The World’s Only Kosher-for-Passover Gin by Distillery No. 209

By Chilled Magazine

After celebrating many Passovers without a good cocktail, founder of Distillery No. 209, Leslie Rudd, decided to innovate a solution to his libation conundrum.

In 2010, he asked Ginerator & Master Distiller Arne Hillesland and Winemaker Jonathan Hajdu from Covenant Wines to craft a Kosher-for-Passover version of No. 209 Gin. Initially, Hillesland thought the recipe for the flagship No. 209 Gin could be used while simply changing the base spirit to a Passover-certified spirit. After consulting the Orthodox Union, it quickly became clear that it was a much more complicated endeavor.

Thus began our quest to create a new recipe that strictly adhered to kosher dietary law. A Passover-certified sugarcane base spirit was selected as a substitute for the grain-based spirit used in the flagship No. 209 Gin. Among the key botanicals in the flagship gin, cardamom presented the largest challenge. The exotic spice is not Kosher-for-Passover, leading Hillesland to conduct many test distillations to select a suitable botanical to replace the cardamom in the recipe. After much diligence, California bay leaf was selected from Rudd Farms on Mt. Veeder in Napa Valley as a substitute.

Distillery No. 209 Gin, featured brands

Distillery No. 209 Gin

The Orthodox Union oversees the entire distillation process of No. 209 Kosher-for-Passover Gin, starting with hand-sorting coriander and other botanicals to ensure forbidden grains do not enter the product, all the way though distillation and bottling. In addition to bay leaf, Hillesland uses bergamot orange peel, lemon peel, juniper berries, coriander and cassia bark to craft this unique gin. Several years later, No. 209 Kosher-for-Passover Vodka was created as the companion product due to popular demand.

No. 209 Kosher-for-Passover Gin ($42.00/750ml) and No. 209 Kosher-for-Passover Vodka ($42.00/750ml) will be available in most markets starting in March, 2016 at bars, restaurants, and fine retailers.

For more information, visit Distillery209.com.


About Distillery No. 209
Uniquely located on San Francisco’s Pier 50, Distillery No. 209 – the world’s only distillery built over water – marries the best of traditional Old World distilling techniques and ingredients with innovative thinking and technology to create a modern-styled gin. No. 209 Gin is a small-batch, artisanal spirit hand-fashioned and distilled five times over using the finest all-natural ingredients sourced from around the world. Dispelling the notion that all gins taste like your grandfather’s, Distillery No. 209 is more than a boutique gin producer; it is a pioneer producing a new generation of spirit for a new generation drinker. Visit Distillery209.com.

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