Irish Cocktails

  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,...

Irish Coffee might be the most popular and well known drink featuring Irish whiskey. It is how many people are introduced to Irish whiskey before venturing into other cocktails or the various brands and styles. The drink has a storied history and has spawned many variations over the years. As the story goes, Joe Sheridan, the chef at Foynes airport near Limerick, invented the drink in 1943 for travelers delayed due to winter weather. It became extremely popular during WWII for transatlantic travelers passing through what was at the time one of Europe's busier airports. The drink was later recreated in the...

A longtime favorite around the holidays, this family recipe of the classic "milk punch" is sure to be a favorite with IWSA members. Whether you make homemade egg nog or buy your favorite store brand, enhance it with these recommended ingredients. This recipe makes approximately 3/4 of a gallon. The recommended brands work well together and are all readily available and affordable around the USA. Ingredients 1/2 gallon Commercial or Homemade Egg Nog 2 cups Irish Whiskey (Slane Castle Triple Casked) 1 1/2 cups Brandy (E&J VSOP) 1 cup Dark Rum (Bacardi Black) Whipped Cream Nutmeg Equipment Mixing BowlMeasuring Cup Instructions Combine/Stir egg nog,...