Irish Coffee Martini

All right folks…let’s get this party started! Let the countdown to St. Patrick’s Day 2023 begin! And what better way to kick things off than with this caffeinated, boozy delight of a cocktail – the Irish Coffee Martini!

This boozy libation with an added kick of caffeine is easy to make. Just throw some cold brew coffee, quality Irish Whiskey and Irish Cream Liqueur with a bit of simple syrup and ice into a shaker and well…give it a good shaking! Voila! You’ve turned your favorite hot beverage into a irresistible adult coffee cooler!

Now while we are at it – I do have some suggestions for which quality Irish Whiskey and Irish Cream you use. These are new discoveries for me from our most recent trip to Ireland in October 2022 and I am absolutely wild about both of them!

Before this most recent trip in October, we had not visited Ireland since 2012. So we were long overdue! Our first stop after flying into Dublin and renting a car was the gorgeous town of Trim in County Meath. This charming town, situated on the River Boyne, is one of the best preserved medieval towns and is only a 40 minute drive from Dublin airport. Great place to shake off your jet lag after an overnight flight from the States. The town dates back to the 5th Century. In fact, St. Patrick is said to have founded a monastery there. It was taken over by the English in the 12th Century. That is when Hugh de Lacy began work on Trim Castle, which is the largest Norman Castle in Ireland. We were delighted to have stayed at the lovely Trim Castle Hotel in one of their plush Heritage Rooms. Our room boasted a balcony which looked out on the Castle.

Although Trim may be smaller in population, it certainly does not lack in things to do, like touring the above mentioned castle and strolling along their river walk. A great base for touring Meath it is very close to all the Bru na Boinne valley has to offer (more on that in a later post) and has plenty of restaurants and bars to ease your transatlantic recovery.

1st Pint, but not to be the last by any means, of the trip!

But let me get back to those Irish Whiskey and Irish Cream recommendations. The Husband and I have a handful of godchildren in Ireland and I have them to thank for introducing us to these delightful tipples. I strongly recommend that you get ahold of some West Cork Irish Whiskey as well as some Five Farms Irish Cream. They were my go to’s for this Martini and you will see them again in other recipes to come this year. Both of these products hail from County Cork which is the largest and southernmost county in Ireland. This county has it all from lush fields of green, to mountains to rugged coastlines. And the fiercely independent folk there have a reputation for challenging authority. Cork is often called the “Rebel County” or “The People’s Republic of Cork”

West Cork Distillers, who craft smooth triple distilled, non-chill filtered whiskey, have the largest wholly Irish owned distillery in the country. Situated in Skibbereen they source the best local ingredients to craft their products. I am using their Bourbon Cask matured whiskey here, but they also offer whiskey matured in various other casks. Five Farms single batch Irish Cream liqueur is also produced in beautiful County Cork in the southern portion where the land meet the sea. The fresh cream used in this rich smooth liqueur is sourced entirely from 5 family owned farms. It is combined with premium triple distilled whiskey. In fact, there is a greater amount of Irish Whiskey in this product than most other brands of Irish Cream. This results in a warm sweet creamy taste in which the complexity of the whiskey shines through. I know all you hear this time of year is Jamesons and Baileys, and they are very good. But maybe you should branch out a bit this year and try something new.

This Irish Coffee Martini is gonna give you just the right combination of caffeine jolt and boozy smooth and mellow. Guaranteed to be a hit at any St. Patrick’s Day festivity. What are ya waiting for? Get shaking!

• Servings: 1 martini
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: Burrata and Bubbles

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 ounces cold-brew coffee
• 1 1/2 ounces West Cork Irish Whiskey
• 1 ounce Five Farms Irish Cream
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup*
• Ice
• Coffee bean or even better, chocolate covered coffee bean to garnish (optional, but very nice!)

Directions:

Chill your martini glasses by filling with ice and a small amount of water. Leave this in the glass while you are preparing the cocktail. Once you are ready to serve, pour the ice water mixture out and dry the glass.

Mix together the espresso powder and sugar on a small plate.

Run some simple syrup around the rim of your martini glass. Then, swirl in the espresso powder-sugar mixture. Set aside.

