Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium's Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza.

This "beer" was included in the New Belgium Folly mix can pack which includes the Citradelic Tangerine IPA (reviewed here  http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2016/05/new-belgium-citradelic-tangerine-ipa.html), Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze (reviewed here https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2018/02/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html ) and new brews Passion Fruit Kolsch and the Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza.

The Mural Agua Fresca is classified as fruit/vegetable beer, but with all of the added fruit essences this is really more fruit than beer. The can indicates that the beer is brewed with watermelon, lime, agave and hibiscus and without the Scroll K logo on the bottom of the mix pack, I would never have thought this would be a kosher beer.

The New Belgium website indicates that this beer is:

Produced in partnership with Primus Cerveceria (@primuscervecera), a leading Mexican craft brewery based in Mexico City founded by three cousins, Rodolfo, Jaime, and Rebeca. Mural is our joint homage to the classic agua fresca that also pushes the boundaries of what a beer can be. 

In Mexico, the agua fresca is everywhere.  They're usually found in street food markets and feature a blend of seasonal fruits. Our cerveza takes inspiration from agua frescas and features hibiscus, agave, watermelon, and lime for a fresh, vibrant sip.  

The New Belgium Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza is 4% abv and while there is some alcohol taste, its really more watermelon and lime than anything else. But this beer is no shandy and the slight beer backbone to this brew is not dissonant. The beer poured a dark pink/red, almost like a strawberry soda would look, but the carbonation is light.

This beer is also sold in six and twelve packs, but I would not recommend buying that many unless you know you will like this beer. Instead, go with the Folly Pack and if you like it, then take the plunge.

The New Belgium Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza is under kosher supervision by the Scroll-K/Va'ad of Denver, and their symbol is on the bottom of the six pack holder. However, not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision, so look for the Scroll K on the six pack holder or box when considering purchasing any NBB product.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza, click here https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/335648/.

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's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shelach

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.

The first vort said by R' Frand tonight focused on Rashi's linking of the story of the Meraglim and the sin or Miriam. Rashi posits that the Meraglim were being taught a lesson - since you did not learn Miriam being punished for speaking loshon hara about Moshe, you and the Jews will be punished for your speaking loshon hara about the land of Israel.

Many meforshim have commented on this Rashi and its attempted paralleling of loshon hara about a person with evil speech about land, which is just trees and rocks. 

R' Frand first quoted the Sfas Emes, who cites to a Ramabm at the end of Hilchos Tum'as Tzara'as. He observes that Miriam was Moshe's older sister and she had raised him and protected him, even when it meant her life was in danger. Miriam was not speaking evil about Moshe to damage him and he certainly would have forgiven her. In fact, in the middle of the story, the Torah remarks that Moshe was a great Anav - a statement which was more of an epitaph than a comment in the middle of a story. The Rambam explains that it is found in the middle of the story because Moshe would not have cared that this was being said. The Sfas Emes ties that into the Meraglim - they did not learn from Miriam having being punished for speaking about Moshe who was like rocks and trees. Now they would be punished for actually speaking about those items.

R' Frand also quoted the Yeraim which states that the same way that evil speech is banned when it involves a person, it also is banned when it is about his work. If a person says - the meat from that butcher is like shoe leather, its not really a reflection on the meat - its a statement about the person. In this case, the Meraglim said loshon hara about Eretz Yisrael, but that was a reflection on Hashem who was giving this land to the Jewish people. The Meraglim did not learn from the fact that Miriam was punished for speaking about Hashem's chosen leader for the Jewish people, certainly they would be punished for speaking about the land that Hashem was giving to the Jews and by speaking loshon hara about the land, they were reflecting on Hashem.

R' Frand also quoted R' Weinberger who observed that loshon hara is problematic because its reflective of one's views about something. He quoted a discussion in the Sha'arei Teshuva about two people who walked past a dead animal. One person said -how disgusting is this dead animal. The other person said - how white is this animal's teeth.

R' Frand also quoted a story from R' Levi Yitzchak M'Berditchev - he saw a man wearing tefillin while oiling his wagon wheels. A passerby said - look how awful, he's oiling the wheels while wearing tefillin. But R' Levi said - look how great, even when he is oiling the wheels, he still wears his tefillin.

