Reviving ancient craft in a modern world
ZOARA is an Israeli craft spirits distillery rooted in one of the world’s oldest agricultural landscapes. Some ingredients carry history within them –
the Medjool date is one of them.
For thousands of years, the Jordan River Valley – stretching from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea – was one of the most fertile landscapes in the ancient world. The Bible speaks of this land as a place of abundance, of palm trees and flowing water. Dates were its most celebrated fruit, so deeply woven into the life of the region that the ancient city of Zoar, near the Dead Sea, was known simply as the City of Dates. Like every great agricultural civilization, the people of this valley fermented what grew around them. Dates became alcohol – a tradition practiced here for thousands of years.
That tradition vanished nearly 2,000 years ago.
We are bringing it back!
Israel’s large date industry produces a natural surplus – fruit identical in quality to export-grade dates, set aside for appearance alone. At ZOARA, we source these dates and transform them: one industry’s excess becomes another’s raw material.
ZOARA Distillery sits in the heart of Israel’s Valley of Springs – the same Jordan Valley, the same landscape, the same ancient earth. Here, Arnon Enoch founded Jordan Spirits in 2021, dedicated to reviving this lost craft through research, experimentation, and a deep culinary sensibility.
Today, ZOARA leads the field of date spirits in Israel.
We begin by fermenting Medjool dates into an elegant date wine. This wine is then distilled slowly into a crystal-clear eau de vie – smooth, aromatic, and full-bodied, carrying the natural notes of cocoa, caramel, and vanilla that the Medjool date has always held. From there, each spirit takes its own path, infused with botanicals native to the land of this region:
sage and tarragon from the Jordan riverbanks, mulberry from the slopes above, heritage mandarin peel from the valley, wild herbs from the hills of Gilboa.
Nothing imported. Nothing generic. Every bottle tastes like this land – ancient and alive.
The result is a rare and authentic experience – Israeli craft spirits rooted in one of the world’s oldest agricultural traditions, made in the biblical landscape that gave them life. A modern revival of something the world has not tasted for two thousand years.
Silver Medal – London Spirits Competition 2024
