Rosh Hashana Apple of the Orchard Martini

Wow!  I can't believe that a new Jewish Year of 5779 is about to begin!  It's also about to be the one year anniversary of reviving this blog and starting my new instagram account @areasontolchayim!  

This year presents a bit of a challenge for me with this blog and my instagram.  I already posted many drink ideas last year, so this year I'm going to face up to the challenge to add as many new drinks as I can to this blog.  

Speaking of new things, let's talk about the New Year!  I was thinking about the tradition of eating apples with honey on Rosh Hashana and the reasons behind the tradition.  Many of us are familiar with the reasons of it's sweet and we want to have a sweet year, and that the fruit is round, just like a year begins and ends like a never-ending circle.  I was interested in finding out which instances an apple is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.

In Isaiah, apples are mentioned as part of an orchard which is withering:

"Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. 12The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard— are withered."
-Isaiah

In the book of D'varim (Deuteronomy) and in Psalms, the apple is referred to as a metaphor to the mitzvot (Jewish commandments):

Deuteronomy 32:10
He found him in a desolate land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, He instructed him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.
Psalm 17:8
Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings  

I think the idea of an apple being something to protect and to have in your mind or your eye is a nice idea.  It's up to all of us to take care of the orchards of apples, perhaps by trying to take on new mitzvot or to continue protecting the ones we are already taking on.  This idea helped to guide me with the Rosh Hashana Apple of the Orchard Martini.  Hopefully, this cocktail will not only go with the sweet theme of the holiday, but also help to inspire us all to improve in taking care of the orchard of mitzvot and each other in this new year of 5779.

Shana Tova U'Metukah!  

Recipe for Rosh Hashana Apple of the Orchard Martini:

The day or two (or even week before):  take 2-3 tea bags of apple tea (I like the Wizzotsky brand called Apple Delight), add them to a large plastic or glass bottle and fill with cold water.  Place in the fridge and let it sit for a day.

In a martini shaker add the following:
-2 shots of either vodka or rum
-(optional) 1 shot of sour apple liquor
-2 shots of lemonade
-3 shots of the apple iced tea
-ice cubes

Shake, pour, and serve!  You can also add a slice of apple to the glass as a festive garnish.

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