First ‘kosher’ certified Belgian whisky for Jewish communities around the world

Gouden Carolus Single Malt is the first Belgian whisky certified as ‘kosher’. To achieve this, Het Anker brewery spent several months preparing together with the strictly orthodox Jewish rabbinate in Antwerp and the whisky and wine distributor CEDEV, which is also based in Antwerp.

Members of the Jewish religious community consume exclusively kosher food and drink. Only products prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws (kashrut) and checked by rabbis are granted this certificate. These products are marked with a so-called ‘URS’ sticker (Under Rabbinical Supervision), found on each bottle.

Whisky distributor CEDEV had been seeking a Belgian whisky suitable for making a kosher version for some time. CEDEV CEO Moshe Cik says: “During our search for a kosher whisky from Belgium, we came into contact with the people from De Molenberg Distillery and their single malt whisky. We were immediately struck by this project and the way the whisky is distilled here. After an in-depth examination of the ingredients and the production methods used and various inspections carried out by the Rabbi, we were convinced that this was the right choice for us.”

Fifth-generation owner Charles Leclef is delighted with this first: “When we began distilling whisky in Blaasveld in 2010, I decided that this would be done consistently and properly: we start with pure barley mash which is then carefully distilled in copper pot stills and matured in a selection of our oak barrels. This production process has now been examined and inspected step by step by the Rabbi and his colleagues. I see the fact that our whisky has been declared kosher as confirmation of its quality and purity. A new group of consumers can now discover our whisky.”

Gouden Carolus Single Malt was bottled under the watchful eye of the Rabbi and one of his inspectors-colleagues for the first time on 13 February 2017. CEDEV, which has been appointed exclusive distributor by Het Anker, supplies these bottles to Jewish stores in Belgium and in London. Later on this year, this kosher whisky will also be exported to the Jewish communities in the United States, France and Israel.