While dressing up in costume, making noise and listening to the story of how Queen Esther and Mordechai, the Jewish hero, defeated Haman, the evil vizier, are great for all ages, one Purim tradition (this year, the evening of March 2 through nightfall March 3) is strictly for adults – drinking alcohol. Various sources advise us to imbibe until we cannot distinguish between “cursed is Haman” and “blessed is Mordechai.”

These days, moderation and designated drivers are advised, but many of us still take a sip or several to celebrate the Jewish victory, perhaps from a bottle of schnapps or whiskey. The cocktails I am offering are a little fancier. Think of them as your tipples to go with your Purim costumes.

To me, celebrating Purim is also celebrating Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America because Henrietta Szold, the organization’s founder, was inspired to name the nonprofit after Queen Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah.

I developed these four cocktails and one mocktail to serve at an adults-only Purim party, sponsored by the Oakland Ruach Chapter of Hadassah. They were enthusiastically sipped by all participants.

Two of the drinks are named after the ancient Persian city of Shushan to mark the extra day of fighting that walled city endured. The Shushan Sunrise Mocktail is non-alcoholic and uses grenadine syrup, a pomegranate flavored sugar syrup available in liquor stores and some supermarkets. The Shushan Sunset Cocktail features pomegranate liqueur. Make either with homemade or purchased refrigerated fresh lemonade.

The Queen Esther Champagne Cocktail features pomegranate liqueur. You can crown Queen Esther by coating the rim of a champagne flute in lemon or lime juice and then dipping it in powdered sugar before mixing the cocktail.

Vashti’s Venom has a bit of a bite from the bourbon, a bit of sweetness from the cherry cola and a bit of sharpness from the vermouth, giving the drink qualities I imagine Vashti must have possessed in order to attract and anger a king.

Triangular filled hamantaschen (said to represent Haman’s hat) were my inspiration for the Hammered Taschen. Cookie crumbs on the glass rim and apricot nectar help recreate the flavor of an apricot jam-filled cookie.

Also below is a recipe for a savory hamantaschen variation, perfect as a Purim cocktail party nibble.

Shushan Sunrise Mocktail or Shushan Sunset Cocktail Serves 1 Ice 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsps. grenadine syrup (non-alcoholic) OR 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pomegranate liqueur (alcoholic) 1 cup fresh lemonade, chilled Mint leaf, optional

Fill 12 oz. glass with ice. Pour 1 Tbsp. grenadine syrup OR 1 Tbsp. pomegranate liqueur over ice. Add lemonade. Stir. Drizzle remaining syrup OR liqueur over top. (Do not stir.) Garnish with mint leaf if desired.

The Hammered Taschen Serves 1 Wedge of lime 2 vanilla wafers, crushed very fine 1 Tbsp. lime juice 1 Tbsp. triple sec 1 Tbsp. peach schnapps 2 Tbsps. vodka 3 Tbsps. apricot nectar Ice

Rub edge of a chilled martini or other cocktail glass with lime wedge and then dip into crushed cookies. Set aside. Combine lime juice with the triple sec, peach schnapps, vodka and apricot nectar in cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake well and strain into prepared glass.

Queen Esther Champagne Cocktail Serves 1 1 tsp. pomegranate liqueur Brut champagne or sparkling wine, chilled 3-4 pomegranate seeds or lemon twist, optional

Pour liquor into bottom of chilled champagne flute. Fill glass with champagne. Float seeds on top or add lemon twist if desired.

Optional: Crown the Queen Esther cocktail by rubbing edge of glass with lemon or lime wedge then dipping in powdered sugar before assembling the cocktail.

Vashti’s Venom Serves 1

Ice 1 Tbsp. bourbon 1 tsp. sweet (red) vermouth 1 cup cherry cola, chilled maraschino cherry

Fill 12 oz. glass with ice. Pour bourbon and vermouth in glass. Stir. Add cherry cola. Stir gently. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Spicy Hamantaschen Bites With Pepper Jelly Makes 22-24

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed 2 tsps. baking powder 2 Tbsps. sugar 1⁄4 tsp. salt 1⁄4 tsp. ground black pepper 1⁄4 lb. butter or non-dairy (parve) stick margarine, at room temperature and cut into small pieces 2 large eggs, beaten 1⁄4 cup strained and chilled jalapeño or other pepper jelly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or two forks, cut in butter or margarine until the dough is in pieces about the size of lentils. Mix in eggs. Mix until the dough forms a ball, using hands to knead together if needed. Wrap in plastic. Chill 30 minutes.

Sprinkle flour on work surface and roll out dough 1⁄4 inch thick. Cut into circles with a round cookie cutter or small glass about 2 1⁄2 to 2 3⁄4 inches in diameter. Gather scraps, reroll them and cut out additional circles.

Fill the center of each circle with 1⁄2 tsp. jelly (do not overfill). Fold up (or pinch) on 3 sides to form triangles, pressing firmly to seal. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove cookies and cool on rack.

Faith Kramer is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place. It’s where they celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts. Hadassah members are proud of their Zionist mission and their role as keepers of the flame of Jewish values, traditions and beliefs as well as advocating for women’s empowerment and health equity for all. Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 800 columns in The Times of Israel Blogs and other Jewish media outlets. Interested in writing? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)