Happy Hanukkah! While you're lighting an additional candle on your Hanukkah menorah each night, celebrate the Festival of Lights with a kosher cocktail!

The 8 Nights of Hanukkah and Their Cocktail Companions

Dance to nostalgic Hanukkah songs of maoz tzur and yevonim while celebrating the long ago miracle of the oil, all with a delicious Hanukkah themed cocktail in hand.

First Night of Hanukkah

Gotta love those latkes! Savory fried crispy potato pancakes, latkes are a traditional Hanukkah food that evoke all the childhood memories of mouth-watering smells wafting from the sizzling pan with the menorah lit up by the window.

Hanukkah Latke Recipe

The first night is a great time to break out the latkes... not to mention the citrusy Tattie Bogle potato based vodka cocktail, showcasing creamy potato and pepper notes, perfectly complementing those crispy fried potato latkes. 

• Ingredients
• 6 potatoes, peeled
• 1 large onion, peeled
• 3 eggs
• 1 3/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 1/2 Tbsp flour (or more if needed)
• 1 Tbsp oil, plus more for frying
• Instructions
• Put potatoes and onion in a food processor with a shredding blade in.
• Pour shredded potatoes and onions into a bowl, draining as much liquid as possible.
• Heat up a bit of oil in a pan on the stove.
• Add eggs, salt, pepper, Tbsp of oil, and baking powder to the potato mixture, mix, then add the flour. If the latkes are falling apart, more flour can be added as needed.
• Test the oil on the stove to make sure it's hot enough for frying, then scoop up a handful of the mixture and drop it in the pan. Let the sizzling begin! 
• Flip the latkes once the side facing the pan is golden brown, about 1-3 minutes, and then cook on the other side until it's a nice crispy brown. 
• Take your latkes out of the pan and feel free to add or garnish with dill, parsley, sour cream, or apple sauce.
• This recipe is a great match for the Arbikie Potato Vodka!

Easy Potato Vodka Hanukkah Cocktail Recipe

• Ingredients
• 2 oz Arbikie Tattie Bogle Potato Vodka
• Squeeze of grapefruit juice
• Top with a lemon lime soda or seltzer
• Mint leaves (for garnish)
• Instructions
• Add all ingredients together and enjoy!

Second Night of Hanukkah

Its not Hanukkah without the gelt! Honor the age-old tradition of eating and playing games with chocolate coins with a chocolate coin bourbon based cocktail shake. It's guaranteed to enhance the holiday spirit on that second night of Hanukkah!

Hanukkah Gelt Cocktail Shake Recipe

• Ingredients
• 3 Tbsps Yellow Rose Harris County Bourbon 
• 2 Tbsp cold milk
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1/3 cup coffee (brewed to strength desired)
• A large handful of chocolate coins, preferably milk chocolate, with the foil off (chocolate chips can be used as a substitute)
• Whip cream (optional)
• Chocolate syrup (optional)

• Instructions
• Add the Yellow Rose Bourbon, milk, and vanilla ice cream to a blender
• Brew 1/3 cup of coffee to strength desired in a separate cup
• Add unwrapped chocolate coins to the hot coffee, stirring them around until they're melty and a bit soft
• Pour the coffee/chocolate coins mixture into the blender, and blend everything until smooth and creamy.
• For an aesthetic chocolate glass, pour chocolate syrup in the inside of the glass in a pattern.
• Add your Hanukkah cocktail milkshake, and top with whip cream and chocolate syrup if desired!

Third Night of Hanukkah

Photo Credits: Silar, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

When I think Hanukkah, I think of beautifully round, sugary, gooey, jelly filled sufganiyot, aka jelly donuts. For this third night of Hanukkah, light your menorah and head over to the bar to make jelly donut themed cocktail!

Hanukkah Sufganiyot Jelly Donut Cocktail Recipe

Adapted with permission from Yissie Steinhardt's Jelly Doughnut Cocktail recipe on Kosher.com. 

• Ingredients
• 2 oz raspberry syrup
• 1.5 oz heavy cream
• 1 oz SelvaRey White Rum
• Ice

• Instructions

• Separate .5 oz of the fruit syrup and pour it into a martini glass.
• Pour the remaining syrup, heavy cream, and SelvaRey rum into a cocktail shaker with a bit of ice.
• Shake until creamy and smooth, then pour into the martini glass and enjoy!
• If you'd like, cut halfway through a donut hole and place it on the side of the glass for garnish.

