With Irish whiskey a staple in bars everywhere, it’d be awesome to make like a bartender and have some whiskey cocktail recipes in your arsenal to impress your friends (you know, the ones who still haven’t realized that the only thing whiskey really needs is a tumbler full of ice). Here are some whiskey cocktail recipes you can try to enhance your whiskey drinking experience.
Irish Whiskey Cocktails To Make St. Paddy Proud
1. Irish Coffee
Legendary Clontarf 1014 Irish #whiskey Irish Coffee at @DeadRabbitNYC! #nationalirishcoffeeday #legendary #irishwhiskey pic.twitter.com/bzLuVtVAlz
— Knappogue Whiskey (@KnappWhiskey) January 25, 2017
When talking about Irish whiskey and cocktails, this concoction will always top the list. Created by legendary bartender Dale DeGroff, this Irish whiskey recipe is a crowd pleaser during cold weather. The recipe calls for a Clontarf 1014, so be sure to check your liquor store for this brand.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Clontarf 1014
- 4 oz coffee
- 1/2 oz demerara syrup
- a dollop of heavy cream
How To Mix The Drink:
Brew the coffee of your choice and pour it into a stemmed glass. Stir in the whiskey and demerara syrup gently, taking care not to spill a drop. Whip the heavy cream by hand and slowly pour it on top of the drink.
2. Irish Derby
The Irish Derby
Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey, such as Redbreast
1/2 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouth … read full recipe: https://t.co/Qgq69tVBqW l 📷/recipe: @seriouseats pic.twitter.com/PavkRL6wCZ— JRG Liquor Stores (@JrgLiquor) March 5, 2018
Kentucky Derby fans will recognize this drink straight away! It first came into the public eye in 1947 and was originally bourbon-based. However, times and palates change. Bartenders started taking notice of how the citrus-y taste of a true Irish whiskey really lends a tangy twist to the cocktail. While not Irish in origin, it does call for this type of whiskey in the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 oz Redbreast whiskey
- 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1/2 oz dry curaçao
- 1/2 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
- twist of lime to garnish
How To Mix The Drink:
Dump ice into a cocktail shaker and pour in the whiskey, curaçao, sweet vermouth, lime juice, and Angostura bitters. Shake it hard for 30 seconds until it’s fully chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lime twist.
3. Tommy Gun
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A drink as hard as the firearm it’s named for, the Tommy Gun is a tough little cocktail. The Tommy Gun was the brainchild of Jacques Bezuidenhout in San Francisco back in 2008. The uniqueness of this drink comes from its diverse ingredients that produce a bold, strong flavor. This makes it an interesting post-dinner drink for a lightly grilled dish. The ingredients aren’t exactly hard to find, but you’ll need to track down a bottle of Jameson to make this drink happen.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Jameson whiskey
- 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
- 2 thin slices ginger
- 1 tsp apricot jam
- 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- twist of lemon to garnish
How To Mix The Drink:
Muddle the ginger, jam, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker until it is thoroughly mixed. Fill the shaker with ice and pour in the whiskey and Grand Marnier. Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with the lemon twist.
4. Cork County Bubbles
This drink is as Irish as the whiskey it contains. The Cork County Bubbles Irish cocktail comes from Cork County, home of the famed Jameson distillery. Don’t be fooled by the name, however. This is one mean drink that can knock you down if you aren’t careful. The blend of chartreuse, champagne, and whiskey are accentuated by sweet lemon and honey tones that make this a perfect summer drink.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Jameson 12 Year Old Special Reserve or equivalent whiskey (which we doubt there ever will be)
- 1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp honey syrup
- 1 oz chilled champagne
- twist of lemon to garnish
How To Mix The Drink:
Pour the whiskey and Chartreuse into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, followed by lemon juice and honey syrup. Shake well. Strain into a champagne flute. Top it up with chilled champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
5. Bitter Sweet
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This perfect summertime drink blends the best of Irish pride and Belgian brewing expertise in a wondrous display of booze. Made by the jolly rogers over at the Jameson distillery, the Bitter Sweet is the magnum opus of summer drinks. Its vibrant mix of Campari, grapefruit, Belgian white beer, and Jameson turn an otherwise ordinary cocktail into a world-class experience. Think this drink is for lightweights? Hold off judgment til’ you’ve tried it!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Jameson Caskmates
- 1 oz Campari
- 3 oz Belgian white beer
- 1 oz pink grapefruit juice
How To Mix The Drink:
Pour everything into a chilled highball glass over ice. Stir with a bar spoon ever so gently to combine everything. Serve to a guest, or yourself!
6. Emerald Old Fashioned
#tbt Stirred, refreshing & minty – the Emerald Old Fashioned at the Knappogue Irish #whiskey #totc2016 popup! pic.twitter.com/Z4GPYCGamN
— Knappogue Whiskey (@KnappWhiskey) August 11, 2016
This Irish-inspired cocktail highlights the subtle beauty of a good ol’ single-malt Irish whiskey and adds a refreshing twist to an old-fashioned manly whiskey. Born in the streets of New York City, the Emerald Old Fashioned is an excellent way to enjoy a refreshing drink while still looking dapper AF.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp honey syrup (2:1 honey to water ratio)
- 1 tsp Green Chartreuse
- 2 oz single-malt Knappogue Castle 12-Year-Old or any equivalent single-malt Irish whiskey
- 1 tsp Dolin Génépy des Alpes
- sprig of fresh mint for garnish
How To Mix The Drink:
This is one of the easiest cocktails on this list to make. Just pour everything in a rocks glass over ice. Stir slowly and thoroughly with a bar spoon and garnish with the sprig of fresh mint.
7. Irish Maid
As pretty as a red-headed Irish lass, the Irish Maid is a cocktail that warms the heart and calms the nerves. The sublime blend of elderflower liqueur, aged whiskey, acidic lemon, and a surprising dash of cucumber make for a great summer drink. It might remind you of a whiskey sour, but trust us: it’s so much more than that. The only downside to this drink is that the ingredients might be a bit hard to come by.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Jameson Black Barrel or equivalent Irish whiskey
- 1/2 oz elderflower liqueur
- 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 oz simple syrup
- 3 slices of cucumber
How To Mix The Drink:
Slam those cucumber slices into a cocktail shaker and muddle until the juice comes out. Fill shaker with ice and dump the rest of the ingredients in. Cap and shake like the best bartender you know, even flair a bit if you can. Strain the concoction onto a rocks glass over ice. Take another slice of cucumber to garnish with. Serve cold with a water back because this drink can hit hard.
YouTube star PewDiePie takes you on a wild Irish whiskey ride on this video:
These awesome Irish whiskeys make for great cocktails that get more out of your whiskey. While it’s always a good idea to have your whiskey straight, it doesn’t hurt to play around with it. Whiskey may be a classic, but with these cocktails, you’re sure to give yourself a new drinking experience.
Got any more Irish whiskey cocktail recipes to share? Let us know in the comments section.