Put the four cups aside and treat yourself to something a little more festive this Passover. Just because we can’t eat (or drink) chametz doesn’t mean we can’t have a fancy cocktail in hand while we celebrate our freedom from slavery.
We’ve compiled our four favorite Passover cocktails and our favorite kosher for Passover wines that will allow you to ditch the Manischewitz this year.
Mitzrayim Mule
This custom creation comes from the queen of Jewish Cocktails herself, Dammara Rose. A fresh take on a classic, the Mitzrayim Mule features a spicy ginger syrup and garnish to remind you of the “maror” (bitterness) of slavery. Best served over ice (a nod to the seventh plague, hail).
Mitzrayim Mule
2 oz Vodka (kosher for Passover, of course!)
1 oz Spicy Ginger Syrup*
¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
5 Mint Leaves
Garnish: Crystallized Ginger*
Directions
- Combine mint leaves and lime juice in a shaker and muddle.
- Add ice into the shaker and pour in the ginger syrup and vodka. Shake vigorously until chilled.
- Strain into a glass with ice and garnish with crystallized ginger and mint leaves.
* Homemade crystallized ginger + ginger syrup:
- Peel the ginger and slice it to approximately 1/8th of an inch thick.
- Cover the ginger with water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Let simmer for 25 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of sugar to the pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 40 minutes. stirring occasionally. You are looking for a syrup consistency.
- Drain the ginger but keep the liquid — this is your spicy ginger syrup.
- Place the ginger slices on a cooling rack and let sit for 1 hour.
- Toss the cooled ginger pieces in sugar to coat all the sides. (Hot ginger will cause the sugar to disintegrate.)
Makat Bechorot (Death of the First Born)
Turn up the heat with this spicy tequila cocktail and get ready to sweat (like a Jew wandering in the desert for 40 years).
2 oz Tequila (based on agave)
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
2+ Jalapeño Slices (more=spicier)
Garnish: Lime Wedge
Directions:
- Muddle your jalapeño slices in the bottom of a shaker to release their flavor.
- Add ice and the rest of the ingredients and shake well.
- Strain and garnish with a lime wedge.
Chatzot
With this espresso-based martini, you won’t have any trouble staying awake until the end of seder.
2 oz Vodka
1 oz Espresso (or strongly brewed coffee)
1 oz Coffee Liqueur (this is tricky to find kosher for Passover, so feel free to omit)
Optional: ½ oz Simple Syrup*
Garnish: Whole Coffee Beans
Directions:
- Add all the ingredients to a shaker full of ice and shake vigorously
- Strain and garnish with coffee beans
* Simple syrup: bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil and cook until it’s reduced by half. Let cool before using.
EGGS-odus
More than just the perfect pun, this cocktail will leave your guests marvelling in awe like you just brought 10 plagues to Egypt and freed a nation.
2 oz Gin (Distillery 209 makes a great one for Passover)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Sugar
1 Egg White
Splash of Seltzer
Garnish: Lemon or Lime Wedge
Directions:
- Add gin, juice, sugar, and egg white into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake vigorously. The more you shake, the foamier the egg white.
- Strain into a glass with ice.
- Top with seltzer and garnish with a lemon slice
Kosher for Passover wines at every price point
You don’t need to break the bank this year to enjoy a delicious, Israeli, kosher for Passover wine at your seder. We spoke with wine expert and CEO of Wine on the Vine, Adam Bellos, to give you his top five wines that will give you the best bang for your buck this Passover.
Tabor Mt. Merlot 2018
Price: Around $17 USD
The Tabor Winery is located in Israel’s Galilee, where the Merlot grapes in this wine were thoughtfully grown and harvested to maintain their natural aroma and flavours. This Merlot is fresh and fruity, with notes of red cherry, currants and a hint of black pepper.
Tulip Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: Around $25 USD
Tulip Winery, located in the Upper Galilee, is one of the best boutique wineries in Israel, says Bellos. “Just try their regular cabernet sauvignon and you won’t disagree.” This small-production wine is aged in premium French oak barrels for 8 months to create a deep purple wine with complex blackberry flavors.
Jezreel Valley Adumim
Price: Around $27 USD
The Jezreel Valley Adumim is a personal favourite of Bellos. “It’s something I would give to someone who only drinks $100 bottles, and someone who has never had a glass of wine before. It’s just that good and simple.” Each component of this wine is aged separately for 14 to 16 months before being blended and spending another two months in an oak barrel. You can expect black cherry, lavender and juniper berry flavors.
Shiloh Mosaic
Price: Around $65 USD
“This feels like a bottle you want to drink all the time but wouldn’t be able to afford. It’s absolutely amazing,” says Bellos. Mosaic is Shiloh Winery’s flagship wine. It’s a blend of 40% Merlot, 25% Petit Verdot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 21% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for a period of 20-months in French barrels, creating intense fruit aromas, along with black raspberry, roasted coffee beans, and cacao.
Tulip Black
Price: Around $70 USD
“Tulip Black is a blend of Tulip Winery’s finest grapes,” says Bellos, “It’s definitely worth the price.” This is a full-bodied Bordeaux-style blend with flavors of black currant, cassis, black cherries, tart blackberries, with hints of dark chocolate.
Jezreel Reserve Icon
Price: Around $85 USD
This is Jezreel’s premier wine, made from the highest rated barrels from each vintage. This is a great option for a slightly pricier, high-end wine, says Bellos. It’s complex, aromatic, wonderfully balanced with a long lingering finish.
Which wine will you be enjoying at your seder? Tell us your favorite Kosher for Passover wine on Instagram @JewishUnpacked!
