Loved by drinkers around the world, St Patrick’s Day celebrations rarely come in small measures. March 17 offers even more of an excuse to imbibe the Irish spirit and dabble in some Gaelic fun.

To raise a glass to the land of the shamrock, here are whiskey cocktails that are easy to master…


Jameson Ginger & Lime


To kick off St Patrick’s Day revelry, Jameson plans to celebrate the “soul, warmth and wit of the Irish character”.

Ingredients: 50ml Jameson Irish Whiskey, ginger ale, a large wedge of lime.

Method: Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the Jameson, top with ginger ale, stir briefly to mix. Take a large wedge of lime, give it a squeeze and drop it into the glass. Very refreshing!


Glendalough The Wicklow


One of Ireland’s lucky charms is its ancient art of distilling, and the craft specialists at Glendalough Distillery have bottled Glendalough Double Barrel, a single-grain Irish whiskey matured in bourbon barrels before being finished in oloroso sherry casks. Today, they’ve teamed up with Merchant House to create this cocktail to toast their patron saint.

Ingredients: 50ml Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey, 15ml pineapple syrup, 15ml Lillet Blanc.

Method: Half-fill an old-fashioned glass with ice. Add the ingredients, stir slowly until chilled, strain into a vintage stemmed glass if you want to impress your friends with fancy stemware.


Dubliner Sour


A winning ingredient if you’re celebrating at home, try this sour recipe using The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, Bourbon Cask.

Ingredients: 50ml The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, 20ml fresh lemon juice (half a lemon), 15ml sugar syrup, 20ml egg white, dash of Angustura Bitters.

Method: Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Dry-shake to emulsify the egg white, then add ice and shake again. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over fresh ice. Garnish with lemon peel and a cherry.


Shamrocked


To get you in the green groove, this cocktail lends itself to patriotic bashes. With Blue Weber agave at the heart of Crystal Head Onyx Vodka, there’s a touch of sweet spice with subtle earthy notes lingering on the finish, enhancing the taste sensation. Here’s the recipe to rally your friends…

Ingredients: 30ml Crystal Head Onyx, 15ml melon liqueur, 15ml green apple liqueur, 22ml fresh lime juice, 8ml simple syrup, 1 egg white, 4-5 basil leaves.

Method: Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add ice and shake vigorously. Remove the ice and shake again. Double strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a basil leaf crown and green apple fan.


Coole Grasshopper


Cream of the crop, Coole Swan Cream Liqueur combines single malt Irish whiskey and perfect introduction to this versatile spirit; especially in a Grasshopper cocktail… sweet, minty and one for post-parade and festival drinks.

Ingredients: 35ml Coole Swan, 20ml white crème de cacao, 20ml green crème de menthe. Grated chocolate (optional) and/or mint sprig to garnish.

Method: Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the ingredients and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass, and add a garnish of your choice.


Credits: PA; Author: PA;

Bushmills Sour


One of the top brands leading the way for innovation, and the benchmark for single malt Irish whiskey, the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world has put their own spin on a whiskey sour. Toast St Paddy’s day with their Bushmills Original, a triple-distilled blend, friendly and fruity from word go, with hints of blossom and vanilla – it’s perfect for mixing or drinking neat.

Ingredients: 50ml Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey, 20ml honey syrup, 20ml lemon juice, egg white, 3 dashes Angostura bitters, honeycomb to garnish.

Method: Add the egg white to a cocktail shaker and dry shake on its own. Then add the rest of the ingredients, ice and shake again. Pour into glass, add the dashes of angostura bitters on the frothy egg white and garnish with honeycomb.


Credits: PA; Author: PA;

Slane’s Power of Three


Fuss-free and made with a generous measure of crémant, Slane’s Power of Three is a collaboration between Slane Irish Whiskey and Sunday Brunch Mixologist Pritesh Moody, to create a deliciously refreshing long drink with three core ingredients: whiskey, apricot and crémant.

A blended Irish whiskey aged in a combination of virgin-oak, seasoned casks (which previously held American whiskey) and Oloroso sherry casks, expect notes of caramel, butterscotch, dried fruits and lingering toasty oak, which works surprisingly well with sparkling wine.

Ingredients: 50ml Slane Irish Whiskey, 10ml elderflower cordial, 1tsp quality apricot jam, 50ml Crémant de Loire, 2 sage leaves.

Method: Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the whiskey, jam, one torn sage leaf and elderflower cordial in a cocktail shaker and shake hard. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice, top with Crémant de Loire. Garnish with a sage leaf.


Teeling Whiskey Ginger


The Teeling brothers are part of the new generation of distillers who’ve led the push into innovative whiskeys, and this flagship expression is aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in ex-central American rum casks for a period of around 12 months. With a deliciously fruity profile, vanilla, sweet spice and lingering woody undertones, top with ginger to savour those lively, spicy notes.

Pour 50ml Teeling Small Batch Whiskey into a highball glass half-filled with ice. Top with ginger ale and garnish with a slice of lime.