Passover is packed with tradition, symbolism, storytelling—and let’s be honest—a lot of sitting. Between the Haggadah readings and your uncle’s dramatic Moses impression, it can start to feel like a biblical marathon. So why not spice it up?
Enter the Passover Drinking Game—a modern twist that brings laughs, clinks, and maybe even excitement over that third round of the Four Questions. Whether you’re raising a glass for Elijah or turning your Seder into movie night chaos, this guide has everything you need to turn matzah into mayhem.
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What Is a Passover Drinking Game?
Drinking during Passover isn’t new—those four mandatory cups of wine? They’re in the rulebook. But somewhere along the way, people started asking the important questions, like: “What if we turned every plague into a sip?” or “How many times does the word ‘Dayenu’ have to be sung before we hydrate?”
To be clear: this isn’t about mocking your heritage or dunking the Torah in Manischewitz. It’s about having a little fun with something that can, let’s be honest, drag on longer than a family group text. It’s about turning the Seder into a social experience that’s memorable for all the right reasons—whether or not you remember the third cup.
Kosher for Passover Alcohol You Can Actually Drink
Approved Booze List
Not all spirits are kosher for Passover. But don’t panic—there’s still plenty of fun juice to go around. Look for:
- Kosher-for-Passover wines (red, sweet, or surprisingly good dry ones)
- Potato-based vodka
- Certain tequilas (only 100% agave, without grain additives)
- Grape-based spirits like brandy
What to Avoid
Chametz is the no-no of the season. That means no beer, bourbon, scotch, rye, or anything made from wheat, barley, oats, rye, or spelt. If it sounds like it belongs in a college frat house, it’s probably not kosher.
How to Play the Classic Seder Drinking Game
The Four Cups of Wine Rule—Remixed
Start with the basics: four cups of wine are already part of the deal. Now, spice it up. For each cup, assign a mini-game. First cup? Toast and tell your funniest Passover memory. Second cup? Dramatic reading contest—who can make “Let my people go!” sound like a soap opera villain?
By the fourth cup, you’ve bonded, giggled, and maybe even made peace with gefilte fish.
Prompt-Based Seder Drinking Game Rules
Here’s where things get real (and a little tipsy). Choose your drink of choice — kosher wine, vodka, grape juice, whatever fits your vibe — and get ready to toast to the quirks of every Seder table.
- Take a sip every time someone says “matzah.” You’ll be drunk by the Magid.
- Shot if someone asks, “How much longer until we eat?”
- Drink when someone mispronounces “charoset” or “afikoman.”
- Bonus swig when you hear “let my people go” sung off-key.
Interactive Table Game: Who’s the Kvetch?
Passover is peak kvetch season. Let’s use that.
- Drink when someone complains about being hungry.
- Pass your drink to the left every time someone interrupts the Haggadah reader.
- Fill Elijah’s cup, and whoever does it takes a shot. He’s late anyway.
Keep score, keep your wine glass full, and remember: if you spill, it’s just another plague.
Modern Twists on the Seder Drinking Game
Is your Seder plate more Whole Foods than biblical? This one’s for you.
- Take a drink for every non-traditional item added.
- Orange? Sip.
- Beet? Sip.
- Banana? Finish your glass and question your host.
Political Debate Penalty Shots
Every Jewish family has one: the “let’s talk about the Middle East” uncle.
- Shot if someone brings up politics.
- Finish your drink if someone starts yelling about gefilte fish.
Passover Movie & TV Shows Drinking Game
The Prince of Egypt Game: Let’s be honest—if you haven’t cried during the “Deliver Us” scene, are you even Jewish? Rules include:
- Drink every time someone dramatically belts a note.
- Shot when a plague hits.
- Sip when someone tries to explain which parts are “historically accurate.”
Rugrats Passover Episode Game: Millennials, rise up. Watch the iconic Rugrats special and:
- Sip whenever Grandpa gets something hilariously wrong.
- Drink when Tommy takes charge like a toddler Moses.
- Shot if someone quotes it from memory (and they will).
More Passover Drinking Game Fun Ideas
1. The Ten Plagues Power Hour
How it works: You’ve got 10 plagues. You’ve got 10 drinks. Set a timer and play one song per minute (bonus points if it’s themed like “Highway to Hell” for locusts or “Let It Go” for hail).
