Sunday, February 28, 2016

Sunday Night Suds - Lakefront Brewery Growing Power Farmhouse Style Organic Pale Ale


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Lakefront Brewery's Growing Power Farmhouse Style Organic Pale Ale.

To answer the question I am sure you are dying to ask, no I don't know why Lakefront Brewery gave this beer the mouthful odd name "Growing Power Farmhouse Style Organic Pale". Although the beer claims to be "certified organic" it is not in any way shape or form an American Pale Ale, nor does the brewery give you and information as to how this beer is produced using any form of recycled material or renewable energy source.

So now that I got my brief rant out of the way, lets talk about the beer itself. The beer has some phenols and clove flavors which are not characteristic of an American Pale Ale. There are some hops (think more spicy and less citrusy) but it is not the clean taste you would expect from an American Pale Ale. In fact, the beer itself is more like a cross between a hefeweizen and an IPA  then any APA I have ever tasted. Having said that, the beer is quite drinkable and has a slightly elevated abv (6.75% abv) which gives a slightly barley wineish alcohol flavor which actually works well with the spice in the hops and the phenols/cloves.

I would recommend this beer with heavily dressed salads or other light fare with spices of their own. I do not see this as a cholent or bbq beer as the flavors in this brew would not stand up to more bold smoked meaty character dishes.

Lakefront Brewery's Growing Power Farmhouse Style Organic Pale Ale is under the kosher supervision of the Star-K (there is even a Star-K on the label). For the experts' take on the brew, please click here http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/172231.

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, February 25, 2016

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas KiSissa

The following is a brief summary of some of 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.

R' Frand started the parsha vort by quoting the beginning of the parsha in which Hashem says to Moshe in Shemos (30:13) "Zeh Yitnu" - this you shall give. 

Rashi explains that Hashem showed Moshe an image of a fiery coin so as to demonstrate what should be used for the mitzva. The mefarshim explain that Moshe had been "confused" as to what should be used as the coin, so Hashem showed him the way the mitzva should be performed.

R' Frand observed that this was not the first time that Moshe was confused about a mitzva, as Moshe had needed a visual aid to understand the intricacies of the Menorah with all of its component parts.

Similarly, Moshe was confused about the laws of the sheratzim - the "creepy crawlies" [my words not R' Frand's] which could impart tumah to a person. As such, Hashem needed to show him examples.

But the obvious question is - these other items had some level of intricacy or inherent level of confusion, but why would Moshe not understand the concept of a coin being used to donate for Bedek HaBayis? 

R' Frand answered by quoting R' Zalman Sorotskin in Aznaim L'Torah who explains that Moshe's question was - how can money be a "Kapparah" -- an atonement? Hashem answered Moshe by showing him a fiery coin and not a silver or copper coin. The symbolism of the fire was meant to teach that fire can potentially be used positively and negatively. Fire can heat the home or be a source to cook on, but it can also burn. Hashem showed Moshe the fiery coin to teach him that money can be used for negative and positive purposes --it can be a needed source to support the Avodah and Bedek HaBayis, or C'Vs it could be used for negative purposes.

R' Frand also quoted R' Sorotskin in connection with the Torah's statement in Shemos (30:15) that a rich person should not give more and a poor person should not give less than the half shekel which was given to atone. It is understandable that a poor person who gives his half shekel is atoning, as it is a sacrifice to give from his meager funds. But why is it a Kapparah for the rich man?

R' Sorotskin answers that the Kapparah for the rich man is that he must stand with and be associated with the poor man. Although the rich man might find this difficult, his association with the poor man serves as an atonement for his deeds.

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, February 21, 2016

Sunday Night Suds - Coney Island Overpass IPA


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Coney Island Brewery's Overpass IPA

[No the elephant on the label is not a political statement].

At one time Coney Island Brewery was a division of Shmaltz Brewing, but in 2013 it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company. Since being acquired there had been no kosher news as to transitioning to Star-K (the Shmaltz products were previously under the KSA) until the Coney Island products showed up on the November LOC for Boston Beer. 

I had never tried any of the Coney Island products prior to the brewery/line being acquired by Boston Beer, so I did not have a frame of reference when I tried the Overpass IPA. Since the beer is now being brewed in a different state (Ohio vs NY) there would be a difference regardless, but again, I would not know.

