To achieve the kosher status Het Anker brewery worked together with the strictly orthodox Jewish rabbinate in Antwerp and whisky and wine distributor CEDEV.
CEDEV CEO, Moshe Cik, said: “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.”
Members of the Jewish religious community consume exclusively kosher food and drink which are products prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws.
In order to be officially kosher, products are checked by rabbis and granted a certificate and given an Under Rabbinical Supervision sticker, which can be found on each bottle of a product.
Charles Leclef, owner of Het Anker brewery, said: “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.”
The Rabbi oversaw the bottling of Gouden Carolus single malt in February 2017 and distributors CEDEV now supplies Jewish outlets in Belgium and London, with the US, France and Israel next on the export list.
