Easter is over and Passover is right around the corner: it begins on Friday, April 22. What is permissible and kosher during this holy holiday? I went digging and discovered a wonderfully clever column in The Tablet Magazine by Louis Nayman. Ten kosher cocktails linked to the ten plagues God visited upon Egypt to convince the Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. I hope I don’t get sued for re-posting a couple of teasers since I’ve included the cred/links to the original content. This was just too good to PASS OVER! Here are four of the Ten Cocktails for the Ten Plagues.

The Cocktails

Plague 1: Blood
Cocktail: Red Nile

Ingredients:
2 oz potato vodka
4 oz tomato juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 oz Arak
1 tsp white horseradish
6 drops Texas Pete
3 drops Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Cocktail Bitters (no corn syrup)
Dash salt
Dash pepper
Carrot stick for garnish

Directions: Fill a burgundy glass with ice. Combine ingredients in dry shaker. Shake until well-mixed, then pour into ice-filled glass. Garnish with 6-inch carrot stick.

Plague 2: Frogs
Cocktail: Paris in April

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Cognac
1 oz green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
4 oz Perrier

Instructions: To a chilled rocks glass (preferably a Bonne Maman jam jar), add Cognac, Chartreuse, and Grand Marnier, then swirl with minimal effort. Using fingers drop two ice cubes into the mixture, then fill to rim with Perrier. No garnish.

Plague 3: Vermin
Cocktail: The Cockroach

Ingredients:
2 oz Tequila
1 oz Kahlua or Sabra Coffee liqueur

Instructions: Pour Tequila into a brandy snifter. Without stirring, add Sabra or Kahlua. Add 1 ice cube.

Plague 4: Beasts
Cocktail: Zion King

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz fig brandy
1 1/2 oz non-grain spirits gin
2 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
3/4 oz Chambord

Instructions: Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a Burgundy glass. Garnish with Tilden Farms Bada Bing cherry (no corn syrup).

For more plague cocktails, please visit: The Tablet Magazine