Relatively ‘kosher’ Ramos fizz
1½ ounces No. 209 kosherfor-Passover gin
3ounces manufacturing cream (or whipping cream, regular milk or even an alternative “milk”)
1 unshelled raw egg (or 1 ounce aquafaba — the water canned garbanzo beans are stored in)
¼ ounce fresh-squeezed, chilled orange juice
¼ ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Fresh grated nutmeg
Orange for zesting
Place raw egg in the bottom of an electric blender, then add all five liquid ingredients and blend on low until smooth (or dry shake in a cocktail mixing glass). Ramos fizzes can be served with or without ice (and can also be blended with ice). If serving without ice, make sure to use a chilled cocktail glass. All versions are dusted with fresh nutmeg and grated orange zest. Note: Distillery No. 209 in San Francisco makes both a kosher gin and a kosher vodka, specifically for Passover. Alcohol made from fermented grains are not considered kosher, so 209uses a sugar distillate. It also omits cardamom as a flavoring agent (used in its regular gin), which as a pod is also not considered kosher. Kosher orange flower water (the traditional ingredient used instead of orange juice) is available, but good luck finding it.
‘Kosher whiskey’ milk punch
1½ ounces Buffalo Trace kosher bourbon, rye or wheat whiskey
4 ounces whole milk 2 teaspoons simple syrup 1dash vanilla extract
King Floyd’s chocolate-cinnamon rimming sugar
Fresh grated nutmeg Combine first five ingredients in an electric blender and blend on low until smooth, or dry shake (without ice) in a cocktail shaker. Rim serving glass with chocolate sugar and fill with ice. Blend mixture on medium (or shake) until frothy and then pour over ice in glass. Dash with nutmeg. Note: Not all “kosher” is considered “kosher for Passover.” As with all religious discussions, there is much debate. Buffalo Trace’s kosher whiskeys are certified “kosher” by the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Let the debates begin.
Kosheresque bloody Mary
1½ ounces Square One Botanical vodka
4 ounces organic tomato juice
2dashes organic Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared kosher horseradish
1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 dash Tabasco
Pinch celery seed
Kosher dill pickle spear
The trick with bloody Marys is to mix the ingredients first before you add the ice, that way everything gets incorporated and you end up with less of a mess. So, in a mixing glass combine first seven ingredients and stir or shake to combine. Fill serving glass with ice and pour in mixture. Garnish with dill pickle.
Note: Founded by Allison Evanow in Novato, Square One organic vodka originally was certified kosher, but gave up that annual certification when the cost soared to more than $20,000 a year.
“We are not certified, but Square One is still produced in the same way as it was before when it was certified. We are definitely not (and were not ever) Passover kosher based on our base grain, 100% organic rye,” Evanow says.
One of the original bloody Marys first derivative was the Red Snapper, a bloody Mary made with gin. Square One Botanical vodka is vodka using many traditional gin botanicals minus the juniper, giving you the best of both worlds, and losing one of the worst cocktail names ever conceived.