R' Frand linked this thought on perspective to why the Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years, corresponding to the 40 days of the Meraglim's trip. But they only said loshon hara on one day? The answer is that they spent the entire 40 days thinking and observing evil about the land of Israel. This 40 days of evil thought caused 40 years of punishment.

R' Frand said a final vort where he asked - why was the punishment more severe for the Meraglim than the Egel? The Egel was Avodah Zara and in contrast, the Jews had regret and prayed for forgiveness for the sin of the Meraglim! 

R' Frand quoted the Ralbag on the Torah who states that the teshuva could not help because this was a missed opportunity and while teshuva can expiate a sin, it cannot solve or fix a missed opportunity. They felt regret and sought forgiveness, but the window had closed and they could not enter Israel at this juncture. This is also why the Ma'pilim were punished for trying to enter the land - their intentions were good, but this was not the time.

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Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Golden Irish Lager

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Golden Irish Lager.

After reviewing the Shilling Ale last week (to see the review please click here - https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2019/06/sunday-night-suds-saranac-shilling-ale.html), I chose the other new beer from this past winter's Irish Roots mix box for this week's beer review. (To see the reviews of the old favorites Black & Tan and Irish Red, click on their respective links - https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2010/06/sunday-night-suds-saranac-black-tan.html and https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/02/sunday-night-suds-saranac-irish-red.html.

The Golden Irish Lager is European Pale Lager which means that it is intended to be somewhat like a macrolager in the style of Heineken. The Golden Irish Lager poured a straw yellow and had decent carbonation and lacing and was fairly clear in my pint glass.

The beer had a strong malty flavor which was not surprising and did not have any discernible hop bite. The bottle label indicated that this beer is 5.30% abv and although it did not taste like a light beer, I was surprised by that number. Much like the Shilling Ale, this beer is not obtrusive and worth a shot if you can find a single or a box on the end of season sale (these were brewed in December and their expiration dates are the end of June).

Saranac Golden Irish Lager 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 brews some varieties off site, so check the cans/bottles for kosher certification from the Va'ad of Detroit.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the brew, please follow this link https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/391635.

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).

Lastly, 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's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Beha'alosecha

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 Bamidbar 9:1-15 the Torah discusses the laws of and the story involving Pesach Sheni. The first pasuk of the perek tells us that this topic arose in the first month of the second year after the Jews left Egypt. However, Sefer Bamidbar begins in the second month of the second year, thus later than this story.

Rashi comments on this phenomenon and states that this is an example of the rule of Ein Mukdam U'M'uchar BaTorah - there is no later or earlier in the Torah. He further explains that the reason that the stories appear "out of order" is that the Pesach Sheni was the one and only time that the Jews offered the Korban Pesach in the desert and it was an embarrassment for them. As such, Hashem did not want to begin Sefer Bamidbar with this story.

R' Frand then asked, why was this so significant that it warranted being moved back in the sefer? The failure to offer the Korban Pesach was due to many of the Jews being incapable of undergoing bris millah due to the travel and conditions in the desert. This was not a voluntary neglect of a mitzva.

R' Frand answered the question by quoting the Shalal Rav who cited a vort and story involving R' Chaim Shmulevitz. When Yosef was sold down to Egypt, he was transported via a caravan of Ishmaelites who were carrying spices. This was atypical as they usually transported oils, but Hashem looked out for Yosef and arranged that his transport had pleasant smelling spices. 

But why would that make a difference to Yosef? He was at his nadir, having been sold down to Egypt by his brothers. Why would he care if the truck smelled like oil or spices? 

R' Chaim answered that it probably would not have made a difference to Yosef, but Hashem wanted to show Yosef that even though Yosef was being sold to Egypt as part of His plan, Hashem still cared about Yosef and wanted him to be comfortable on the journey.

Similarly, although the Jews did not offer the Korban Pesach after year 2, Hashem did not want this story to be front and center in the beginning of Sefer Bamidbar. The rationale for not offering the Korban Pesach could not be changed, but Hashem wanted to show the Jews that He cares about their feelings and moved the story to later in the Sefer.