The Overpass IPA had a fair amount of floral hops which hits on the very first sip. Additional sips revealed some citrus, although the grapefruit I was expecting was a little subdued. Still, the hop presence was stronger than a session beer and I would expect that this would go well with char grilled chicken or other light bbq fare.

As discussed above, the Coney Island Overpass IPA is certified kosher by the Star-K, although not every beer brewed by Coney Island is currently on the LOC. To view and download the LOC for Boston Beer which includes Coney Island (as well as last week's Angry Orchard) click here https://express.star-k.org/viewer/LOCViewer.aspx?PEFQZ4N3.

To see what the experts at BA think about this brew, click here http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27114/162961 (keep in mind, many of these reviews are from the old formulation - my beer had a best before date of May 2016).

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, February 18, 2016

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Tezaveh

The following is a brief summary of some of 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.

In Shemos (28:12) the Torah discusses the engraving the names of the Jewish tribes on the Avnei Shoham which were on the shoulders of the Kohain Gadol. This was in addition to the Avnei Milu'im which he wore on his chest.

The Ramban notes that the stones in the Avnei Milu'im could not be engraved with the names of the tribes because they needed to be malei - full. However the Avnei Shoham did have the etchings. 

R Frand commented that should you ask how the names of the Jews were written on the Avnei Mil'uim - the answer is that the names were etched in by the Shamir [which the Daf Yomi will learn about next week,iyh].

But why was there a need for the Avnei Shoham as they seemed to be duplicative of the Avnei Milu'im?

R' Frand answered by quoting the sefer Abir Ya'akov who explained that the Kohain Gadol's job is to empathize. The Kohain Gadol (like R' Frand's job as a Rebbi) may not be able to solve every problem, but he can listen and offer a shoulder to cry on. But sometimes, the Kohain Gadol was able to help the person with a particular need.

R' Frand explained that the Avnei Mil'uim were on the Kohain Gadol's heart. These needed to be full, because the Kohain Gadol could not do anything for these people, but he needed to be there for them, even it was just to be a lev l'shmoah.

In contrast, the Avnei Shoham were on the Kohain Gadol's shoulders because he was able to shoulder the burden and help those people. These names were actually engraved because there was a deeper way that he could help them out.

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, February 14, 2016

Sunday Night Suds - Saranac S'More Porter


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac S'More Porter.

Readers may recall that last week I reviewed a Hard Apple Cider which I admitted was not truly "suds" within the meaning of beer. Well, this week I reviewed a brew which indicates that it is a Porter but did not taste anything like beer.

As noted by the gurus at Beer Advocate, an American Porter
Inspired from the now wavering English Porter, the American Porter is the ingenuous creation from that. Thankfully with lots of innovation and originality American brewers have taken this style to a new level. Whether it is highly hopping the brew, using smoked malts, or adding coffee or chocolate to complement the burnt flavor associated with this style. Some are even barrel aged in Bourbon or whiskey barrels. The hop bitterness range is quite wide but most are balanced. Many are just easy drinking session porters as well.
The Saranac S'More Porter has taken the additions to the traditional English Porter to a completely different level. The beer is brewed with a complex assortment of caramel, biscuit, brown, and roasted malts but then they age the beer with chocolate and vanilla. The resulting brew actually has a strong resemblance to a S'More as the foam has a graham cracker sweetness. I had thought that when I got down to dark brown liquid (which bore the resemblance to a traditional porter) it would taste like a Guiness, but it almost tasted like chocolate milk.

Saranac S'More Porter 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 brew, please follow this link www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/206755.

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, February 11, 2016

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Terumah

The following is a brief summary of some of 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.

R' Frand began the vort by noting that Parshas Terumah was one of the most successful fund raisers as the Jews donated all that was needed to make the Mishkan. This included precious metals such as gold and silver as well as animal skins. 

R' Frand then quoted the beginning of next week's parsha (Tezaveh) that Moshe was commanded (Tzav) to tell the Jews to take olive oil. Rashi on Parshas Tzav explains that the language Tzav is a command or a direction that something must be done with enthusiasm.

