The Story of Palestine, Part 1 (& the Free Palestine Cocktail)

In this episode, Leeh begins the story of Palestine. She describes the origins of Zionism and the influence of Theodor Herzl, explaining the settler colonial scheme to establish a Jewish state in the home of the Palestinian people.  

You’ll also hear about:

• How the British seized control of  Palestine 
• The Balfour Declaration 
• Beginning of settlement
• Palestinian support for Jewish settlers

Tune in next week to hear Leeh describe the Arab Revolt and the 1948 Nakba. 

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Our anticapitalist bartender friend, Jesse Torres, crafted THE FREE PALESTINE to celebrate the Palestinian people, their culture, and their resistance to oppression.  The beverage is a non-alcoholic mocktail that can be converted into an alcoholic drink. It centers around the watermelon — a symbol of Palestinian resistance 🍉 Visually, the drink looks like a slice of watermelon, which displays the same colors as the Palestinian flag. It’s made by adding a green ingredient to a glass filled with crushed ice, then gently layering the watermelon juice mixture on top. It’s garnished with raisins to imitate black watermelon seeds. This drink celebrates Palestinian culture, resilience, and resistance in the face of oppression

We wanted the original drink to be made without alcohol, as the majority of Palestinians are Muslim and thus abstain from drinking.

The Free Palestine Cocktail

• 100  ml  watermelon juice
• 30  ml  lime juice
• 15  ml  simple syrup (1:1 ratio) to taste
• small pinch of salt
• 25  ml  Torani Apple Syrup
  OR fresh green juice of choice

To make it alcoholic:

• Midori Melon Liqueur (instead of green juice or syrup)
• 25  ml  clear spirit of your choice: Mezcal, Tequila, Gin, Vodka, Arak (available in Palestine)

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT green ingredient in a mixing tin and shake with cubed ice until drink is properly diluted and chilled. In a Collins glass or your favorite transparent drinking vessel, fill with pebble or crushed ice and then add green ingredient (green apple syrup or juice or Midori). Then fine strain shaken watermelon mixture and GENTLY layer the watermelon on top to create the look of a watermelon’s rind and flesh. Garnish with a small watermelon wedge and top with a few raisins.

Garnish with a small watermelon wedge and raisins

In crafting this cocktail, Jesse used ingredients that are important to Palestinian cuisine such as limes and raisins.

The Midori and spirits aren’t required to enjoy this drink. For a non-alcoholic alternative, tr