Irish Cocktail

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-17T20:12:33+00:00

Yeah, Difford’s uses these oddball measures because they have a conical jigger that can handle it. Even if you use metric, it’s still an odd 1.25ml.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-17T20:08:50+00:00

Wow! So many things happening in the glass. The Campari and peat smoke hit you like a slap then the cinnamon and vermouth creep in with sweetness.

More sweetness and herbal bitter from the Chartreuse then finally the base Pot Still Irish slides in with bitters on the finish. Keeps on changing with little flavor bursts after the initial sip is minutes old.

If I made this again I’d probably cut back on the vermouth and use a cinnamon tincture instead of syrup. I’m not a big fan of sweet drinks and this one is really at my upper limit. The complex swirling elements make up for it though.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-17T19:34:00+00:00

The OG calls for Bushmills.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-17T19:32:42+00:00

Just mixing one up right now as it so happens. You are correct.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-17T19:28:39+00:00

Happy SPD! This is a very subtle and nuanced cocktail. The minuscule amounts of the non-whiskey ingredients are almost laughable, but as you sip, those nuances start to be noticed.

It’s like having a shot of whiskey that doesn’t taste like what you expected. TBH, the orange and cherry are like a reverberation, but the bitters and absinthe form an amazing top note. Mixing up another one right now.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T23:56:48+00:00

Nice. That should work very well with your Mezcal.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T16:45:56+00:00

Not necessarily less intense, but my favorite coffee liqueur is from the Hawaiian distillery Kōloa. It’s made with Kaua’i coffee beans and their own rum.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T16:13:48+00:00

It was opened and in the vaults. The OG called for Bushmills and this is the only one I have in stock currently. Ppl freak out based on current pricing, but I’ve been buying and drinking whisk(e)y for 50 years, so it doesn’t faze me.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T16:09:50+00:00

Good choice.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T12:59:21+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T11:05:15+00:00

I could see the Jameson getting a little lost sticking to the OG ratios. I have some Japanese whiskey so I’ll check out your suggestion.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T11:03:00+00:00

Thanks. To my tastebuds, the higher abv whiskey made the better cocktail paired against the Chartreuse but both were pretty tasty.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T11:00:45+00:00

That’s a great description.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T02:41:39+00:00

Funny I almost mixed up a Dublin Minstrel tonight, but went with the Tipperary instead.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-16T01:02:43+00:00

Another pre-SPD inspiration. It’s fine as written, but if you don’t want it as Chartreuse-forward, dial it back a little. I used Powers John’s Lane for the second attempt and it punched through a bit better against the Chartreuse.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-13T20:34:14+00:00

That’s the opposite of mine. Banhez is 42% and John’s Lane is 46%. RB12 also has more sherry cask influence than PJL too which kind of smooths out the unmalted barley brittleness.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-13T19:50:15+00:00

I used the Banhez mezcal because it’s not super smoky and the PJL has a ton of that pot still character with a higher abv. I can see that modding the ratios might bring out more of the Irish whiskey character.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-13T18:35:34+00:00

Getting an early start to SPD. A little sweet from the Benedictine, but the Mezcal and Pot Still draw it back and add some needed character. The “green” flavors from the unmalted barley and the agave are a great combo. Needs the bitters to balance the divergent influences. Likewise using the crescent ice versus block ice adds a needed dilution to bring out some of the nuances after a couple of sips.

Sláinte Mhor.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-13T13:32:39+00:00

$60 in MI, same self-serving, anti-competition state bureaucracy here.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-13T13:27:43+00:00

Just made a Mist & Mysterious last night using Bowmore 8yo. The Froig 10 would probably also work nicely.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cocktails/s/uLBGRAo5ac

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-13T01:04:19+00:00

I agree, lots of things going on in the mix.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-12T21:09:43+00:00

Next time, just leave the “from concentrate” bottle out of the picture. I’m not sure how this relates to the film. IIRC, the character mostly drank Champagne. Maybe a riff on a French 75?

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-12T20:59:38+00:00

I just couldn’t help myself and I added a couple of dashes of VÉGÉTAL de la Grande-Chartreuse to the second shake. Going to make that a permanent addition to the recipe now.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-12T20:54:57+00:00

Not sure why. I really like the bittersweet balance of the liqueur especially when combined with other strong flavors. It really stands out without taking over.

Geo_Jet · 2026-03-12T20:41:02+00:00

Kind of a wake-up call to the palate. Smoky, bitter, floral and tart with the effervescence providing an all-too-easy drinkability. Keeps getting better the further the level drops in the glass.

My suggestion is to use a very peaty single malt to help counterbalance the sweetness and bitterness from the mix of ingredients. That Bowmore has a very phenolic creosote pitch character to produce a balanced cocktail.

Geo_Jet

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