R' Frand closed the vort by quoting R' Bukspan who told a story about R' Twerski. When he was young and living in Milwaukee, his home was the place where mishulachim stayed when they were in town. One year there was a meshulach who stayed with them for Rosh Hashanah. In the afternoon, R' Twerski's father called him in and asked - were you playing chess? Yes, the boy replied. But its Rosh Hashanah! The boy said - the Meshulach told me it was OK. R' Twerski's father showed his displeasure, but after a moment he asked - did you get checkmate? Yes, the boy replied. His father replied - good. Because even though the father needed to rebuke him for playing chess on Rosh Hashanah, he also needed to show that he cared.

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 Night Suds - Saranac Shilling Ale

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Shilling Ale.

The Saranac Shilling Ale was introduced in this past winter's Irish Roots mix box, which included three of each of the following: old friends Black & Tan (reviewed here https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2010/06/sunday-night-suds-saranac-black-tan.html), Irish Red (reviewed here https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/02/sunday-night-suds-saranac-irish-red.html) as well as new beers Irish Lager and the Shilling Ale reviewed this week.

The Shilling Ale is a Scottish Ale (as opposed to a Scotch Ale) which the gurus at BA explain:

Scottish-Style Ales vary depending on strength and flavor, but in general retain a malt-forward character with some degree of caramel-like malt flavors and a soft and chewy mouthfeel. Some examples feature a light smoked peat flavor. Hops do not play a huge role in this style. The numbers commonly associated with brands of this style (60/70/80 and others) reflect the Scottish tradition of listing the cost, in shillings, of a hogshead (large cask) of beer. Overly smoked versions would be considered specialty examples. Smoke or peat should be restrained.

The Shilling Ale was certainly malty, much more than I would have expected in an Ale. According to the bottle, the Shilling Ale is 5.60% abv, although it did not have any heavy alcohol flavor. When I poured the beer, the foam instantly filled the glass, but the carbonation was also a drop more subdued than I am used to from a Saranac beer. Overall, the beer is not obtrusive and worth a shot if you can find a single or a box on the end of season sale (these were brewed in December and their expiration dates are the end of June).

Saranac Schilling Ale 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 brews some varieties off site, so check the cans/bottles for kosher certification from the Va'ad of Detroit.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the brew, please follow this link https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/391171.

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).

Lastly, 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's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Nasso

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 Bamidbar 7:15 the Torah states "פַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה". Rashi notes that each of the animals corresponds to a middah of one of the Avos. Avraham ran to the cattle to provide for his guests. Yitzchak was to be offered on the Akeidah but the אַ֧יִל took his place. Ya'akov worked with his father in law's sheep and he is symbolized by the כֶּֽבֶשׂ. 

R' Frand parenthetically noted that according to the Ba'al HaTurim the gematria of the three animal types is the same numerical value as the gematria of Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'akov.

R' Frand then expanded on the middos by noting that Avraham lived chessed and that Yitzchak lived as mesiras nefehs, but what was it about Ya'akov that identifies with the sheep? He answered by quoting R' Elya Boruch Finkel who first made reference to a Rambam in Hilchos Sechirus (13:7)  which states that the same way a boss must be honest with his worker, the worker must wholeheartedly devote himself to work. The Rambam ties this into Ya'akov whom he calls Ya'akov HaTzaddik. 

R' Frand stated that he did a search on the Rambam through his computer program and that the only two biblical figures that the Rambam calls Tzaddik are Ya'akov and Yosef (who is given that title in Hilchos Yisodei HaTorah in connection with his separating from sin). Ya'akov earns his stripes for being totally honest in his dealings with his father in law's sheep, to the point that in Parshas Vayeitzei when he is readying to leave, he tells his wives (31:6) "וְאַתֵּ֖נָה יְדַעְתֶּ֑ן כִּ֚י בְּכָל־כֹּחִ֔י עָבַ֖דְתִּי אֶת־אֲבִיכֶֽן" - you know that I worked with all my strength for your father.

R' Frand closed the vort by reinterpreting the question asked when a person is judged after 120 - Nassata v'Nassata B'emuna - which is usually explained as were you honest in business? However he explained it based on the principle that one who steals lacks faith that Hashem has decided his finances for the year. Thus the person is asked - did you do business with faith that Hashem would take care of your finances? This is why Ya'akov was associated with sheep - his being honest in giving his all for his employer as a further example of his middah of honesty.

