Yes, You Should Drink Manischewitz at Passover—in a Cocktail

Julia Kramer

At Bon Appétit, we pride ourselves on being a safe space for Manischewitz kosher wine. Our editor in chief praises it. We’ve extolled it for its “sweetness, the full body, the allover oomph” that “allows it to go head to head with [Passover’s] truly ridiculous pairings, like borscht and chicken liver.” But despite our love, the world is not always kind to this, um, bold beverage; some are so cruel as to group it in the same category as other Passover plagues, such as locusts and diseased livestock.

To be fair, perhaps all these haters need is a little gateway drink. For this we offer: the Oy Vey Iz Kir cocktail from Shalom Japan, a Brooklyn restaurant whose name tells you most of what you need to know. (It’s a place where one can eat challah baked with sake lees alongside okonomiyaki with corned lamb’s tongue, and this is perfectly normal.) It’s only logical that the people behind this free-spirited culture mash—that would be Shalom Japan co-chefs Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi—have given Manischewitz a new purpose in life, via their riff on a Kir Royale.

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Israel explains: “Manischewitz is—we can all agree—a little bit on the sweet side and has that dark berry fruit to it.” Hence it made a logical substitution for the syrupy, sweet cassis traditionally used in Kir Royales. Plus: “It exemplifies what we try to do here,” says Israel: “It’s a little witty, a little fun, but also stays true to the classics.” The Oy Vey Iz Kir was born.

At Shalom Japan, the Manischewitz is topped off with Palmer Vineyards Sparkling Brut, but Israel affirms that any dry sparkling will do. “It doesn’t have to be the most fancy sparkling wine since you’re mixing it with Manischewitz,” Israel advises.

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The recipe: Pour 3/4 ounce of Manischewitz into a Champagne flute, and top it off with sparkling wine or Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist. Next year in Jerusalem; this year with Manischewitz. L’Chaim!

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