Passover

Mistress Mix has been, shall we say, otherwise occupied of late.

Passover is upon us. Alcoholic beverage choices during Passover are often relegated to the safest un-chametz choice: Kosher wine. Which often translates to Maneschewitz. Tradition!

Most bars keep at least one variety of Maneschewitz on hand for kosher patrons. It's regarded as irrefutably kosher and, truly, quite palatable. If you're hosting a party with guests of unknown spiritual preferences in food/beverage, it's a good idea to procure a bottle of Maneschewetz in case you have a kosher guest.

But.

Also.

Even though it can be difficult to navigate booze ingredient listings (you often need an advanced chemistry degree to discern exactly what is in the bottle) the Orthodox Union is trying to make selecting kosher products easier.

Even if you are not concerned about kosher food and beverage, you may have guests, friends or patrons who are. So it's polite and nice to know at least a few basic fundamentals about kosher spirits so that you offer appropriate beverages to your kosher guests/patrons. If you're working behind a bar or hosting a large party, make sure you know which of your beverages are kosher. If you discover you don't have any kosher beverages, get some!

And it's easy. You probably already have several Passover-safe beverages on hand. Look at the labels, usually somewhere close to the ingredients and distribution info. If you see this symbol on the label you have a kosher beverage:

Orthodox Union seal of approval

Not to be confused with the UL (Underwriters Laboratory) approved logo that gives us peace of mind with our electronic household items:

A different kind of peace of mind.

Speaking of household appliances, if you are going to make blender drinks keep your orthodox guests in mind! Your blender has probably blended a dairy product at some point, and possibly, also, a meat product (chicken and beef stock count as meat) thus rendering your blender container and blade unfit for orthodox use. This may seem very strict, presuming you have thoroughly cleaned the blender, but, for strict adherence to the kosher laws do not use any vessel that has contained dairy and meat to mix kosher cocktails. Some vegans are strict about their vessels, as well. I keep a kosher blender container and blade as well as a cocktail shaker handy but secured away from accidental use by unknowing bar helpers. They're all clearly labeled: Kosher/vegan. When in doubt, just ask yourself this: "Has this item come in contact with a food or beverage that comes out of or is part of an animal?" If the answer is yes, err on the side of caution and don't use it to mix drinks for your kosher or vegan guests. Extreme? Yes. But. You don't want to inadvertently make a guest break their religious or ethical code of conduct.

If you think you have to spend a lot of time and money procuring an OU approved beverage, guess again!

I found this site that details the OU nitty gritty of alcoholic beverages. It's a very comprehensive list of what's okay, what's not okay, and what's on a case-by-case basis. It's a handy referral site for batenders and hosts, especially during Passover. (April 6 - 14 in 2012)

In 2006, the Orthodox Union worked with Absolut to distill vodkas that do not contain chametz (or chumetz or chometz). Several (perhaps now all) flavors of Absolut are now Orthodox Union certified.

Not sure if your bottle of Absolut or other beverage is orthodox? Fear not, it's easy to discern!

I happened to have a bottle of Absolut handy and the OU symbol is easy to locate and discern.

Further, Absolut has a Passover drink recipe on their site. I haven't tried it, yet, but it sounds yummy. I would add a few ounces of club soda for a little fizz and to thin the syrupy-ness of the juice and passionfruit liqueur.

Passover Cocktail
What you'll need
1 oz. Absolut® Vodka
2 oz. Passionfruit Liqueur* or Passionfruit Flavored Vodka
6 oz. Grapefruit Juice
Ice
Highball glass

How you'll build it:
Fill glass with ice. Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Gently roll to blend and pour over ice in highball glass.

*I like Passoã®, but without a bottle handy I cannot confirm that it is kosher and their site doesn't list ingredients/manufacturing processes, nor is it listed on kashrut.com. Before serving a drink with Passoã® to a kosher guest, check the ingredients to be sure it's chametz-free. Smirnoff has a passionfruit flavored vodka that is kosher approved, so that's a good choice. I can't vouch for the flavor, but I'm guessing it's not as strong, passionate, as straight passionfruit liqueur.


Passionfruit. Passion of Jesus. This would also make a lovely Easter brunch cocktail, so if you're bartending or hosting a party during Passover and Easter weekend you have the Jewish and Christian bases covered in one drink. And who says religious differences can't be overcome?! All we need is a good drink to find some common ground.