In a cocktail shaker, add the cold-brew coffee, West Cork Irish Whiskey, Five Farms Irish Cream, simple syrup and ice. Pop on the top and shake vigorously for about 15 to 30 seconds.

Strain into prepared martini glasses.

Enjoy!

*Feel free to use store bought or home made simple syrup. To make at home you simply (ha ha ha…) bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a high simmer on the stove in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture simmers and the sugar dissolves, remove from heat. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This can be done well in advance and will keep for several weeks. Easy peasy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Irish Coffee Martini:

Espresso Powder

Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

Drizly – Not sure if this will work for you as all states liquor laws are different, but if it does work in your state, Drizly will deliver alcohol right to your door! It is worth checking out.

Travel Planning Guide:

Getting there: Icelandair! We love Icelandair and have always had great experience with them. Icelandair flies to Dublin, Ireland. Take advantage of their Stopover program on your next flight to Europe.

Car Rental: New Way Car Hire – Love the all-inclusive pricing on these cars as well as the Dublin Airport pickup!

Trim, Ireland

Accommodation: Trim Castle Hotel – Contemporary Luxury Accommodation in the heart of Ancient Ireland! This fantastic, family owned hotel boast 68 relaxing modern rooms. We stayed in their Heritage Room which offered a spectacular view of Trim Castle. This hotel has a very comfortable atmosphere and has a cafe, bar and restaurant on site. It offers parking as well, but if you’d rather not rent a car but wish to get out of Dublin, the hotel offers transfer to and from Dublin Airport. We can’t wait to visit again!

Pubs & Restaurants:

Sally Roger’s Pub: Friendly folks and great atmosphere! Besides the cozy interior, this pub also has a large outside balcony over the River Boyne with a great view of the old bridge. This bridge was built in 1393 and is one of the country’s oldest complete and unaltered working bridges.

Wau Asian Cuisine: I know you might be thinking, why are you eating Chinese in Ireland? Well we knew there would be plenty of amazing Irish dishes to come in this trip and sometimes you are just craving Chinese, no matter where you might be! So this is where we landed and we are so glad we did! Located right above Sally Roger Pub, we got take-away from Wau Asian which was really delicious! Their tasty tofu is homemade. I highly recommend a tofu dish. And if you want to add a bit of “Irishness’ to your dinner, get chips to go with your main dish instead of the usual rice! Yup…it’s a thing.

Guinness Punch

Alright! Let’s get this year’s St. Patrick’s Day recipe party started. And I’ve got just the thing to get it going – Guinness Punch! Coming to you straight from Jamaica, this creamy cocktail is absolutely perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! Now I realize right about now you might be thinking, “Uhh, what does Jamaica have to do with St. Patrick’s Day?” Well, let me tell you. I turns out that 25% of Jamaican citizens claim Irish ancestry. Irish emigration to Jamaica started in the early 17th century with sailors and merchants. It picked up significantly after England took Jamaica from the Spanish and needed to populate their new colony. Large numbers of the Irish were transported unwillingly as slaves and indentured servants under Oliver Cromwell. Today, folks of Irish ancestry make up the 2nd largest ethnic group in Jamaica after Jamaicans of African ancestry.

Guinness Punch in Jamaica is often made with Supligen, which is a milk based nutritional drink. I have substituted whole milk. Easy to make, you can whip up several batches and have them chilling in the fridge before your guests arrive. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical of this tipple when I came across the recipe, but after tasting it, I am a complete convert. This Guinness Punch is amazing! I love the sweet creamy milk pared with just a hint of bitter from the Guinness. I am particularly looking forward to warmer weather (that might be the only time you will ever hear me say that) because you can swap out the milk for some vanilla ice cream or wait….maybe a scoop of chocolate ice cream….or even coffee ice cream!!! That is going to be one off the hook milkshake! Folks at your St. Patrick’s Day festivities will not be able to get enough of this delicious, creamy and silky smooth cocktail. So what are you waiting for? Get those blenders out and whizz up a batch of Guinness Punch! And don’t forget to check back here tomorrow for another scrumptious St. Patrick’s Day recipe. I’ll be posting one each day leading up to the big day!

