Top o‘ the mornin’ to ya, and welcome back to Let's Mix to That, a show where we
mix special cocktails for special occasions this time for St. Patrick's Day, or whenever
you're in the mood for a good Irish Cocktail!
I’ll show you how to make 4 delicious cocktails using Irish Whiskey, so whether you’re looking
to celebrate your Irish heritage, join the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations or just want
to enjoy some good whiskey, this episode is for you.
And there’s a pot of gold waiting for you at the end of the rainbow..
I mean episode.
Before we start I have to tell you that liking this video and subscribing to the channel
brings you the same luck as finding a four-leaf clover.
It’s just a lot easier, so go for it.
Now if you’re ready to celebrate everything Irish, let’s mix to that!
The whiskey I’ll be using for today’s cocktails will be Knappogue Castle single
malt Irish Whiskey.
It’s been aged for 12 years in charred ex-Bourbon casks, producing a balanced,
light and dry flavor.
Other Irish whiskey that would go well in today’s cocktails are
Bushmills, Redbreast, Teeling, and Jameson Irish Whiskey.
Let’s start the Irish cocktail journey with something easy, the Irish buck.
Here are the ingredients and tools you’ll need.
Irish Whiskey, of course, some lime, and ginger beer.
All you'll need is a jigger, a citrus press and a barspoon.
I'll build it over ice in a Collins glass.
Start by chilling the glass then let's build the cocktail.
I love making simple cocktails like this.
We’ve made the Whiskey Highball in Easy Bourbon Cocktails episode, but making a Tom
Collins, a Moscow Mule or, in this case, an Irish Buck, is just as simple.
Sometimes all you need is to mix the right choice of spirit, citrus, and a mixer to get
great results.
That’s certainly true for this cocktail with a kick of ginger and lime, but it'll
still pair nicely with the Irish Whiskey.
If you want something with less of a kick use ginger ale instead.
Enjoy the Irish Buck.
Cheers!
Now that we’ve warmed up we can go for something that requires a bit more work.
But it’s worth it, trust me.
We’re making the Irish Maid.
You can’t make that without Irish Whiskey, but you’ll also need a cucumber, elderflower
liqueur, lemon juice, and some simple syrup
- that’s 1 part sugar dissolved in 1 part water.
Here’s the 1st hack of the day, perfect for anyone celebrating St. Patrick’s day:
If you want to turn your sour cocktails green just add a small amount of matcha green tea
powder into the shaker and you’ll end up with a cocktail as green as a shamrock.
That’s what we'll do today.
And while I mentioned the shaker… you’ll need it alongside a jigger, a citruss
press, a modler, hawthorne and fine mesh strainers.
That’s because we’re not throwing the whole cucumber in there.
Two slices will be enough, especially after we muddle that together with the whiskey,
to make sure we get plenty of flavor from those slices.
This cocktail is an Irish twist on the Kentucky Maid, a bourbon-based contemporary classic
created by Sam Ross at the Milk & Honey, a legendary New York speakeasy.
We’re not only using a different whiskey, but also swapping the herbal component - elderflower
liqueur in place of mint.
And a teaspoon of matcha green tea powder which will be enough to turn it into a lovely
shade of green when we strain it.
We’ll do that over a large clear ice block
that has been tempering in a chilled rocks glass.
But first, shake hard with ice, then double strain to catch any small bits of said ice
and cucumber.
Thanks to the elderflower and cucumber it’s lightly herbal, floral and refreshing.
Irish whiskey provides a nice backbone for what could be your next favorite summer drink.
Slainté!
Moving on to something that is a perfect sipper after dinner.
Or before dinner.
Anytime, really.
The Stout Fashioned - An Irish answer to the original Cocktail,
topped with Guinness beer foam.
We'll use a Spirit, sugar, bitters and water.
In our case that will be Irish Whiskey, rich demerara syrup, a combination of aromatic
and orange bitters, and of course ice.
But we’re also adding Guinness Stout for the foam.
I’ll make the cocktail in a mixing glass, using a barspoon, a jigger, and a julep strainer.
To create a bigger foam I’ll use a milk frother.
The rocks glass is already chilling with the large ice cube so I can tell you about a Hack
for this cocktail, if you’ll make it for a party:
To have the beer foam always ready, so you can top many cocktails faster, make it in
the cream whipper with a cream charger.
Chill the mixing glass first, then add all ingredients and stir until properly chilled
and diluted.
Some bartenders prefer to make the Old Fashioned directly in the glass the cocktail is served
in but when using s clear ice block I like using the mixing glass.
And while the American rye and bourbon whiskies are typically favored as the main spirits
in an Old Fashioned I think the smooth Irish Whiskey works exceptionally well too.
Especially if you decide to give it the crown of the iconic Irish stout beer.
Froth it up with a milk frother and place on top of the drink.
Express an orange peel on top, to pair it with bitters and the coffee notes in the foam.
All of that will slowly blend with the cocktail, unlocking new layers of delicious flavors
you really need to try.
Cheers.
And we’re finally here, at the end of the rainbow,
to find the Pot of Gold cocktail.
It’s aptly named, not just because it’s a wonderful cocktail, but also because we’ll
add actual gold on top of it.
We’ll also use 2 different Irish whiskies, ginger liqueur, honey syrup, lemon juice,
an egg white.
We'll need a shaker, a jigger and to strain it a hawthorne and fine mesh strainers.
I’ll serve it in a coupe glass, which I’ll place in the freezer to chill.
Consider this a bonus hack: You can strain an egg white through a hawthorne strainer.
Do it over a separate shaker, just in case.
This time we’re not going with just 1 Irish whiskey, but two.
The addition of a peated Irish whiskey won’t overwhelm the drink, but it will give it a
nice smoky complexity to go with the smoothness from our Knappoughe Irish whiskey.
We’ll also get a subtle kick of gingery spice from the liqueur and a honeyed sweetness
to balance it out.
I'll use 3 parts honey to 2 parts water for my honey syrup.
Lemon juice is a great acidic partner with Irish whiskey and it will balance out the
sweet components.
Lastly, egg white.
Part 2 of the bonus hack: whisk it slightly to make it easier to measure.
Shake hard without ice, which is known as a dry shake, to emulsify the egg white and
create a nice froth.
Be careful because the pressure inside will want to open the shaker.
Then add ice and shake to chill and dilute.
Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
And to make it a Pot of gold - sprinkle the cocktail with edible gold flakes.
This foamy Irish version of a Penicillin not only looks good, but the combination of flavors
and texture is sure to leave you feeling lucky to have this cocktail in your hand.
Is that the luck o’ the Irish?
Maybe.
Cheers!
All of a sudden St. Patrick’s Day just won’t be enough to celebrate everything Irish.
Luckily these 4 cocktails are great to enjoy throughout the year.
That’s when all the knowledge on the History of Irish Whiskey comes in handy, so make sure
to check out this neat video right now.
See what I did there?
Neat…
Anyway, wherever you go, whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you!
Cheers, lads and lasses!