Is drinking KVASS halal?
Hello,
I read on the internet that drinking KVASS (a russian drink) wasn’t haram, can anyone confirm or deny it?
here is some background about KVASS:
– kvass contains no more than 1.5% of alcohol by volume.
– It is also generally considered to be a nonalcoholic beverage and is drunk by children of all ages without any limit.
– people don’t drink it to get drunk rather for the taste/energy they get (that’s why they had to create Vodka).
– it’s made of: Water, Black Bread, Lemon, Raisins, Sugar, YEAST and that’s basically it, you let it ferment for 24-48h I think and it’s ready.
I will be going to Russia next year inchalah, so I don’t know much about it except that it might be used even in Muslim regions.
Could anyone here please let me know whether drinking it (not to get drunk, even if I think it’s impossible just like drinking sour milk) is halal or haram.
thank you!
Answer
Assalāmuʿalaykum Wa Raḥmatullāhi Wa Barakātuh
Kvass is a fermented cereal-based non-alcoholic or low alcoholic (0.5–1.0% ABV) beverage with a slightly cloudy appearance, has a light-dark brown color, and a sweet-sour taste. It may be flavored with fruits such as strawberries or raisins, or with herbs such as mint.
There is a small amount of alcohol that occurs as a bi-product due to the fermentation process. This is negligent and not considered enough to constitute an intoxicant.
However, if it is fermented for a longer than usual period, then the alcohol percentage would be higher, thus rendering it an intoxicant in which case it will not be permissible to consume.
Also, refer to the following article:
https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/44/5/529/182649