20s and 30s Sample Cider for New Year
Various spices help spruce cocktail bitters in time for high holidays.
Rachel is a reporter/contributor for the AJT and graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. After post graduate work at Columbia University, she teaches writing at Georgia State and hosts/produces cable programming. She can currently be seen on Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters.
Urban Tree Cidery was an appropriate place to welcome the new year, and close to 150 Atlanta-area young adults showed up to celebrate about three weeks before the start of 5778.
OneTable, the Marcus Jewish Community Center and Jewish Outdoor Food, Farming & Environmental Education sponsored the Aug. 31 event, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that all the Rosh Hashanah bases were covered. As people walked into the cidery, some visited the bar, but most gravitated toward the different stations offering free activities to celebrate the Jewish new year.
One table contained all the ingredients needed to make apple and honey cocktail bitters for drink or cookie recipes. Lining the table were allspice, ginger, cinnamon, coriander and various other spices next to fruits such as lemons and apples. Guests were invited to make their own concoctions and take a recipe card with instructions for the best use of the creations at home.
Spices are lined up for the creation of apple and honey bitters.
A honey tasting with local brand Be Wild was set up in another station, naturally paired with apples.
OneTable’s Shira Rothman Hahn headed a mixology demo for apples and honey cocktails using the hard apple cider available from Urban Tree. Guests sipped on cocktails while Hahn explained the significance of Rosh Hashanah and OneTable’s involvement.
Walking through the crowd, I could see that this was one of the more popular events I’ve been to for Jewish young professionals in Atlanta. The mostly 20s and 30s crowd mingled and met at the bar as well as at each station.
Quite a few groups of men and women sat separately while sampling their cocktails and flights of cider but eventually made their way over to each other. I wouldn’t be surprised if some connections were made and phone numbers exchanged.
Such events sponsored by OneTable are called Nosh:pitality and are designed to bring young people together to share Friday night experiences.
“OneTable’s Nosh:pitality events are especially fun,” Hahn said. “I love when we get together to celebrate delicious food and teach how to incorporate special Jewish traditions in unique and creative ways.”
This event was a success for OneTable, and I’ll likely be back for the next Nosh:pitality get-together at Souper Jenny Westside on Tuesday, Oct. 3. Interested parties can RSVP on the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/OneTableShabbat) as the event gets closer.
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