A surprising thing happened while recording the 77th episode of The Jewish Drinking Show – the guest, Josh Mann, who was discussing the Jews & Booze Facebook group, mentioned an interest in doing a trip to Israel. This was a surprising to me, since it had been suggested to me this spring to run one. Well, wasn’t that an interesting confluence of interests!?
Following that episode, Josh and I continued our conversation, leading us to get in touch with both a tour guide and a travel company. Now, we have a trip that’s just about to roll out, with a tentative set of dates.
Looking to broaden participants’ horizons to what Israel offers booze-wise – whether whiskey, wine, beer, or more – the trip also seeks to provide not only an understanding of the current scene, but also special access to chatting with the vintners, distillers, brewers, and more. Not only that, but also providing the space, time, and opportunity to rub elbows with people in the industry, influencers, and other enthusiasts will make this trip a very special one, indeed!
With March 1st-8th tentatively scheduled (which would provide warm enough weather), the trip would focus on visiting wineries, distilleries, breweries, and more. In addition to a focus on alcohol in the afternoons and evenings, this trip will also provide opportunities to experience various activities around the country, from the north to Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
While yours truly will provide insights into drinking in the Jewish tradition on a daily basis, as well as a look ahead to Purim and Passover, we will also be joined by tour guide Joel Haber. Joel is an Israel-based tour guide who specializes in food and drink. You can also catch him on the 79th episode of The Jewish Drinking Show about some of what has been happening during the pandemic (you can also check out a couple of clips from that episode). Feel free to check out some of that material to get a feel for what Joel brings to the table.
While we are soon to launch the registration, we are open to gauging your interest, in case you would like to take the time to share your interest in this trip (in no way does it lock you in to the trip).
Stay tuned for our announcement about opening up registration for this trip.