was in a caravan carrying spices, he knew that Hashem cared and was administering the punishment with love.

R' Frand next quoted a gemara in Nedarim (50) which talked about how R' Akiva and his wife were destitute and slept on straw because they had no beds. One night Eliyahu HaNavi showed up dressed as a poor man and asked for some straw because his wife was in labor and they had no beds and no straw. R' Akiva gave him their straw and then remarked to his wife - see, there are people who are more poor than us.

R' Frand asked - once Eliyahu HaNavi is coming, why not have him appear as a millionaire and let him give them money so that they could live comfortably? The answer is that for His own reasons, Hashem wanted R'  Akiva to learn Torah while poor. But Hashem wanted R' Akiva to understand that there were people worse off than him, so that R' Akiva would continue to learn.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Moonshadow Black IPA


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Brewery's Moonshadow Black IPA.

For this year's Beers of Winter Box, Saranac has produced a mixed box which includes its flagship Pale Ale (reviewed here kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/03/sunday-night-suds-saranac-pale-ale.html) along with three new beers (Moonshadow Black IPA; Christmas Ale; Decoction Concoction) and two relatively new beers, the 4059 Porter (reviewed here kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2012/11/sunday-night-suds-saranac-4059-porter.html) and the Belgian Pale Ale (kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2012/12/belated-sunday-night-suds-saranac.html). 

Although Saranac has been brewing quality beer for 125 years, they are somewhat late to the "black party."  While other breweries have been rolling out Black IPAs and other dark versions of traditional ales, Saranac has held back until now. While some might say "better late than never", I would subscribe to the Jewish rule of thought - the last is best, because this beer is very, very good.

Mrs KB and I tried this with out simple meat and pasta dinner Thursday night and it was spectactular. The beer has the hop bite of an IPA, but an additional richness and even some malt. The flavor melded well with the garlicy meat and I would suggest that it would do equally well with rich and hearty stews, making this a prime cholent beer (by this I mean drinking with, although it might go well in the cholent too).

The only negative to this brew is that it only comes in the 12 pack beers of winter box and there are only two in the box. 

Saranac Moonshadow Black IPA is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit as is every other beer produced at the Matt Brewery plant in Utica, NY. Keep in mind, Saranac has begun to brew some of its High Peaks series off site and these bottles do not have kosher certification from the Va'ad of Detroit.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the Moonshadow Black IPA, please follow this link www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/101802.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayishlach

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In this week's parsha, Yaakov takes certain steps to prepare to meet with Esav. As part of his preparation he sends emissaries to Esav with a message that Yaakov has become small. Part of the message is found in the pasuk where Yaakov says to Esav, I lived with my father in law, Lavan (32:6). Rashi on the pasuk offers two explanations for what Yaakov was telling Esav. The first explanation is that Yaakov was telling Esav that he was a temporary resident by his father in law and had not amassed anything as a result of his time there. The second explanation (which is more famous) is that Yaakov told Esav - I stayed with my father in law, but I kept the Torah and I did not learn from Lavan's ways.

R' Frand quoted the Klei Yakar who noted that the explanations are contradictory. On the one hand, Yaakov says to Esav, I am nothing and accomplished little when I was by Lavan. Yet according to the second explanation, he is telling Esav - I kept the Torah while I was with Lavan, so stay away from me because I am powerful.

R' Frand quoted an answer given by R'  Leib Gurwitz to this seeming contradiction. He explains that Yaakov was telling Esav,  I lived with Lavan and kept the Torah, but I did not learn from Lavan's ways and his enthusiasm for doing things. 

R' Frand gave a parallelism to explain the concept. He noted that soon it will be Thanksgiving and with it, the black Friday sales. People will be leaving their turkey dinners and football early in order to line up in the parking lots for the doorbuster sales. R' Frand said that while there is nothing that could motivate him to camp out in a parking lot, there are people who will do it in order to take advantage of the possibility of buying a large screen TV for $150.

This was the message that Yaakov was giving Esav. I stayed with Lavan and saw how fanatical and enthusiastic he was to do certain things. I was able to keep the Torah while I was with Lavan, but I did not pick up his enthusiasm and was not energetic in my keeping of the Torah and its mitzvos.

R' Frand also said a vort on the words "Vayichan es Pnei Ha'ir" which are found in Bereishis 33:18. R' Frand quoted the sefer Pesikta Zutrasi who explains this pasuk as Yaakov showed his sense of gratitude (HaKaras HaTov) to the people of the City for their kindness. As such, Yaakov sent presents to the leadership of the City. Yaakov also built marketplaces and sold goods for low prices so that people would have things. The Yerushalmi explains that Yaakov built bath houses for the people of the City. Why? Because the greater the man, the greater he will express his appreciation for the kindness of others.

