Irish Mix
Every March 17, it’s incumbent upon the Irish (and those just claiming to be) to show allegiance to Erin with some kind of drink. Most aren’t very creative in their choices, which usually runs the spectrum from Irish stout (don’t even get us started on beer dyed green) and Irish Coffee, the most famous mixed drink to either come out of Ireland or contain java. But it doesn’t have to be so limiting. The whiskeys of Ireland are so smooth and amicable that they invite combinations with almost anything. From the blends typically triple-distilled in a column to the heartier single-pot-still and single-malt whiskeys and even the occasional peated offering, the spirit of Ireland offers many mixing possibilities. Here are a few of our favorites.
Elderflowers of Meath
Named for Meath, the ancient seat of Irish kings and a county flush with elderflowers, this highball in a Collins glass is the creation of Teeling whiskey. While the whiskey comes from urban Dublin, the cocktail evokes Ireland’s lush countryside. Developed as a Gin & Tonic alternative, it claims a life of its own. The lilt of Irish whiskey colludes with the floral sweetness and pears of elderflower as well as the tangy berries and caramel depth of vermouth to create an ode to the Emerald Isle. We’ve slightly altered the original recipe to express quantities in ounces rather than in parts.
1 ½ oz. Teeling Irish whiskey
1 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
½ oz. sweet vermouth
Soda water
Lemon wedge
Sprig of thyme
Fill a Collins glass with ice. Add ingredients and stir with a bar spoon until mixed. Garnish with lemon wedge and a long sprig of thyme running vertically down the glass.
Dublin Boulevardier
One of the hottest cocktail trends of recent years has been the rediscovery of the Negroni. That drink of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari over ice in an Old-Fashioned glass was first mixed in Florence in 1919. By 1927, it was reimagined as the Boulevardier (pronounced bull-a-var-dee-YAY) by an American socialite and magazine editor operating in Paris. The original version replaced gin with rye whiskey and later with Bourbon. Now, every class of whiskey has been tapped to introduce depth to the tasty mixture of aperitif and amaro. You may consider adding an extra half measure of subtler Irish whiskey to smooth out the other tangy ingredients of this version, which also goes by the name Irish Boulevardier.
1 oz. Redbreast Irish whiskey
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Campari
Orange peel or slice Shake with ice.
Strain over ice cubes in an Old-Fashioned glass. Garnish with the orange peel or slice.
Honey Highball
Mixing spirits with honey has been a standard throat remedy for centuries. (Even when the would-be patient never had a cough to begin with. Sorry for the fib, mom.) Every culture seems to have its version and each is usually based on the local liquor. Perhaps it’s the preponderance of honey from Ireland—or the discovery that it is healthier than the bee nectar from other places—or it’s just the mellifluous lilt to the island’s brogue. But mixing honey with Irish whiskey just seems to make sense. Of course, you can now buy packaged honey syrup, but the pioneer way is to make it yourself on the stove. The routine is as simple as making simple syrup.
2 oz. Powers Irish whiskey
½ oz. honey syrup (see technique, below)
Seltzer water
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Lemon peel
In a saucepan, heat equal parts honey and water. Stir to incorporate and allow to cool. Combine whiskey, honey syrup and lemon juice over ice in a highball glass and stir. Fill with seltzer, stir and garnish with peel.
Hard Shandy
The idea of mixing beer and lemonade (or alternatively ginger beer) is not exclusive to the Anglo-Celtic Isles. The concoction appears across Europe as far south as Spain and as far north as Norway, as well as into Germany and Poland, going by an array of different names. Shandy (or more formally shandygaff) is the accepted term in Ireland. The concept is to take the edge off beer and add the tang and sweetness of lemonade. However, lemonade doesn’t always mean the same overseas as it does here. In Ireland, it usually comes as bottled lemon soda. We think adding fizz to lager is overkill, so use what Americans call lemonade. However, gussying it up with what Ireland calls whiskey is sublime.
1 ¾ oz. Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey
1/3 oz. lemonade
Wheat beer
Lemon wheel
Pour whiskey and lemonade into a pilsner glass and fill with beer. Garnish with lemon wheel.
