5 Irish Whiskey Cocktails Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day

Some 364 days out of the year, we honor Ireland’s best beverages by tipping back something respectable like a perfectly poured Guinness or a few fingers of Redbreast 15 Year (I highly recommend). Then March rolls around and everyone seems to lose their ever-lovin’ minds.

Let’s making something clear, once and for all: green beer is not okay. It’s just not. It’s not Irish or delicious or worth the $8 you’re probably getting charged for it. It’s bargain basement brew with enough food coloring to make you question your well-being when you creak open your poor eyes the morning of March 18.

Leave the green beer to the amateurs and celebrate the Irish with some good traditional tunes and a tipple that’s a little more grown up. Sure, you can just go back to those couple fingers of Redbreast, but if you want something more inventive (or just a little less, well, potent) here are a few of our favorite Irish whiskey cocktails.

The Irish Jack Rose

If you’re someone who routinely orders an apple martini, this whiskey-infused spin might be right up your alley.

• 1 oz Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey
• .5 oz Calvados
• .5 oz Fresh lime juice
• .5 oz Grenadine

Calvados is an apple brandy from Normandy, France. You can use regular cognac or basic brandy in a pinch but you’ll miss out on the apple flavor so I recommend adding a splash of apple juice or even a slice of fresh apple (it won’t be the same, but it’ll help the balance a bit).

Get the full recipe here.

Cork County Bubbles

This entry comes courtesy of Food & Wine contributor and mixologist John Coltharp. The name is a nod to Coltharp’s whiskey of choice, Jameson, which is made in County Cork, Ireland. This would be a great cocktail to serve as an aperitif at a Paddy’s Day dinner party but we’d also keep it in our back pocket for a New Year’s Eve option, too.

• Ice
• 1 ounce Irish whiskey
• 1/4 ounce Yellow Chartreuse
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey mixed with 1/2 teaspoon warm water
• 1 ounce chilled Champagne
• 1 lemon twist, preferably spiral-cut, for garnish

Get the full recipe here.

Irish Espresso

While the Cork County Bubbles is a great way to start a meal, this shot of caffeine-infused booze might just be the perfect way to end it. When I go out for a nice steak dinner or join friends at an Italian joint, I often end my meal with an espresso and Frangelico. This is sort of a souped-up Irish take on the same concept.

• 2 parts Tullamore Dew Original Irish Whiskey
• 1 part premium coffee liqueur*
• 1 part thickened fresh cream**

*They pretty much mean Bailey’s

*They pretty much mean whipped cream

Get the full recipe here.

Blackberry Malt

A good choice for whiskey newbies who might be craving a cocktail with a fruity twist. This time, we’re using fresh blackberries and a bit of simple syrup to sweeten things up. Note: simple syrup is incredibly easy to make. It’s just equal parts sugar (super fine if you have it – if not, just stir the regular stuff until it dissolves) and water heated up until it’s one clear liquid.

• 1 3/4 ounces single malt Irish whiskey
• 3/4 ounce simple syrup
• 25ml fresh lime juice
• Sparkling water
• Fresh blackberries
• Lemon segment to garnish

Get the full recipe here.

The Tipperary

If you just can’t survive St. Patrick’s Day with something green to drink, this one’s for you. Jameson’s Black Barrel Whiskey is made using twice-charred barrels that give the liquor an extra roundness studded with fruity and nutty notes as well as hints of spice and vanilla. It’s smooth and rich – the perfect foil for a little something sweet, a touch of bitters, and the herbal magic that is Chartreuse.

• 5 oz Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• .5 oz Green Chartreuse
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Full instructions here.

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