OU Kosher is updating its beer policy for all OU establishments and certified events. Beginning January 1, 2026, only beers with reliable kosher certification may be served, due to the growth of craft beers, flavored varieties, and shared equipment that can affect kosher status.
The OU is joined by the OK and Star-K, along with a number of local supervisions, in adopting this policy to ensure consistent, high kosher standards across the board.
You can find a list of nearly 1,000 currently certified beers and breweries.
This policy update has also been covered in the Jewish press; see The Forward’s report here: https://forward.com/news/784852/is-beer-kosher-certification-rule-change/
Letter to Kosher beer establishments about flavored beer.
Full Text of Letter
November 17, 2025
Dear OU Food Service Proprietors and Mashgichim,
We are writing to inform you about an upcoming policy change regarding acceptability of beer. Historically, unflavored beers were generally assumed to be Kosher due to their simple ingredients (water, hops, barley, yeast). However, the rise of craft brewing and new production methods has led to a proliferation of flavored beers, diverse additives, and shared equipment that can compromise the Kosher status of even seemingly straightforward brews. After much research as well as consultation with other leading Kashrus agencies including the Star-K and OK, it has been collectively determined that these developments necessitate a more stringent approach to ensure our strict Kosher standards will consistently be met.
As such, beginning January 1, 2026 all beer served in OU establishments or at certified functions or events will only be allowed with reliable kosher certification. We are attaching a partial list of current Kosher certified breweries, which contains almost 1000 beers that are already kosher certified. Note that many national brand beers already have kosher oversight and will therefore remain acceptable even without a symbol on the label. All craft brews would be required to have a kosher symbol or letter indicating Kashrus.
We would encourage and reinforce that you contact us in advance of any event being planned to review the beer (and all alcohol) selections to ensure they will be compliant with this updated policy. As this does reflect a significant change in policy, we are committed to working with you to ensure as smooth of a transition as possible. Please feel free to reach out to myself or your Kashrus Administrator with any questions or concerns.
We are joined with the OK and Star-K, along with a number of local supervisions that will be joining us in adopting this policy.
Thank you in advance for your partnership with OU Kosher and your commitment to ensuring the highest standards of Kosher.