Nothing Fancy
When you're talking about St. Patricks's Day, the Irish don't mess around.
In cocktail culture, we can get wrapped up in talking about fancy drinks, expressions of zest and the imagination of the mixologist. All of that pretty much goes out the window this time of year. I always say the best beverages for St. Patty's are a shot of Irish whisky and a pint of Guinness -- often the two combined.
Know Your Whiskeys
Irish whiskey is considered lighter, smoother and easier to drink than, say, scotch whiskey which is thought of as more complex, smoky and mysterious. It tends to be very easy to enjoy several shots of Irish whiskey instead of ruminating over a glass or two.
I've pulled several bottles of Irish whiskey from the shelves at the Uptown Cafe (Bloomington, Indiana), and one things you'll notice right away is the variety in color. Don't be fooled! Most whiskeys are actually much lighter in color than the final product might indicate. Why? The addition of caramel coloring. This has to do more with the aesthetics dictated by the marketing department and less with the actual taste or quality of the spirit.
Taste Test
While Scotland boasts almost 100 distilleries, there are really only three distilleries in Ireland -- Old Bushmills Distillery, Cooley Distillery and New Midleton Distillery.
Normally I don't talk about brands, but there are four specific Irish whiskeys I would like to recommend this St. Patrick's Day:
It's St. Patty's Day. This is no time to be fancy, so grab yourself a shot and a beer. Cheers, or as they say in Ireland... Sláinte!