Kosher-keeping tourists in Tel Aviv are in for a treat during this Passover holiday. A high-end Israeli hotel has taken on the challenge of creating alcoholic beverages that were inspired by the exit of the Hebrews from Egypt.
The Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv has created a special twist for the Passover holiday: Passover-themed cocktails that are totally Kosher for the holiday of freedom, which has very strict Halachic rules.
The five-star hotel, which hosts mainly international tourists from around the world, created a special limited cocktail menu that is inspired by Passover in a creative and tasty way: The first cocktail on the menu is The Red Sea, a salty and hot mix that is based on the sea that the Israelites passes through after escaping Egypt. The Red Sea cocktail is made of Mezcal, Lemon, apple and spicy chili. This Passover drink is salty and spicy with a special kick. The rings of the hot pepper sit on a fresh leave as if it's a little boat sailing in the sea.
Other Passover-themed cocktails are "Freedom," that is based on gin or vodka, "Ma Nishtanah," "Exodus" and "Song of Songs" that is comprised of spiced rum, apples, lemon and rosemary.
Nadav Shina, head of the food and drinks department at the hotel explained to The Jerusalem Post that the new limited cocktail menu is "a combination of Jewish tradition and Israeli contemporaries, with a high emphasis on special and refreshing flavors that suit the wonderful weather."
Kosher for Passover
During Passover, according to Jewish law, it is prohibited to eat or drink chametz, foods with leavening agents.
According to halakha, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover. This law appears several times in the Torah; the punishment for eating chametz on Passover is the divine punishment of kareth (cutting off).
Chametz is a product that is made from one of five species such as wheat and has been combined with water and left to stand raw for longer than eighteen minutes.