Rosh Hashana Signature Cocktail 2017 / 5778
One of the best parts about having a bunch of liquor in the house is creating your own cocktails. When my wife and I have company over for special occasions, I try to create a signature cocktail for the party, using holiday themes and flavors.
Starting the evening of Wednesday, September 20th, 2017 will mark the beginning of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Literally meaning "head of the year," the holiday is one of the High Holidays and is historically celebrated by prayer and a family meal. (As an aside, virtually all Jewish Holidays are celebrated at least in part by either eating or fasting; if fasting, it is immediately followed by eating!)
The traditional foods for the holiday are apples and honey: you dip the apples in the honey to symbolize a sweet new year. Additionally, people eat challah (traditional Jewish egg bread), often dipped in honey. For the New Year, instead of the usual braided loaf of bread, the challah is typically made into a round loaf (to symbolize the cycle of the year), sometimes with sweet raisins added.
One last symbol of the holiday is the shofar, or ram's horn, that is sounded in the synagogue or temple during High Holiday services. The loud blasts help to usher in the holiday, provide one with introspection, assist with repentance, and recall story of the the binding of Isaac in Genesis.
So with all of the background, I have invented a signature cocktail for the upcoming holiday!
I call it "Shofar, So Good," and it is a play off of a mule cocktail. (I mean it wouldn't be a Jewish cocktail without a pun, right?!)
Of note, I can not vouch for the kosherness of any of the ingredients listed, however, one should be able to easily make this drink with similar Kosher ingredients if so desired.
I have made it with both bourbon and gin, and both are delicious in their own way. Please use only fresh juice, not the bottled stuff.
Shofar, So Good
Ingredients:
2 almost heaping bar-spoons of honey
The juice of 1/2 of a small to medium organic lemon (strained)
1.5 ounces of either bourbon or gin (I used Hendrick's gin or Bulleit 10 yr bourbon when creating this)
1-2 dashes of creole bitters (I used Peychaud's)
Ginger beer (I used Bundaberg)
Instructions:
In a mixing glass, add the honey and lemon juice. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is well homogenized. If too thick, add a splash of water, but this shouldn't be necessary unless you have some crazy-thick honey.
Next, add the liquor and bitters. Stir.
Next, add fresh ice and stir for 30-40 seconds. Top with 1.5 to 2 ounces of the ginger beer and add more ice to taste. Garnish with a rosemary sprig, lemon or orange peel, or some pomegranate seeds.
Post Script:
When making this cocktail, I tasted it before adding the ginger beer. It is good, but obviously stronger / more spirit forward. If this cocktail accompanies a large meal, it likely is better to add the ginger beer and enjoy it over time with appetizers . On the other hand, if hanging with the family is a bit intense for whatever reason, skip the ginger beer and throw a few of these back to take the edge off.
Let me know what you think. Leave a comment!
Happy New Year!
Starting the evening of Wednesday, September 20th, 2017 will mark the beginning of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Literally meaning "head of the year," the holiday is one of the High Holidays and is historically celebrated by prayer and a family meal. (As an aside, virtually all Jewish Holidays are celebrated at least in part by either eating or fasting; if fasting, it is immediately followed by eating!)
The traditional foods for the holiday are apples and honey: you dip the apples in the honey to symbolize a sweet new year. Additionally, people eat challah (traditional Jewish egg bread), often dipped in honey. For the New Year, instead of the usual braided loaf of bread, the challah is typically made into a round loaf (to symbolize the cycle of the year), sometimes with sweet raisins added.
One last symbol of the holiday is the shofar, or ram's horn, that is sounded in the synagogue or temple during High Holiday services. The loud blasts help to usher in the holiday, provide one with introspection, assist with repentance, and recall story of the the binding of Isaac in Genesis.
So with all of the background, I have invented a signature cocktail for the upcoming holiday!
I call it "Shofar, So Good," and it is a play off of a mule cocktail. (I mean it wouldn't be a Jewish cocktail without a pun, right?!)
Of note, I can not vouch for the kosherness of any of the ingredients listed, however, one should be able to easily make this drink with similar Kosher ingredients if so desired.
I have made it with both bourbon and gin, and both are delicious in their own way. Please use only fresh juice, not the bottled stuff.
Shofar, So Good
Ingredients:
2 almost heaping bar-spoons of honey
The juice of 1/2 of a small to medium organic lemon (strained)
1.5 ounces of either bourbon or gin (I used Hendrick's gin or Bulleit 10 yr bourbon when creating this)
1-2 dashes of creole bitters (I used Peychaud's)
Ginger beer (I used Bundaberg)
Instructions:
In a mixing glass, add the honey and lemon juice. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is well homogenized. If too thick, add a splash of water, but this shouldn't be necessary unless you have some crazy-thick honey.
Next, add the liquor and bitters. Stir.
Next, add fresh ice and stir for 30-40 seconds. Top with 1.5 to 2 ounces of the ginger beer and add more ice to taste. Garnish with a rosemary sprig, lemon or orange peel, or some pomegranate seeds.
Post Script:
When making this cocktail, I tasted it before adding the ginger beer. It is good, but obviously stronger / more spirit forward. If this cocktail accompanies a large meal, it likely is better to add the ginger beer and enjoy it over time with appetizers . On the other hand, if hanging with the family is a bit intense for whatever reason, skip the ginger beer and throw a few of these back to take the edge off.
Let me know what you think. Leave a comment!
Happy New Year!
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