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This M.Y. answer discusses various opinions regarding drinking in a bar.

The Long Island area, among other areas in the U.S., has several interesting micro - breweries as well as a few distilleries. A Jew would like to try sampling some newly crafted seasonal beers or a new single malt before he buys it in a store.

My question, here, is an extension of the other one. May a Jew go to a microbrewery or a whiskey / rum etc. distillery where there is a tasting room? It is not a bar / restaurant type setting (FYI, some microbreweries do serve food, so I'm not including those) but rather more of a tourist attraction, generally. However, some of the tasting rooms are a somewhat "relaxed" setting with chairs / lounges or stools and the crowd is usually majority non-Jews.

Assuming that there are no kashrut problems, is there any problem with a Jew going to one of these places and tasting some samples? (S/he will not get drunk, as s/he'll be driving and s/he's a responsible person.)

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DanF
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  • What would be the problem, if he didn't drink anything? Maris ayin? – ezra Feb 14 '18 at 15:45
  • @ezra He's doing tastings also. – DanF Feb 14 '18 at 15:58
  • But I think it's easy to say it's assur, because you're not allowed to drink alcohol with non-Jews, even if the drinks are kosher. – ezra Feb 14 '18 at 16:01
  • @ezra Read the linked answer. There is an opinion that whiskey may not be a problem even in a bar. But, that's a separate point. I understand that it's the setting itself that may be a problem. Also, the prohibition of "drinking alcohol" may be a certain amount. Tasting may be different. I don't think the answer is that simple, but I may be wrong. – DanF Feb 14 '18 at 16:04
  • The prohibition is drinking [certain types of alcohol] in the place you bought it. It would be like Chalav Akum only applying in the non-Jew's barn. How likely you are to sin isn't part of the story, like with most rabbinic prohibitions. – Double AA Feb 14 '18 at 20:20
  • @DoubleAA extending what you said - If I just bought beer in the supermarket, I can't drink it there? – DanF Feb 14 '18 at 20:25
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    @DanF Assuming beer is included in the prohibition, then yes. You'd have to walk outside. The Gemara talks about Amoraim who stood outside the door to drink IIRC. – Double AA Feb 14 '18 at 20:38
  • I heard Rabbi Tzvi Holland from the Star-K mention that the prohibition applies to drinking in a non-Jew's home, so they have to be careful because some brewers have one building that's both home and brewery; they want to offer the mashgiach a drink, but it's problematic. Do people microbrew in their homes? – Shalom Feb 21 '18 at 00:26
  • @Shalom Hobby microbrewers do, in fact, brew in their home. However, the ones in Long Island and Brooklyn have a small factory usually in an industrial zone and as far as I gather, no one lives in or above the factory. – DanF Feb 21 '18 at 03:53

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I asked my rav who said that a tasting room is not the same type of atmosphere as a bar. My understanding from our conversation is that the place is designed mainly as a tourist site, and they are giving out small samples. Thus the intention is not a food / drink / sit-down atmosphere or party place or a place where people may get drunk. Thus, he felt that there was no problem, assuming, of course, that the beer or whiskey is kosher.

DanF
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