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's Thoughts on Ruth

R' Frand spoke this evening on Shavuous and delivered some vorts on Megillas Rus. The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts that he said on the Megillah. 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 Megillas Rus there is the classic discussion between Rus and Na'ami wherein Rus expresses her interest in converting and Na'ami attempts to dissuade her. Before reaching the meat of his first vort, R' Frand said a quick thought from R' Neventzal about this discussion. He explained that the conversation was not about trying to convince Rus not to convert, but was instead Rus' attempt to fix the errors of her ancestors.

R' Neventzal gave a few examples of this concept - when Rus said in 1:16, "where you will go, I will go" - it was an atonement for Lot separating from Avraham in Bereishis 13. Similarly, when Rus said in the same pasuk "I will sleep where you will sleep" it was to atone for Lot and his act with his daughters in Bereishis 19:31-38. 

This concept was not only linked to Lot as he noted that when Rus said later in 1:16, "your nation is my nation" she was atoning for Balak stating in Bamidbar 22:5 "see this nation that left Egypt." And when she said in the end of the pasuk - your G-d is my G-d, it was to atone for the women of Moav in Bamidbar 25:2 who called to the Jews to worship the Moabite idols.

However the main focus of this vort was a jumping off point for discussion by the Kli Chemdah about why people who are converting and are being taught about Shabbos are told the rules of Techum. R' Frand asked - if you were to give the meat and potatoes rules of Shabbos you would think of cooking or other significant melachos, so why is the law of boundaries taught?

In answering the question, R' Frand first quoted the famous Medrash that Hashem went to every nation and offered them the Torah, before going to the Jews. Each nation asked what is in the Torah and were told about rules which convinced them not to accept the Torah, such as don't steal, or don't kill, or dont commit adultery. 

The Shem M'Shmuel asks - why were the Jews not given some reason to reject the Torah? The answer according to the Avnei Nezer and R' Weinberg is that the Jews did not ask what was in the Torah and simply said Na'aseh V' Nishma. 

However, the Kli Chemdah said a different answer based on the Chidushei Harim that Hashem did tell the Jews something they did not want to hear - that there are boundaries and limits which need to be obeyed. While a Jew constantly wants to grow, there are times that he can't move beyond his role as a Levi cannot do the Avodah in the Beis HaMikdash, Similarly, the Jews were told at Har Sinai - don't go up on the mountain. 

As such, the discussion with the prospective convert about boundaries is not a watered down version of Shabbos rules, it is an instruction on the nature of our relationship with Hashem.

R' Frand also said an interesting vort on the pasuk in Rus 3:1 where Na'ami tells Rus that she will find for her "manoach" which is commonly translated as "rest." R' Frand noted that for most women, being without a husband leaves them feeling on edge and that they have no menucha without a shidduch.

R' Frand then said a novel vort from R' Elya Baruch Finkel which was based on a Gemara in Bava Basra which states that Boaz had 30 sons and daughters before he met Rus and he made 120 wedding feasts, but he did not invite Manoach to any of them. Why? One answer is that Manoach had no children and there would be no potential quid pro quo. But that's hard to believe when you are dealing with a Shofet. So he gave another explanation that Manoach was not invited so that he would not feel bad about being unable to invite Boaz back. But even for good reasons, this was a slight to Manoach and as a result all of Boaz's children died. As such, Na'ami said - I will find you Manoach so that your children don't predecease you!

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Sunday Night Suds - Shapiro Oatmeal Stout

In honor of the Israel Day Parade in which two of my children marched and Yom Yerushalaim, this week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Shapiro Oatmeal Stout.

This is another of the beers that I picked up in January on Agrippas Street outside of Shuk Machane Yehuda where I mixed a four pack of non IPAs and Pale Ales. The brand has a label with a lion (Jerusalem symbol) and they bill themselves as Jerusalem Beer on their website http://en.shapirobeer.co.il/OurBeer

This beer poured a satisfying dark brown with some tan foam, although it was not overwhelming. The carbonation was slight, but when you are drinking a stout the carbonation (or lack thereof) is not all that important. This beer was rich and dark and a bit chalky and everything I look for in an Oatmeal Stout. At 5.2% abv the beer is slightly low on the alcohol scale, but it did not lack for body or taste.

The Shapiro Oatmeal Stout is under the Rabbanut of Bet Shemesh and there is a hashgacha on the back of the bottle. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the Shapiro Oatmeal Stout (yes, it is reviewed on BA), click here https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/36568/142328.

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