A Jigger of Blog

Originally posted at PRZman.com

Look we all know St Patrick’s Day is a day to be filled with Guinness and Irish Whiskey, perhaps with a few pints of Harp or Magner’s thrown in to lighten things up. If there was ever a holiday that had the standard drinks well set, it’s Saint Patty’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, the Irish make great beer and even better whiskey. But it’s my job to tell you things you don’t already know.

Last year I showcased the St. Columb’s Rill, a contemporary creation by Phillip Ward in NYC. This year I’m going to share another Irish whiskey based cocktail which has roots in the legendary Savoy Cocktail Book, but has been improved upon recently by Erik Ellestad of San Francisco. It’s a rich, powerful, smokey cocktail that doesn’t hide the whiskey.

Tipperary Cocktail No. 3

(by Erik Ellestad)

• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1/2 ounce Green Chartreuse
• 1 oz Single Malt Irish whiskey
• 1/4 oz Single Malt Scotch whisky

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Ellestad changed the Tipperary Cocktail No. 1 by increasing the amount of Irish whiskey and adding in a small amount of Scotch whisky to provide greater depth of flavor. The brands he used were Bushmill’s 10 Year Single Malt and Gordon & MacPhail Highland Park 8 Year. If you don’t have those handy, you can try with a strong, rich Irish single malt and a not too peat heavy Scotch single malt.

Or you can just stick your Guinness and Jameson!