St. Patrick's Day shenanigans are synonymous with Guinness and green beer, but for a more inspiring way to celebrate, look to whiskey cocktails. Trying out a new recipe with the signature spirit is a festive way to commemorate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. From classic cocktails to innovative shamrock-inspired sips, here are whiskey recipes to try this St. Patrick’s Day and beyond.
Jameson Irish Cosmo
Ingredients:
3 oz. Jameson Orange
½ oz. Lime juice
1 oz. Triple sec
1 oz. Cranberry juice
Orange twist for garnish
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.
Lucky Skrew
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Skrewball Whiskey
¾ oz. Green Chartreuse
¾ oz. Green creme de menthe
½ oz. Heavy cream
Shaved chocolate for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled and strain into your glass of choice. Garnish with shaved chocolate.
The Daily Grind
Ingredients:
1 oz. Off Hours Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz. Disaronno
2 oz. La Colombe Triple Latte
¼ oz. Maraschino liqueur
¼ oz. Maple syrup
Nutmeg to garnish
Directions:
Add Off Hours Bourbon, Disaronno, La Colombe Triple Latte, Maraschino liqueur and Maple syrup to a shaker filled with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with grated nutmeg.
Irish Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
1½ oz. Sláinte Irish Whiskey Smooth Blend
1½ oz. Espresso
¼ oz. Sugar syrup
½ oz. Coffee liqueur
Nutmeg and coffee beans for garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg and a few coffee beans.
Keeper’s Mule
Ingredients:
1½ oz. Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey
⅓ oz Fresh lime juice
Ginger beer
Directions:
In the order given, build ingredients in a copper mug, finishing with ginger beer. Top with crushed ice, stir briefly to mix, then add more ice in a dome over the top. Garnish with your favorite festive straw.
Cutwater Bourbon Whiskey Pot of Gold
Ingredients:
2 oz. Cutwater Bourbon Whiskey
¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
¾ oz. Fresh honey syrup
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake until cold, and strain over fresh ice.
Green-Eyed Toddy
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
½ oz. Lemon juice
½ oz. Honey syrup
Hot green tea
Cinnamon stick for garnish
Directions:
Build in hot toddy glass or mug. Top with hot green tea. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
Glendalough Buck
Ingredients:
2 oz. Glendalough Double Barrel
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
3 Dashes Bitters
Splash Ginger Beer
Lime wedge for garnish
Directions:
Combine the Double Barrel, lime juice, and bitters in a shaker and shake. Pour over ice in a highball glass and top with ginger beer then garnish with lime wedge.
Gold Rush
Ingredients:
1¼ oz. Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
½ oz. Lemon juice
¾ oz. Orange blossom honey syrup
Candied ginger for garnish
Directions:
In a shaker, combine whiskey, lemon juice, and honey syrup and shake with ice. Strain and pour over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with candied ginger.
B&E Julep
Ingredients:
2 oz. Breaking & Entering American Whiskey
½ oz. Light brown sugar simple syrup
Mint leaves
Directions:
In a Julep tin, add crushed ice to about ¾ full and let sit to chill. In a mixing glass, add 3 to 4 mint leaves and simple syrup and lightly muddle. Add B&E American Whiskey and ice to the mixing glass and stir. Strain the cocktail from the mixing glass into the Julep tin and add more crushed ice to form a mound on top. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Garden of Legacy
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
1 oz pink grapefruit juice
1/3 oz sugar syrup
Pinch of sea salt
Soda water or tonic water
Pink grapefruit wedge
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a tall glass and add ice. Top up with soda and garnish with a pink grapefruit wedge.
Fallon Coffee
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon
½ oz. Demerara syrup
4 oz. Cold brew coffee
Hand whipped cream
Ranch Dust to garnish (equal parts monk fruit sugar and black salt)
Directions:
Hand whip cream by shaking for 30 seconds in a skaler tin with a shaker ball. In a Collins glass, add bourbon, Demerara syrup, and cold brew. Leave two fingers of room on the top to float cream. Dust with Ranch dust.
The McConnell's Comeback
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. McConnell's Irish Whisky
½ oz. Simple syrup
2 oz. Espresso
2 oz. Whole milk
Cinnamon
Directions:
Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice, and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a large snifter and dust a pinch of cinnamon over the drink.
Clonakilty's Winter Spice Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 oz. Clonakilty Single Batch Double Oak
½ oz. Campari
2 Drops chocolate bitters
¼ oz. Vanilla extract
2 Drops cherry bitters
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a cocktail mixer and stir gently. Serve in a tuath glass with a square of dark chocolate and a cherry.
The Busker Paloma
Ingredients:
1 oz. The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth
2 oz. Pink grapefruit soda
Fresh mint sprig for garnish
Directions:
Fill a highball glass with ice, pour whiskey and top with pink grapefruit soda. Stir and garnish with fresh mint sprig.
Lost Gold
Ingredients:
2 oz. Lost Irish Irish Whiskey
¾ oz. Honey syrup
¾ oz. Lemon juice
Lemon peel for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Shake until well chilled, about 10 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with a lemon peel.
Scent of Spring
Ingredients:
2 oz. Redbreast 12
2 Dashes Angostura bitters
Soda Water
Directions:
Add your Redbreast 12 and bitters into a tall Collins glass. Fill to the brim with ice and top with soda water.
Herbarium Station
Ingredients:
1 oz. Talisker 10 Year Old
½ oz. Green chartreuse
¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
½ oz Agave nectar
Cherry for garnish
Directions:
Combine Talisker 10 Year Old, green chartreuse, fresh lemon juice, and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a cherry.
Black Label Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label
½ Simple syrup
2 Dashs aromatic bitters
Orange peel and toasted rosemary twig for garnish
Directions:
Mix ingredients in an ice-filled glass and stir well. Pour into a tumbler over ice. Garnish with orange peel and toasted rosemary.
Mint, Thyme & Honey
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. The Singleton 12 Year Old
½ oz. Honey syrup
½ oz. Fresh lemon juice
Mint stems (split lengthways)
Thyme sprig for garnish
Directions:
Add The Singleton 12 Year Old, honey syrup, and lemon juice directly into a chilled rocks glass and stir. Add mint stems and crushed ice, stir again. Top with more fresh crushed ice and garnish with a fresh thyme sprig.
Noble Oak Basil Sour
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Noble Oak Double Oak Bourbon
¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
¼ oz Simple syrup
6 Basil leaves
Directions:
Add simple syrup into the bottom of a mixing tin with five basil leaves. Muddle basil and syrup together then add lemon juice, Noble Oak, and ice. Shake well to chill and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with remaining basil leaf.
Rosemary Ginger Whiskey Sour
Ingredients:
2 oz. Freeland Bourbon
1 oz. Lemon juice
1 oz. Ginger syrup
Sprig of rosemary
Directions:
Add rosemary sprig into a shaker tin and muddle until fragrant. Add other ingredients and ice into shaker tin and shake for 10-15 seconds/ Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Bushmills Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
1 part Original Bushmills
¾ part rich Demerara syrup
3¼ parts Sumatra coffee
Fresh whipped cream
Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a Georgian Irish Coffee glass and top with freshly whipped heavy cream.
Scotch Spring Matcha
Ingredients:
2 oz. The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve
¼ oz. Matcha
2 oz. Crème of coconut
½ oz. Lime juice
Directions:
Shake and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with matcha dusting and edible flowers, if available.