Drinking Rules:
- Blood = Red wine shot
- Frogs = Green Jell-O shot
- Lice = Tiny sips from the smallest glass you own
- Wild Beasts = Whoever roars loudest picks someone to drink
- Pestilence = Pass around a cow plushie—whoever ends up with it drinks
- Boils = Hot sauce challenge shot
- Hail = Ice cube in your drink, sip until it melts
- Locusts = Crunch a matzah chip and drink
- Darkness = Blindfold and guess what you’re drinking (could be Manischewitz… or pickle juice)
- Death of Firstborn = Everyone drinks for the firstborn at the table (they drink double)
2. Afikoman Hide-n-Sip
How it works: Hide the afikoman as usual—but now it comes with power.
Whoever finds it:
- Becomes the Pharaoh for the next round (they make all the rules)
- Can make anyone drink by saying “Let my people go!”
- Can pardon one player from a drinking penalty
Bonus Rule: If no one finds it after 10 minutes, everyone drinks until someone cracks and reveals it.
3. “Matzah or Shot-zah?”
How it works: One person reads random Haggadah excerpts or makes up believable fakes. The group guesses:Is it real matzah wisdom or fake Shot-zah nonsense? Guess wrong? Bottoms up.
Bonus Round: Create your own heretical-but-hilarious sayings like, “Thou shalt not double dip thy bitter herbs,” or “Blessed is the brisket, for it endures much.”
4. Let My People Pose (Charades Drinking Game)
How it works: Act out different scenes or characters from the Exodus story (e.g., Moses parting the sea, the burning bush, Pharaoh refusing to listen). No talking allowed. Failed guesses mean everyone drinks.
Bonus if someone gets assigned “Matzah Baking Under Oppression.”
5. Four Questions, One Dare
How it works: Each of the traditional Four Questions is rewritten with a dare twist. After asking, you spin a bottle. Whoever it lands on has to either answer honestly or do a dare.
Sample dares:
- Recite the Ten Commandments while doing push-ups
- Eat a spoonful of horseradish without making a face
- Attempt to wrap yourself in a tablecloth and declare, “I am Moses now.”
Host a Hilarious (and Respectful) Seder Drinking Game
So, you’ve decided to turn your Seder into something that’s equal parts spiritual and spirited. Mazel tov! Before you crack open that bottle of kosher wine and pass out bingo cards, here’s how to make sure your Passover drinking game is an epic success — without getting disinvited next year.
Know Your Crowd
Rule number one: read the room. Not every Seder table is created equal.
If you’ve got a room full of friends who still think the Four Questions are a drinking prompt, go wild. If you’ve got Bubbe on one side and your ultra-orthodox cousin on the other, maybe keep it a bit more bingo and a bit less blackout.
A good tip? Offer a “choose-your-own-drinking-game” menu:
- Option 1: Sip with the story (casual and light)
- Option 2: Plague Power Hour (every plague = a drink)
- Option 3: Hardcore Haggadah (you’ll never make it to dinner)
Don’t Forget the Grape Juice Crew
The sober squad is sacred — and should have just as much fun.
Stock up on sparkling grape juice, mocktails, or even a fizzy kombucha (kosher, of course). The game’s not about alcohol — it’s about laughs, chaos, and surviving the fifth retelling of how Pharaoh had it coming.
Make sure everyone’s included. The real win is shared silliness.
Appoint a “Seder Game Master”
Just like you need a Haggadah reader, you need a drinking game referee. Someone who keeps track of the rules, yells “DRINK!” when “Matzah” is said for the 19th time, and makes sure no one cheats by skipping verses to get to the meal.
Give them a badge. Or a crown. Or both. Bonus if they do dramatic Elijah’s cup pourings with commentary.
Keep It Kosher (Spiritually and Literally)
Some friendly reminders to stay respectful and still hilarious:
- Avoid mocking the actual prayers or rituals.
- Keep the humor about the experience, not the faith.
- Stick with kosher-for-Passover booze — wine, brandy, potato vodka.
- Leave the beer for post-Pesach unless you want a stern talking-to.
End with a Bang (or a Toast)
Close the night with a collective L’Chaim, a toast to freedom, and maybe a prize for the best “Seder Survival Move” — like sneaking snacks under the table or surviving the “Why aren’t you married yet?” interrogation.
Passover is a celebration of liberation — and what’s more liberating than loosening up, sharing stories, spilling wine, and laughing till the matzah crumbs fly?