Insect in a Drink - Continued

Q. I found a dead fly in my glass of whiskey. What is the status of the whiskey?

A. If the amount of whiskey in the glass is more than sixty times the volume of the fly, all agree that one may remove the fly and drink the whiskey. However, if the amount of whiskey is less than sixty, the Chochmas Adam (54:14) writes that this case would be subject to a disagreement among poskim. Ordinarily, foods with an off taste are nullified in a majority of kosher food. However, whiskey which contains alcohol may be different because it is a davar charif (a sharp food). A davar charif has special properties: It extracts flavor in a short period of time (a few minutes) even if everything is cold, and it rejuvenates stale and negative flavors. Accordingly, the Rema (YD 104:3) writes that flies and similar repulsive items, immediately impart a good taste when immersed in alcohol and are not botel. However, the Chochmas Adam cites the lenient opinion of the Minchas Yaakov, that a davar charif only revives stale tastes that were originally positive and later went bad. However, flies and other insects that never had a pleasant taste are not improved by alcohol. The Chochmas Adam (58:4) adds that If one found a fly in whiskey and is uncertain how long the fly was there, there is additional reason to be lenient.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.