After work drinks … 5 great whiskey cocktails
While it stands alone so beautifully – either on the rocks, with a dash of water, or neat –whiskey also lends to a range of delicious cocktails to suit every occasion.
To help add some flavour to your Friday afternoon and night, here is a handful – ranging from old classics to new twists – every whiskey drinker, whether aficionado or beginner should try.
Bloody Molly
According to history, this cocktail was named in honour of Dublin’s most famous daughter – Molly Malone, a ‘colourful’ character from the era of John Jameson. The Bloody Molly is an Irish Whisky take on the classic vodka drink, the Bloody Mary. The combination of tomato juice, sherry, Tabasco and celery salt makes for a lovely pre-lunch starter.
You’ll need: 35ml Jameson Original; 5ml dry sherry; 150ml tomato juice; 2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce; ½ tsp celery salt; 1 twist black pepper; 2 dashes tabasco; ½ tsp horseradish sauce (or wasabi); ½ tsp sugar; garnish with celery and tomato.
How to: Hand-blend all the ingredients and serve in a tall glass over ice. Garnish with a piece of celery, a cooked prawn and a cherry tomato.
Iced Irish coffee
Irish coffee has a long and rich tradition. Indeed it is how many people are introduced to Irish Whiskey. The iced coffee version flips it on its head, so to speak and puts a refreshing spin on it, with the addition of Kahlua adding a rich silkiness. Do we need to go on?
You’ll need: 35ml Jameson; 15ml Kahlua; 30ml chilled espresso; 5-10ml sugar syrup.
How to: Combine all the ingredients, shake and serve on the rocks finished with a sprig of mint.
Smithfield Grocer
The story goes that this cocktail was inspired by those rare occasions when the sun comes out in Ireland. Made with pomegranate (which is a hugely popular fruit on the stalls of Dublin’s historic Smithfield market) it’s a flavour of summer that will be popular all year round. Originally made punch style in large volumes to be shared, the recipe can be easily adapted for single (or double) drinks too so that you keep playing the social distancing game and mix, don’t mingle.
You’ll need: ½ bottle Jameson; 1-litre pomegranate juice; 50g chopped ginger; zest and juice of three limes; 50g sugar; 250ml ginger beer; pomegranate seeds and sliced limes for garnish.
How to: Blend the pomegranate juice, ginger, zest and juice of the limes and sugar in a blender. Sieve the mixture into a jug. Add the Jameson and ginger beer and serve in a short glass over ice. Garnish with lime slices and pomegranate seeds.
Jameson, ginger & lime
This cocktail is a perfect accompaniment for a beautiful sunset. A simple whiskey drink, it’s a thirst quencher that couldn’t be easier to make, combining Jameson Irish Whiskey, with refreshing ginger ale and a little wedge of lime.
You’ll need: 50ml Jameson; Ginger Ale; a large wedge of lime.
How to: Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in a shot of Jameson. Top up the glass with a good quality bottled ginger ale. Stir briefly to mix. Take a large wedge of lime, squeeze it and drop it into the glass.
The Whiskey Sour
The blend of Irish whiskey and lemon juice with egg white and bitters is the after-dinner cocktail that’s really stood the test of time. Sounds complicated? Don’t be intimated to make it at home, it is far simpler than it reads and will be well worth the few minutes of prep. Make it with Jameson Select Reserve, for an additional level of spiciness, vanilla sweetness and sherry fruit.
You’ll need: 50ml Jameson Select Reserve; 25ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice; 15ml sugar syrup; 15ml egg white; 3 dashes bitters; cherry or a lemon/ orange twist for garnish.
How to: Fill a shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients, shake and strain into a (chilled, ideally) cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry, lemon or orange twist if you want to get really fancy.
