I know as much about Hanukkah as the team at Cards Against Humanity knows about Kwanzaa (so not a lot). What fascinates me about Jewish Food Culture is Manischewitz Wine. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s a kosher wine used for Jewish celebrations. The wine is fairly sweet with intense fruit flavors. They make 6 varieties but I could only find the most popular one, Concord Grape along with Blackberry.

In honor of the season, I made three cocktails in a variety of styles.

Downtown Mishegas

Manischewitz is a bit like sweet vermouth. It’s a red wine base that is sweetened. It doesn’t have the herbaceousness or the fortification but works in a pinch. Add it to some rye and bitters to make a delightful Manhatten

– 2 oz Rye (I used Templeton)
– 1 oz Blackberry Manischewitz
– 2 dashes of aromatic bitters
– Garnish with Luxardo Maraschino Cherry

Build all ingredients in a glass and fill with ice. Stir and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with cherry and serve.

Pousee Shalom

Layered Cocktails are a lot of fun and are based on specific gravity. Each type of alcohol can have a variety of specific gravities and for the most part this is based on sugar and alcohol content. Here is a handy chart. Starting with the heaviest on the bottom, you slowly add the next layer on top by ever so slowly pouring over an upturned bar spoon.

– 1/4 0z of Simple Syrup
– 1/2 oz of Concord Grape Manischewitz
– 1/2 oz of a mild Gin
– 2 drops of a spicy bitters or shrub (I used Bitterman’s Hellfire Habanero Shrub)

Layer them in the above order in a cordial glass and top with the bitters. Serve layered then mix throughly prior to consuming.

Schlocky Schmuck

Spiking the wine with some brandy and triple sec rounds out the flavor and makes for a great sipper.

– 1.5 oz of brandy (I used Journeyman’s Fine Girl)
– 1 oz Concord Grape Manischewitz
– 1/2 oz Triple Sec (I used Luxardo)
– Garnish with a Lemon slice

– Build in a tall glass and fill with ice. Stir then strain into glass. Garnish with lemon.

Hope these add a bit of variety to your Hanukkah celebrations.

Budmo!