R' Frand then asked - in this week's parsha the Jews donated gold and silver and next week's parsha only olive oil. If anything, the Jews would need more encouragement to give gold and silver, not olive oil. So why does next week's parsha have the language of Tzav?

R' Frand answered the question by quoting the sefer Abir Ya'akov which opines about human nature. A person could come to your door and ask for a major donation - $1,000 and you might give it. But if the following week ten people come to your door over the day and each ask for $100, which day is more difficult? R' Frand quoted the Rambam in his explanation of Pikei Avos that if a person does something over and over again, it will have a greater impact on him personally than a one time activity. If a person wants to change his middos, he needs to repeat and repeat so that it will become ingrained. 

The concept of donating for the creation of the Mishkan was a one time activity and was accompanied by much fanfare. But the giving of the olive oil was a constant as the Mishkan literally burned through oil and there was a constant need for donations. For this reason, the Torah needed to use the language of Tzav in next week's parsha.

R' Frand also said a second vort on Terumah in which he quoted a Medrash which ties the parsha to the pasuk Ki Lekach Tov Nasati Lachem Torasi Al Ta'azovu - Torah is a great purchase and it should never be abandoned. If a person has Torah they have gold and silver, whereas in this world he could only have gold or he could only have silver. But if a person has gold, why do they have a need for silver?

R' Frand answered by quoting R' Chaim who linked this to the Hagaddah. In the Hagaddah we preface the discussion of the four sons with the statement "Boruch HaMakom Boruch Hu, Boruch Shenasan Torah L'Amo Yisrael." But why does the Hagaddah give this as an introduction? 

R' Frand observed that in most disciplines a six year old and a seasoned professional do not study the same topic. Algebra is fine for 9th graders, but you would not study algebra with a college professor at MIT. But unlike math, every Jewish household will study Parshas Terumah. The children will come home from school and talk about the Mishkan, as will every Rav from the pulpit. Similarly, a 5th grader could study mishnayos Alu Metziyos or a Gadol could give shiur on the same mishna. 

This is why Torah is compared with both gold and silver. Torah is gold and can be studied on the deepest of levels, but it can also be studied and appreciated by someone on a simpler level - to him it is basic silver, but he can still appreciate it.

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, February 8, 2016

Monday's Musings on Sports - The Most Polarizing Event aka Superbowl 50

I can't say that I remember every single Superbowl (I was not born until after SB IV and have no recollection of any SB before SB XII), but I can't recall any Superbowl which has created as much dissension as this year's game. And it was all focused on the QBs.

For many football fans, the last fifteen years has been about two QBs, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. While Brady led his team to six Superbowls (winning four), Peyton has had the better statistical record, albeit only leading his team to three Superbowls (before this year's) and having won a single title game. Since Peyton had won one Superbowl he was not doomed to the Dan Marino school of never having won the big game, but he also was not in the elite category of being a multiple Superbowl winner.

On the other side was first time Superbowl QB Cam Newton. Whereas Peyton was a classic pocket QB, Newton won games with his legs as well as his arm. But there was another, equally important difference. While Peyton was at times demonstrative, Cam was one big ball of emotions who often celebrated his successes with "the dab" and pretended to reveal himself as Superman.

Everyone that I spoke with before the game had an opinion and they were all linked to the QB. Although Denver had a dominant defense (as Cam learned in the game), Carolina's "D" was equally formidable and had shredded Arizona's vaunted offense in the NFC Championship game. But almost no one was talking about the defenses, as the conversations were all about the QBs. Either you rooted for Peyton to win one last Superbowl and ride off into the sunset, or you were hoping the freak athlete could bring Carolina its first Superbowl title.

In fairness, there was at least one person who I spoke with who had a different reason to root for Carolina. As he explained it to me, since he was a NY Giant fan, he wanted Eli to be able to hold over Peyton "at Thanksgiving Dinner" that Eli had two SB victories and Peyton only one. He actually came off prescient as the TVs caught Eli looking unhappy when the Broncos sealed the game. (For a great article on Eli's reaction and explanation - click here http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/why-the-face--eli-manning-explains-his-non-reaction-at-super-bowl-151651230.html;_ylt=AwrBT7rlurpWxloA9SVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyM2JkazFoBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQTAxOThfMQRzZWMDc2M-).

