Yesterday I had the good fortune to be one of three judges in a St. Patrick's day cocktail contest in which ten of the area's best bartenders competed head to head in a bracket format competition. Each judge would choose from one of five different cocktails - Irish whiskey based of course. The bartenders would compete for time, with the judges adding time no time for perfect cocktail to up to thirty seconds for a fatally flawed drink.
One of the more challenging drinks was the
Tipperary #1. The recipe called for 1 oz Jameson Irish whiskey, 1 oz. sweet vermouth and 1 oz Green Chartreuse, stirred, strained and garnished with a lemon twist. In the initial rounds all of the judges agreed that the recipe called for to much Green Chartreuse, and it wasn't until the final round where the bartenders were able to get the balance right. It's a shame I didn't think to ask; I guess that just means I will have to experiment on my own.
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| The Weeski |
One of the cocktails I very much enjoyed and will add to my regular rotation is the
Weeski - 2 oz Redbreast Irish whiskey, 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc, 1/4 oz Trip Sec, one dash orange bitters, one barspoon of simple syrup, stirred, strained and garnished with an orange twist. In the early rounds, to heavy of a hand with the Trip Sec and simple syrup made the drink to sweet. In later rounds, where the bartenders didn't freepour and focused on exact measurements, we were able to appreciate just how complex and well balanced this cocktail is.
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| The Paddy Cocktail |
Another favorite is the
Paddy Cocktail which is really in Irish whiskey take on a Manhattan. The recipe calls for 2 oz Redbreast Irish whiskey, 1 oz sweet vermouth, one dash Angostura bitters, stir, strain and garnish with a lemon twist. Personally I found that one ounce of sweet vermouth can overpower the taste of whiskey. After giving this comment in the first round, the bartenders scaled back the amount of sweet vermouth they used (probably to 3/4 an oz) bringing the taste of the whiskey forward and making the drink well balanced.
