Irish Cocktails

Cue "Pomp and Circumstance" as the spate of graduation ceremonies overtakes the month of June. In honor of those completing their course of studies, our IWSA Cocktail for June is The Graduate. This refreshing drink is perfect for outdoor graduation parties in the early summer sun. Even better, you don't need an advanced degree to make this cocktail. EQUIPMENT Collins or Highball Glass INGREDIENTS 1 oz Sweet Vermouth ¾ oz Irish Whiskey  ½ oz Triple Sec Tonic water Garnish: lemon twist INSTRUCTIONS Combine sweet vermouth, Irish whisky and Triple Sec in an ice filled glass. Top with tonic water. Stir briefly and garnish with lemon twist. Drink. Slightly...

  The Mint Julep is one of the most well known signature cocktails. While associated with the Kentucky Derby, the cocktail's history goes back centuries. References can be found as far back as the year 900 when it was used for medicinal purposes. The word "julep" is a term referencing sweetened syrups typically used to mitigate the astringency in medicines.   The drink evolved from pharmaceutical prescription to cocktail in the 1800's. The availability of ice which allowed the drink to be chilled was a major factor in the rise in popularity. In particular, the chilled drink was embraced in the...

  Cracker Jack is Americana. An iconic snack for over 100 years known as much for its toy surprise and link to baseball as the caramel popcorn and nuts mix within the box. Why not make a cocktail to replicate this wonderful flavor profile? The Cracker Jack Irish Whiskey Cocktail does just that in time for the beginning of spring and the baseball season. Cracker Jack was invented by F.W. Rueckheim, a German imigrant, who had been selling popcorn on the streets of Chicago since 1872.  At the Chicago World Fair in 1893, the product originally known as "Candied Popcorn...

The Paddy's Day Sidecar is an Irish twist on this classic cocktail. Besides being delicious, this cocktail will have you green with envy for Saint Patrick's Day. Leave the green beer for the 'amateurs' and whip up this cocktail instead. The exact origins of the original Sidecar cocktail are a little murky but it is believed to have been popularized after the end of World War I. It is often considered the greatest cocktail to evolve from the Prohibition era. Some think it was created a century earlier in New Orleans with a different name and brought to Europe by bartenders during...

The Manhattan is an iconic whiskey cocktail with origins from New York city back in the 1880's. The exact origin has numerous stories, but there is nothing cloudy about this classic whiskey drink. Made with three ingredients: whiskey, vermouth, and bitters, the Manhattan is one of five cocktails named after a New York city borough. This cocktail has countless variations with some using bourbon instead of rye and different combinations of both sweet and dry vermouth. Everyone has their preference but the IWSA recommends the classic recipe and objective of the drink: to balance the rye "spice" with "sweet" vermouth,...