Hey foodies, here are some fantastic suggestions of bottles that will make a splash at your Passover seder, or anytime. Our selections of kosher wine and spirits range from aged rums and whiskeys, vodka, gin, tequila, and artisan arak—plus some fine wines to consider.
Artisanal and time-honored distilling techniques are here in the making of these selections of fine spirits. Bring along a bottle of these to sip, while you are gathered with family and friends. HOBNOB also sampled a bunch of sweet white wines that could also make a statement during Passover and beyond. Here are our top picks from the Kosher Food & Wine Experience 2017.
Spirits: Ron Medellín, offered a lovely bottle of oak-aged rum. • Boondocks Whiskey treats its 11-year old Whiskeys to time in used oak barrels, and finishes its bourbon in port barrels. Distiller David Scheurich has won Whisky Advocate’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Sip on some very special vodka and gin from No. 209 Vodka and Gin, and your mouth will thank you as your brain tries to decipher the myriad of complex flavors that play so wonderfully together. • El Capo Tequila is the real deal from Jalisco, made with only 100% blue agave.
• Zachlawi is a small batch kosher artisan distillery that produces arak, the Israeli spirit made with anise seeds. Their signature is the ultra fine Fig Arak.
White Wines: Our sweet and semi-sweet selects includes Joyvin from Rashi Vineyards, coming in at lightly sweet. • Joseph Zakon produces a white muscatini that is fruit-forward with a light sweetness.
• Weinstock Chardonnay is more citrusy and crisp, with the Cellar Select boasting creamier notes. • Alfasi’s Late Harvest sauvignon blanc has the allure of apricots, figs and honey.
• Morad Danue has a series of fruit wines that are utterly delightful, and could really spruce up a cocktail as well. Choose from lychee, pomegranate, red grapefruit and passion fruit, or get them all, to see which one is the crowd pleaser. • Barons Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Les Lauries was the prettiest bottle on the scene, and contained a lovely crisp, dry rosé. And in the sparkling category, their champagne is a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir and aged for 3 years in oak barrels, giving it hints of pears and nuts.
• Drappier also produces two champagnes, the Carte Blanche is fruity, the Carte D’Or more citrusy. See the details on royalwine.com.