• Servings: 4 - 6
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: Vice

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups / 340 ml Guinness
• 1 cup / 250 ml Whole milk
• ½ cup / 120 ml sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 tablespoons Rum
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (for garnish)
• whipped cream (for topping)

Directions:

Place first 5 ingredients in blender and pureé. Let chill in fridge for 1 hour. Serve over ice with whipped cream topping and freshly grated nutmeg garnish.

Enjoy!

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Guinness Punch:

Breville Fresh & Furious Countertop Blender

Black Velvet

Here is a great cocktail for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities…or really anytime for that matter – The Black Velvet. This lovely libation is made with a combination of Stout beer and Champagne or sparkling wine. If you pour it very carefully you can create this lovely layered appearance by floating one beverage on top of the other.

I could never find any reference as to whether the stout should go into the glass first or the champagne. I chose the Guinness to go in first because I figured stout beer was heavier than champagne, so it would be easier to float the champagne on top. It took me several tries to pull this off and so sadly, not to be wasteful, I had to drink up all the “mistakes”. The Husband, on the other hand, poured it perfectly on his first go!

This combination of bubbles and brew not only looks good but also tastes great!

Ingredients:

• Guinness Stout – chilled (you can of course use the stout of your choosing)
• Champagne – chilled ( any Prosecco or Cava will do)

Directions:

Gather your ingredients and the cocktail glass you wish to use. I have seen Black Velvets done in champagne flutes, pint glasses, wine glasses – you name it.

You can pour either the stout in first or the champagne first, your choice. Either way, you are going to use equal amounts of both beverage. So fill the glass halfway.

Now for the tricky part. SLOWLY pour the second beverage into the glass. It helps to pour it over the back of a spoon which both slows the pour and disperses the top liquid. You should end up with a lovely layered cocktail.

Sláinte!

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Black Velvet Cocktails:

Guinness Pour Spoon – Now you don’t need a special spoon to pour layered cocktails, but this spoon is supposed to make the whole process go a bit easier. If you are interested in the gorgeous hand crafted spoon seen in my pictures above, it is made by my friends at Crafty Celts. You can order just this spoon or a whole silverware set as well as historically inspired bronze and silver jewelry. You might recognize some of their jewelry as it was featured in the Vikings television show.

La Rochere Champagne Flutes – You don’t need these glasses to make a Black Velvet either, but if you are interested in them, here they are!

St. Patrick’s Day Recipe Roundup!

Oh my goodness ya’ll…St. Patrick’s Day is only 7 days away. Tomorrow I will be starting my annual St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-thon. Yup, I’ll be sharing one lovely Irish-y recipe everyday with you, right up to the big day Wednesday March 17th! Now I think managing to publish one recipe daily for seven days straight is a pretty impressive feat. But, a few years ago I was completely mad and used to start on March 1st and do a new recipe each day until March 17th. That is why you can find over 100 delicious St. Patrick’s Day recipes on my blog. If you’d like to take a peek at my past St. Patrick’s Day posts, you can click Runcible Eat/Recipes up at the top navigation bar and scroll down to the St. Patrick’s Day category. That’s where you’ll find them! And stay tuned here for my latest additions this year. Today I thought I might inspire you with some of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day dishes from years past. We’ll start it off with some bread:

• 

  Classic Irish Soda Bread

• 

  Theresa’s Prize-Winning Scones w/Strawberry Jam & Clotted Cream

Classic Irish Soda Bread & Theresa’s Scones

And here are some drool worthy mains:

• 

  Chicken Skink

• 

  Guinness Braised Beef Sandwiches on Waterford Blaa

• 

  Irish Ale Potato Cheddar Soup w/Beer Battered Leeks

• 

  Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup

• 

  Dublin Coddle

• 

  Guinness Beef Stew

• 

  Irish Stew

• 

  Smithwick’s Beef & Cheddar Pies

Chicken Skink, Guinness Beef Sandwiches, Potato Cheddar Soup, Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup, Dublin Coddle, Guinness Beef Stew, Irish Stew, Smithwicks Beef & Cheddar Pies

I wouldn’t want to forget the sides:

