How to make a Jewish New Year Cocktail (2026)

The Jewish New Year is Rosh Hashanah (often greeted with “Shana Tova” meaning “a good year,” or “Shana Tova u’Metuka” for “a good and sweet year”). There isn’t a single official cocktail named exactly “A Happy Jewish New Year,” but many festive drinks celebrate it by incorporating traditional symbolic foods like apples (for a sweet year), honey (for sweetness), and pomegranate (for abundance and good deeds).

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These cocktails are popular ways to toast the holiday. Here’s a simple, classic one inspired by the apples-and-honey tradition, along with a couple of variations.

Classic Apples & Honey Cocktail (Apple-Honey Martini style)

This refreshing drink captures the essence of dipping apples in honey for a sweet new year.

Ingredients (for 1 serving)

• 2 oz vodka (or apple vodka for extra flavor; kosher brands like AVIV 613 work great)
• 1 oz apple cider or fresh apple juice
• ½ oz honey syrup (mix equal parts honey and warm water until dissolved)
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice (for balance)
• Ice
• Garnish: Thin apple slice dipped in honey (or just an apple slice)

Instructions

1. Make honey syrup: Stir equal parts honey and hot water until smooth (e.g., 1 tbsp each).
2. Add vodka, apple cider, honey syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
3. Shake well for 10–15 seconds.
4. Strain into a chilled martini glass or coupe.
5. Garnish with a honey-dipped apple slice on the rim.

It’s sweet, tart, and perfectly symbolic—L’chaim to a sweet year!

Variations for Rosh Hashanah

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• Pomegranate Sparkler (for abundance): Replace apple cider with 1 oz pomegranate juice and add a splash of elderflower liqueur (like St-Germain). Top with soda water for fizz. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.
• Simple Apples & Honey Highball: Mix 1½ oz honey whiskey or bourbon, 3 oz apple cider, a barspoon of honey, and top with ginger ale or soda. Serve over ice with an apple slice.
• Rosh Hashanah Sangria (batch for a group): Combine a bottle of red wine, ½ cup honey (dissolved), sliced apples, pomegranate seeds/arils, grapes, a cup of pomegranate juice, and a splash of brandy. Chill for a few hours—perfect for sharing.

Did you make this drink? Let us know what you think of it below.