Passover falls on us this year in the least festive atmosphere, but we can still take the opportunity to give meaningful gifts, support struggling alcoholic businesses, and know that at least we did something small and good along the way.
Wine Supporting Post-Trauma Victims
TERRA UMA association was founded by Tomer Weinberg, who suffered from post-trauma following an injury in the Second Lebanon War. The association, accompanied by senior winemakers in the country, serves as a therapeutic tool for post-trauma victims against the backdrop of combat while providing them with training in the winemaking process.
The process takes about a year, from vineyard work to fermentation and bottling, resulting in a personal and unique barrel produced by each participant, bottled with a designed label that also reflects the therapeutic and winemaking journey.
The bottles of the first cycle participants are now available for purchase, and the entire purchase amount goes as a donation to the association, to fund its ongoing activities, which have significantly expanded due to the need to assist victims of the current war.
What to Buy: Wines from program participants. With a donation of NIS 250 to the association, you will receive a surprise bottle delivered to your home; one of the 13 types of wines created by the first cycle participants.
Who to Buy for: Wine lovers and do-gooders.
Where to Buy: Here
Cocktail Kits from the Gaza border communities
Ben&Tonic company, owned by mixologist Ben Zanger, operating from the nearby moshav Ranen, now busy days in reactivating bars at weddings and events.
Since October 7th, and after the Zanger family moved from the moshav to Beit Shemesh, Zanger decided to revive the trend of bottled cocktails he developed during the Corona period.
The result is beautiful and cost-effective cocktail kits of popular cocktails in various genres, from classics to tropical.
What to Buy: A kit of 4 cocktails in 200ml bottles with crazy tropical flavors (164 shekels) or, for a bigger table, a kit of 3 cocktails in 1-liter bottles each (NIS 320).
Who to Buy for: Cousins who just turned 18 and discovered the world of mixed drinks.
Where to Buy: Here
Wild mead from the evacuated Galilee
Julius Distillery makes it a point to release surprising fruit liqueurs every season and holiday. Even now, though the distillery from Kibbutz Hanita has been isolated since the beginning of the war, Yuval Hargil and his gang managed to create a unique drink that you won't find anywhere else.
Their mead, which during the days of their isolation is being aged after fermentation for six to ten months in barrels, is bottled immediately after fermentation.
The result is a very dry and effervescent drink, with a hint of sweetness in the background, something between a fruit nectar and a beer, so successful that the distillery claims it will likely remain with us even after the distillery reopens. Meanwhile, it's the perfect apéritif for the holiday meal.
What to Buy: 750ml wild mead (11.5% alcohol, NIS 85).
Who to Buy for: Connoisseurs who've tried everything. Because even they haven't tried sparkling wild mead.
Where to Buy: Here
Something Sweet from the Golan Heights
The chocolate boutique "De Karina", a kind of oasis in the northern Golan Heights, continues to produce, alongside exquisite pralines, liqueurs with coffee or chocolate flavors that will suit those who love sweets.
The liqueurs are produced in the north of the country according to a European recipe passed down three generations of the family, and are offered in bottles of 250 or 500 ml for sale as part of chocolate packages or separately.
What to Buy: Coffee liqueur or chocolate liqueur (NIS 62 for 250ml, NIS 97 for 500ml) or a Special Moments package for NIS 350, which includes a selection of pralines and chocolate bars in addition to a 250ml liqueur bottle of your choice.
Who to Buy for: Grandma!
Where to Buy: Here
Optimistic Beer for the Sake of the Border Kibbutzim
The Dubim Brewery has temporarily changed its activity to produce "Coming Home," a beer made especially for the residents of the border kibbutzim. The beautiful cans are adorned with illustrations by artist Ze'ev Engelmeir (Shoshke), who has been drawing daily illustrations on the subjects of warfare and captives since the outbreak of the war.
The first batch of brewing has already sold out, and these days the second batch is being brewed. A large portion of the beer produced is given with love to the border kibbutzim, and in a sale that will take place on the brewery's website, you will also be able to purchase beer crates to be donated to the kibbutz residents.
And what about the beer itself? It's a refined IPA, light and clear with the lemony flavors typical of the genre and 4.5% alcohol.
What to Buy: A crate of 24 cans for NIS 320.
Who to Buy for: Fans of hops.
Where to Buy: Here
