Forget about Six Beers For Thanksgivukkah.created at: 2014-03-13

Forget about the annual Kosher-for-Passover event wine sale at the local upscale liquor store.

Forget about your Tu B’Shevat Pomtini.

It’s time for the real partiers to head out for Purim.

At Purim, everything is fair game. There are no seasonal ingredients you have to highlight, there are no dietary restrictions on what is permissible to drink, there’s just an instruction to party.

So in the “spirit” of celebration, here are some Purim-appropriate beverages you may want to sample this weekend. And this year, with the holiday falling on a Saturday night, there’s really no reason not to go for it.

Wine

While the historical accuracy of the Purim story is subject to much debate, ridicule, and disbelief, there’s one thing that you can’t argue- the story takes place in Persia. And if you’re going to have a wine with Persian roots, then there’s an easy and cheap option… shiraz. Even if the [yellow tail] shiraz you can buy in the 1.5 liter bottle has no historical connection to the ancient shirazi wine that was produced in Shiraz, Iran, it’s tasty, inexpensive, and will begin your Persian-Purim Pub Crawl.

Liquor

The connection here is completely irresistible. With the Persian credentials of Purim clearly established, there’s no better liquor for the holiday than Arak. If you have fond memories of flaming Sambuca shots from college, and don’t mind the sweet licorice-y flavor, Arak is for you. And better yet, while the world can argue about the “heavy water” nuclear reactor in present-day Arak in Iran, you have my permission, for one night, to experiment with another kind of powerful liquid as you nurse a bottle of Arak long into the evening.

Beer

This one is hard. Jewish beers, well, usually suck, and there’s no such thing as Iranian, Persian, or even Kurdish beer out there. You can make a stretch and buy a $53 BrewDog Tactical Nuclear Penguin (to  continue the nuclear angle) or an Arash Ale (expat Iranian brewers), but in the interests of getting the biggest bang for your buck, why not go for a Schmaltz Brewing’sJewbelation Reborn.” I cannot attest firsthand to its taste, but the fact that it’s a ferocious 17% ABV makes me curious. I can handle the average tripel, double IPA, or even the Pretty Things Quadrupel, so this 17% business I find rather fascinating.

As always, drink responsibly.

Chag Purim Sameach.

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