# Jewish Dietary Law and Distilled Spirits

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-dietary-law-and-distilled-spirits/489046>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 11, 2009, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-dietary-law-and-distilled-spirits/489046 "2009-03-11T06:14:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-dietary-law-and-distilled-spirits/489046/1 "2009-03-11T06:14:30Z")

</div>

I know that there are some restrictions about drinking wine which has been prepared by non-Jews, but I’m not clear on them exactly.

I’m wondering if this prohibition extends to distilled spirits - or are spirits ever kosher? Would they count as “cooked wine”?

(It’s not even Friday night!)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-dietary-law-and-distilled-spirits/489046/2 "2009-03-11T12:59:36Z")

</div>

> [@MerryMagdalen](#):
>
> I know that there are some restrictions about drinking wine which has been prepared by non-Jews, but I’m not clear on them exactly.
> 
> I’m wondering if this prohibition extends to distilled spirits - or are spirits ever kosher? Would they count as “cooked wine”?

Distilled spirits can be kosher. The restriction on wine prepared by non-Jews applies only to wine made from grapes, not to all alcoholic beverages.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-dietary-law-and-distilled-spirits/489046/3 "2009-03-11T15:42:23Z")

</div>

Would the restrictions on wine prepared by non-Jews apply to brandy as well?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-dietary-law-and-distilled-spirits/489046/4 "2009-03-11T15:56:56Z")

</div>

> [@ultrafilter](#):
>
> Would the restrictions on wine prepared by non-Jews apply to brandy as well?

I don’t follow those restrictions. I’m Conservative, and we consider all wine to be kosher these days (but you should use kosher-certified wine for kiddush, and for Passover).

[This site](http://www.kashrut.com/articles/liquor2/) says brandy and cognac do require kosher certification because they are made from wine.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![schindler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@schindler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schindler)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-dietary-law-and-distilled-spirits/489046/5 "2009-03-11T16:59:55Z")

</div>

Anne, how come Conservative Jews require hashgaha for kiddush?