Fourth Night of Hanukkah

Hanukkah is all about the menorah and miracle of the candlelight, and there's no alcoholic drink more appropriate for the fourth night of Hanukkah than a flaming cocktail!

Photo Credits: stockking on Freepik

Tequila Pink Lemonade Flaming Cocktail Recipe

• Ingredients
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best!)
• Dash of raspberry syrup
• 1 oz Tromba Blanco tequila
• 2 oz water
• Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum, for lighting
• Lemon or lime slices
• 1 tsp Sugar
• Ice
• Instructions
• Mix the simple syrup, lemon juice, Tromba tequila, raspberry syrup and water in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a margarita glass, over ice.
• Take a lemon or lime slice and balance it on top of your glass. Put the sugar on top, and then soak it with the Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum (Any overproof rum can be substituted).
• Light your sugar hump on fire and watch it burn! Don't forget to put it out before you drink it, and be careful of alcohol spills, as these can spread fire, and it could be helpful to have water or a fire extinguisher around. 
• Enjoy your flaming Hanukkah cocktail!

Fifth Night of Hanukkah

Hanukkah is about commemorating the miracle of the olive oil burning for 8 nights in ancient days, and this elegant olive oil gin cocktail fully embodies the spirit of Hanukkah celebration. 

Pure Olive Oil Lemon Basil Martini Cocktail Recipe

• Ingredients
• 1 egg white
• .25 oz Extra Virgin Pure Olive Oil
• 2 oz Martin Miller gin
• .5 oz simple syrup
• .5 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
• Ice
• 1-2 fresh basil leaves
• Instructions
• Pour egg white and olive oil into a cocktail shaker and shake until combined and frothing.
• Add in the rest of the ingredients, excluding the basil leaves.
• Pour through the cocktail shaker strainer into a martini glass, and place basil leaves on top. 
• Enjoy this unique and elegant martini while admiring those glowing oil lights on your Hanukkah menorah!

Sixth Night of Hanukkah 

Can't forget the dreidels in a post about Hanukkah! This high ABV Black Russian cocktail will have you spinning like a top, side by side with those spinning Hanukkah dreidels! There are only two ingredients in this highly alcoholic, easy to mix up, vodka based kosher cocktail. 

Black Russian Kosher Hanukkah Cocktail

• Ingredients

• 2 oz Arbikie Nadar Vodka (86 proof)
• 1 oz Sabra Coffee Liqueur (60 proof)

• Ice

• Instructions

• Shake up the Nadar Vodka and Sabra coffee Liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice
• Serve on the rocks in an Old Fashioned glass!
• It doesn't get easier or more delicious than this, and it won't be long before you're spinning like a dreidel!

Seventh Night Of Hanukkah

Anyone familiar with the story of Hanukkah knows that it all started with the Ancient Greeks trying to take over and outlawing Jewish tradition... but not if the Maccabees had anything to do with it. Drink this Greek Mojito all up to symbolize the Jewish conquest over the ancient Greek oppression. 

Kosher Greek Mojito Recipe 

• Ingredients
• 5 sprigs of mint, or about 10-15 mint leaves
• .25 oz brown sugar (1.5 teaspoons)
• 1.5 oz  Bespoken Dark Rum
• 1 oz club soda (sparkling water can be used as a substitute if needed)
• .75 oz lime juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
• .25 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
• Lemon or lime slices, for garnish (optional)
• Ice
• Instructions
• Pour all ingredients, excluding the club soda and one mint sprig, into a cocktail shaker and shake them up.
• Fill a glass with ice, then strain out the juice from the shaker.
• Use the club soda to top off the glass, garnish with the remaining mint sprig and lemon or lime slices, and serve!

Eighth Night of Hanukkah

As Hanukkah comes to an end, it's time to reflect on what it's really about; spending time with your family in commemoration of tradition. This large batch cocktail recipe is a fruity Sea Breeze cocktail can feed the whole (overage only, of course) family, and will provide one last opportunity to spend quality time together over the holiday. 

Large Batch Family Sized Sea Breeze Cocktail Recipe

• Ingredients
• 9 oz LVOV vodka
• 18 oz cranberry juice
• 9 oz grapefruit juice 
• Ice 
• Instructions
• Fill the bottom of a large pitcher or punch bowl with ice.
• Pour all ingredients over the ice
• Stir to mix, and garnish with lemon or lime wedges.
• Share with the whole family, or feature at your last minute Hanukkah party!