But there were also people who had a darker reason to root for Peyton. These were people who disliked Cam's "Superman" antics. People who would invoke the maxim "act like you've been here before" in describing Cam's celebratory activities.

In the end, the Broncos "D" suffocated Cam and caused him to turn the football over many times, including two deadly fumbles. On the last fumble, it simply looked like Cam had given up and he made no effort to recover the ball, even though his team was only down by less than a touchdown at the time.

Whether or not you agree with those who feel that Cam needed to shelve his emotions in order to be a good leader, there is what to be said for acting in a professional manner, whether your team is winning or losing. By acting defeated and not making any attempt to recover the ball, Cam showed that he is not ready to lead a team to a championship. But there's always next year.

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Sunday, February 7, 2016

Sunday Night Suds - Angry Orchard Green Apple Cider



This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Angry Orchard Green Apple Hard Cider.

Angry Orchard is a division of the Boston Beer Company (aka Samuel Adams) which has been occasionally under the kosher supervision of the Star-K over the last few years. Although the company had not been certified kosher over the last few years, recently it regained kosher certification and now has four varieties which are under the Star-K - Old Fashioned, Green Apple, Honey Apple and Knotty Pear.

Although a hard cider is not technically a Suds, there are certain advantages to a hard cider like Angry Orchard as it is gluten free and can be served to Shabbos guests who have celiac or other problems digesting grain products.

The Angry Orchard Green Apple Hard Cider has a tartness and a bit of a bite which does not come from the alcohol. Although I would not recommend this as a beer replacement or with a meal, there are times a person might want something a little sweet with a kick and this seems to have less sugar content than the various kosher hard sodas.

As discussed above, the Angry Orchard Green Apple Hard Cider is certified kosher by the Star-K. To view and download the LOC for Angry Orchard click here https://express.star-k.org/viewer/LOCViewer.aspx?PEFQZ4N3.

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, February 4, 2016

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mishpatim

The following is a brief summary of some of 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.

R' Frand began this week's parsha vort by making reference to the rules of Eved Ivri - the Jewish born slave. The Torah teaches that the Eved Ivri can be provided by his master with a Shifcha Canaanis who he may live with. However at the end of his tenure as a slave, the Shifcha and any resulting children stay with the master.

The Gemara in Kiddushin instructs that in regards to personal luxuries, the Eved Ivri must be treated identical to his master. If the master is eating meat for dinner, the Eved must be given the same food. If the master sleeps on a soft mattress, the Eved cannot be given a straw bed and he must be allowed the same kind of mattress as his master. Similar rules apply to the bread and wine consumed. In each instance, the Eved must be given an equal level of luxury as his master.

The Tosasfos on the daf in Kiddushin takes this one step further in discussing the rules of pillows. If there is only one pillow in the house, it must be given to the slave. It would not be right if the master had a pillow and the slave did not, so the pillow must go to the slave. Why? Because the slave has a feeling of inferiority which will only be reinforced if he sees the master receiving luxuries which he himself does not enjoy.

R' Frand then asked - if the purpose of giving these things to the Eved is to place on him on equal footing with the master, why does the Eved have to forfeit the Shifcha and children when he goes free?

R' Frand quoted R' Matisyahu Solomon who explained that the concept of Eved Ivri exists in order to rehabilitate the slave. This man became an Eved Ivri because he stole from someone and could not pay back what he stole. The thief did not think about how a person has an attachment to his possessions and that the act of stealing the items broke the personal connection between the victim and his heirlooms. In order to teach him not to steal in the future, we show him what it feels like to forfeit something for which he has a strong personal connection - the Shifcha and children. When he protests that he has a connection with them, we remind the Eved that his victims had a personal connection too. Should the Eved decide that he wants to stay for an additional period, he must go to the door post to have a peg drilled through his ear - because he forgot that he once had heard in the Ten Commandments - do not steal.

R' Frand closed the vort by asking - why do we wait until the end of the period of slavery in order to teach this lesson? He answered that the concept of slavery is meant to teach the Eved a lesson as to respecting other's property. But if he does not learn the lesson, then we drill his ear.

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