R' Frand told a few stories which illustrate this point. One of the stories involved R' Gustman (sp?) who was the Rosh Yeshiva of a Yeshiva called Netzach Yisrael in Jerusalem. It was observed by the boys in the Yeshiva that the Rav used to personally all the plants and trees in front of the Yeshiva. They asked him why he did it and they were given the following explanation.

When the Rav was living in Europe before WWII, he lived in Vilna and spent time with R' Chaim Ozer. Periodically, R'  Chaim Ozer would take him for walks in the woods and he would point out to him the trees with edible berries and those which were poisonous. 

Years later, Rav Gustman used those lessons that he learned from R' Chaim Ozer when R' Gustman was hiding out from the Nazis in the forest. As a sign of his HaKaras HaTov for the trees and bushes, Rav Gustman took it upon himself to water the ones around his Yeshiva, even though the trees in Israel were clearly not the same trees which sustained him in the forest.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Monday's Musings on Sports - The Public Side of Power a/k/a Incognito no More, the Korach Story

Over the course of the last week, a minor story in the world of professional football has snowballed to the point that it has led to a national (and perhaps international) referendum on team athletic activities.

On October 30, 2013, it was reported that Miami Dolphins Offensive Lineman Jonathan Martin had left the team. The official word from the team was that Martin had left for personal reasons, but that quickly devolved into inquiry as to Martin's mental state when the press began reporting that Martin left for "emotional reasons."

Although professional football players make a base minimum salary of more than half a million dollars, it is not uncommon for football players to leave their teams for "personal reasons". Although not widely reported, last week John Moffitt, an Offensive Lineman for the Denver Broncos, left the team because he was unhappy about being a bench player and wanted to move on to "new things." Similar to Martin, he was a relatively high draft pick in a recent draft (Martin was a 2nd Round pick in 2012, Moffitt was a 3rd Round pick in 2011). But no one outside of Denver speculated publicly as to why Moffitt was leaving the team.

Not long after the Martin left the team, news began to circulate that Martin had been purportedly harassed and or the subject of mental abuse which was inflicted through what has been commonly called hazing. I don't know if hazing has a pure form, but it is generally viewed as rituals which a new player needs to go through in order to become "of the guys." 

The problem is that there is no normal for hazing. In the wake of the media storm about what fellow Dolphins Offensive Lineman Richie Incognito purportedly did to Martin, there have been so many stories from present and former players in every sport as to what was done to them rookies. These stories range from being duct taped to the goalposts after practice, to being forced to sing their college team's fight song at team meals, to having to carry a more senior team member's pads after practice or even being compelled to pay for team dinners. 

But those are some of the more benign hazing rituals. College and even High School sports have had too many unfortunate stories about student athlete and sorority/fraternity initiation rites and hazing which have resulted in serious injuries and even death.

The added level of complexity to the Martin story is that the perpetrator and the victim are highly compensated professional athletes and grown men. This would lead one to ask, why would anyone do this to another grown up in their profession and why did Martin not stick up for himself?

I believe that the answer may lie in that old adage, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Incognito has earned a reputation as a player who lives on the edge and he was famously labelled as one of the dirtiest and most hated player by his fellow professional football players. But it seems that he also was looked at as a leader and there were even reports (officially denied of course) that coaches on the Dolphins asked him to "toughen up" Martin. 

So here is Incognito, looking at himself as a veteran and team leader. He sees a player who is perceived as weak. He believes that it is his responsibility to toughen up Martin and because of who he is, he cannot see the line between acceptable behavior to motivate a player and bullying.

The story reminds me of a famous medrash involving Korach which relates to last week's parsha. But what does Korach have to do with Sefer Bereishis? As told over by R' Mansour on a recorded shiur on www.learntorah.com, when Yaakov dreams about the angels going up and down the ladder, he sees Korach at the bottom of the ladder and Moshe at the top. The meforshim explain that sulam (the hebrew word for ladder) has a gematria (numerical addition of letters in a hebrew word) of 136 as does the word mammon (the hebrew word for money). Korach and Moshe were two of the riches men at the time that the Jews were in the desert. However, what they did with their money and their personal desire for honor were completely different. While Moshe was an anav and lived modestly, Korach had an incredible desire for power. For Moshe the money and the power were not things that he desired, but they corrupted Korach and were the source of his downfall.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Sunday Night Suds - Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Boulevard Brewery's Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale.

I must admit, that a year ago I had never heard of the "Farmhouse" style of beer. But after having tried three different versions over the last six months (Blue Moon's Short Straw Farmhouse Ale, reviewed here - kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2013/06/sunday-night-suds-blue-moon-short-straw.html and Shiner's FM 966 Farmhouse Ale, reviewed here - kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2013/05/sunday-night-suds-shiner-fm-966.html), the style is starting to grow on me.

