Raise your spirits for the new year
L’CHAIM — to life — is the traditional toast, particularly with distilled spirits. Spirits were historically viewed as life-imbuing (hence the term ‘spirits’) and many of the names for common types of liquor — whiskey, eau de vie, aquavit — simply mean “water of life” in various languages. While modern medical science may no longer believe that distilled spirits could be a panacea for life’s ills, a nice dram can certainly still warm one’s innards and enliven one’s mood.
So as you get ready to celebrate the beginning of a New Year of life, why not enliven the occasion by toasting “l’chaim” with one of the growing number of kosher spirits?
COGNACS
Cognac, the famous brandy of southwestern France, is generally considered the best brandy, and one of the best distilled spirits, in the world. Cognac is made from primarily Ugni Blanc grapes which are crushed and fermented, before being distilled twice in copper pot stills, and aged for no less than two years in French-oak barrels. What makes Cognac such a great brandy is its ability to truly capture the essences of the original fruit and terroir. Louis Royer’s Kosher VSOP Cognac has long been one of the best kosher Cognacs on the market. Rich and heavy, this supple and sweet 12-yearold, dark-walnut coloured brandy has flavours and aromas of caramel, figs, baked apples, roasted hazelnuts, allspice and star anise. It is a treat on any occasion. Louis Royer’s more affordable, but still delightful, VSOP Cognac is a smooth, medium-bodied blend of four-to-six-year old brandies, which has flavours and aromas of caramel, mocha, figs, cinnamon, cardamom and allspice. RRP £59.99
WHISKIES
Whisk(e)y is one of the most popular spirits in the world. In the most basic of terms, whiskey is distilled beer, and it is made in a variety of styles throughout the world (and it has a variety of spellings — in America and Ireland it is spelt with an ‘e’, and in Canada, India, Japan and Scotland, without.) In the highlands of Scotland, whiskey is most often double distilled (as with Cognac) in pot stills, while in Tennessee and Kentucky it is far more commonly distilled in column stills.
Boondock’s American Whiskey is one of a small handful craft-distillery whiskies now produced under kosher supervision. Distilled by Dave Scheurich (formerly master distiller at Woodford Reserve), Boondock’s is a creamy-smooth, sweet, 11-year-old tawny coloured whiskey. The bouquet is redolent of honey, fennel, and rye spice, while the taste is dominated by corn sweetness, with a touch of rye spice, and a toffee note on the finish. RRP £46.99
Ben Eideann Fionain Jerusalem Wine Cask is one of the most recent kosher bottlings to come out of Scotland. After years of ageing in American bourbon casks, this whisky has spent its final months in extra-special cabernet sauvignon red wine casks from vineyards in the Jerusalem mountains. This has crafted a remarkable dram with the muscovado sugar and vanilla notes of the bourbon casks intertwined with the robust forest fruits of the Jerusalem red. There is no other like it. RRP £54.99
EAU DE VIES
Eau de vies — un-aged fruit brandies — are made by fermenting crushed fresh fruit, and double distilling the resulting fruit wine in a copper pot still. In the kosher world, unfortunately, there are only a handful of eau de vies on the market, and one of the very best is Bokobsa’s Boukha. Made from figs, this clear eau de vie has a rich, oily, mouthfeel, with a light flavour and aroma of dried figs, a touch of earthiness, and an intriguing hint of butterscotch. RRP £31.99
LIQUEURS
Liqueurs are sweet spirits made by infusing a spirit base — usually a neutral spirit, but sometimes a brandy, rum or whisky — with fruits and or herbs, and then sweetening with sugar. A growing number of liqueurs now have kosher supervision.
Sabra Chocolate Orange Liqueur, that one-time ubiquitous Israeli spirit, first distilled 56 years ago, remains both a duty-free staple at Ben Gurion, and a fine after-dinner dram. This bronze coloured liqueur is rich, smooth, and just as billed — redolent with flavours and aromas of dark chocolate and orange. While sweet, the liqueur is well structured, with the bitterness of the chocolate balancing the sugar. RRP £33.99
Schmerling’s Chocolate Liqueur is a premium product. Made from delicious Swiss chocolate it will transform any occasion in a celebration for your taste buds. Imagine the velvety richness of Schmerling’s chocolate, in a smooth liqueur. The product of more than 50 years’ chocolate making excellence, Schmerling’s chocolate liqueur will transform any occasion into a creamy chocolatey celebration. It’s the ultimate indulgence. RRP £24.99
Arak is made from a combination of grape distillate and aniseed which gives it its distinctive flavour. It is best enjoyed as a digestif or aperitif — simply add a few ice cubes and a bit of water. Elite Arak is a star anise drink that goes milky white when mixed with water. A traditional arak sourced from Israel and boasting a 40 per cent strength, distilled with the same fine ingredients used for centuries by Joseph Gold and Sons distillers since 1824. RRP £26.99
All of the above are available at your local kosher stockist and amazon.co.uk Benjamin Gestetner is general manager of Kedem Europe