I shared the Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale with Mrs KB and a few friends who joined us for Shabbos lunch. The beer had been in the 'fridge for about 36 hours, so it was the right temperature for serving and drinking. The beer poured a pale orange, somewhat lighter than I was expecting. There was about an inch of foam in the glass which did not dissipate quickly. As I brought the glass to my lips, I was struck by the cloves/phenol and I expected a witbier type flavor profile. But as I consumed more of the beer, I realized that it was a bit sweeter than a witbier and I began to appreciate the complexity of the flavor. Towards the end, I even began to detect grapefruit and hop bite, but again it was somewhat subdued.

The only true bite to this beer is the price. It can be found in 22 oz bottles for around $5 a piece or in four packs of 12 oz bottles which run anywhere from $10-12 a pack. I only purchased one as part of a mix four pack that I picked up in Massachusetts. Yes, just like all the other Boulevard products, this beer is not yet available in New York. Maybe now that it has been bought by the parent company of Ommegang they may start importing it into NY. Stay tuned.

Boulevard Brewery Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Kansas City, but the bottle I purchased did not have the certification mark on the label. If you would like the LOC from the Va'ad, please let me know and I will email it to you.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about this brew, please follow this link -beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/50570.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. 

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable). 

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayeitzei

The following is a brief summary of two of the three thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

Rabbi Frand's first vort on the parsha took a different look at the story of the stones which served as Yaakov's pillow when he dreamed about the angels ascending and descending the ladder. The Torah states in Bereishis 28:18-19, that Yaakov took the rock and made it a matzeivah in the city of Luz. The Ramban states that Yaakov did not actually place the rock as a matzeivah where he slept, instead Yaakov took the rock to Luz and set it up there.

R' Frand asked - why did he have to take the rock with him to Luz? It was a big rock! Couldn't he just have made a matzeivah in Luz with the rocks that were there? 

R' Frand answered that we see a truism from the story. If a person puts off doing something, he might not actually do it. Yaakov knew that people may become inspired, but the inspiration sometimes wears off before they get a chance to act. Therefore, Yaakov took the rock with him to Luz so that he would be able to follow through with his desire to make a matzeivah.

An additional vort that R' Frand said on the parsha dealt with a story at the end of Vayeitzei. After Yaakov leaves Lavan's house, Lavan chases after and catches up to Yaakov. Once he reaches Yaakov, he asks - why have you stolen my idols. Yaakov allows Lavan to search his tents and then when Lavan is done, Yaakov explodes in anger at Lavan (Bereishis 31:36-43). 

R' Frand asked - why did Yaakov choose this moment to get mad at Lavan? After all, Lavan had tricked and frustrated him in much more significant ways over the course of twenty years. Lavan switched Leah and Rachel. Lavan played games with Yaakov's compensation while Yaakov worked for Lavan as a shepherd. So why did Yaakov choose this moment to finally vent at his father in law?

R' Frand answered by quoting R' Yosef Salant who explained in the sefer Be'er Yosef that the context had changed. Until this point, the problems between Yaakov and Lavan were personal. When Lavan switched the brides, it was just between them. When Lavan played games with compensation, it was also only between them. 

But now, Lavan has chased down Yaakov with a posse full of people. When Lavan accuses Yaakov of theft in front of all the people, Yaakov explodes and says - go ahead and look. After Lavan does not find what he is looking for, Yaakov lets loose with a recitation of all that Lavan has done wrong to him. This occurs because Lavan has crossed a red line by publicly accusing Yaakov of dishonesty. This is too much for Yaakov to quietly tolerate, so he finally explodes at Lavan.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Pumpkick


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium's Pumpkick.

I picked this beer up at Binny's in Skokie where they let me add it to a mixed six pack. Although there have been rumors that New Belgium will begin to manufacture on the East Coast, this quality brewer from Fort Collins, Colorado still found mostly in the Midwest. So until such time as New Belgium begins to market its products in New York, I will try to snag some of these whenever I see them.

The New Belgium Pumpkick is a very different kind of pumpkin ale. While many pumpkin ales are made with cinnamon, nutmeg or other similar spices, this beer adds a flavor dimension through an infusion of cranberry juice. The result is a beer that has the full sweet earthiness of pumpkin and a little bit of tang from the cranberry juice.

I enjoyed this beer at Shabbos lunch with corned beef. Predictably, the Pumpkick was a good match for the sweet and tangy corned beef. I shared this with Mrs KB and a friend who said that he does not generally like pumpkin beer. Maybe it was Mrs KB's cooking or maybe it was just the superior quality of New Belgium brews, but our friend now has a pumpkin beer which he does like.

New Belgium Pumpkick under the Kosher Supervision of the Scroll-K of Colorado. Although the beer does not bear the kosher symbol on the label, I have verified its kashruth with the Scroll-K and it is listed on the LOC. Please note that not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision. For a list of the New Belgium brews currently under supervision, please click on the link on the left side of my home page for my latest Kosher Beer List.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Pumpkick, please follow this link beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/97291. As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!