• 

  Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar Potato Nests

• 

  Champ

Corned Beef Potato Nests & Champ

And take a peek at these decadent desserts:

• 

  Baileys Bite sized Cheesecakes

• 

  Chocolate dipped Baileys Pistachio Shortbread

• 

  Guinness Pretzel Truffles

• 

  Guinness Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 

  Baileys Salted Caramel Pots de Crème w/Baileys Whipped Cream

Baileys Cheesecakes, Baileys Shortbread, Guinness Truffles, Guinness Chocolate Chips, Baileys Pots de Crème

And last but not least…something to wash it all down with:

• 

  Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail

• 

  Guinness Hot Chocolate topped w/ Homemade Guinness Marshmallows

• 

  Whiskey & Orange Oat Cream Toddy

Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail, Guinness Hot Chocolate, Whiskey Toddy

Is your mouth watering yet? Quite the galleries of goodies if I do say so myself. And there are many more recipes to be found on my blog as well as seven new ones starting tomorrow! Don’t miss out!

P.S. I tried to get links to the recipe added to the pictures, but with my limited skills, was unable to make it work. You can find links to the pictured recipes in the gallery captions. Sorry ’bout that!

Black Jack Cocktail

Since the weather seems very danged determined to keep rolling out those summer temps, I thought I’d tell you about a nice refreshing cocktail that we have been enjoying – The Black Jack. It is made with a delicious blackberry shrub, a little glug of lemon and orange juice, and Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey served with a splash of tonic water over crushed ice. The perfect thing to cool you down while you’re waiting for the season to change!

So what is a shrub? It is not that small ornamental bush out in the yard. Well, technically it is I suppose. The Shrub that I’m referring to is a concentrated syrup which is made by combining fruit, sugar and vinegar. Just between me and you, when I first read about shrubs all I could think about was the Knights Who Say “Ni” of Monty Python fame. In Monty Python’s “The Holy Grail” these knights will not let King Arthur pass unless he brings them a shrubbery as toll. But I suppose I digress…

So shrubs (the drink) have their roots (yeah, I know I said roots, but I am still talking about the drink, not the plant) in England where vinegar was traditionally used to preserve fruit. This practice then arrived in Colonial America with the settlers. Sailors would take shrubs along with them on sea voyages. These fruity elixirs, being full of vitamin C, helped to protect them from scurvy. In no time folks started mixing that vinegary fruit juice with spirits. Pirates were undoubtedly mixing it with rum. (When in doubt, always blame pirates).  But then, for some reason shrubs fell out of fashion in the 1800s. Lucky for us, shrubs have recently made a big comeback on the cocktail scene.

Several years ago I planted a blackberry bramble in our yard. His name is Chester and this year he grew quite a lot of blackberries. Not enough to make any preserves, or a pie or anything like that, but it was enough to make several batches of blackberry shrub. It is quite easy to make and in addition to mixing it into a cocktail, it can also be used as a glaze in cooking or to liven up a salad dressing. While I did use Jack Daniels for this creation, I must admit mixing the blackberry shrub with some vodka and a splash of tonic is also quite nice. Of course you can also just mix it with plain ole tonic water, without adding any alcohol at all, though I’m not sure why you’d want to do such a thing.   I assure you, the Husband and I have been mixing up the high-test adult beverage versions of this drink. It is deee-lish! On any given night , you might be able to find us out sitting on the porch, toasting to each others health and the much wished for yet slow to arrive Fall temperatures with a  hardy heartfelt “Ni!”

• Servings: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe adapted from: Today Show

Ingredients:

For the Blackberry Shrub:

• 4 cups blackberries
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 pinch kosher salt

For the Cocktail:

• 1 1/2 ounces Jack Daniels
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 ounce blackberry shrub
• Fever Tree Refreshingly light Tonic Water
• crushed ice
• fresh mint for garnish

Directions:

Prepare the shrub: Place blackberries  in a nonmetal bowl. Add the vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir well and cover with plastic wrap. Place mixture in the refrigerator and let it sit for 2 days.

Transfer the berry mixture to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Allow it to cook for 10 minutes or so, skimming away any foam that should form.

Strain the berry mixture through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing any remaining berries against the sieve to extract as much juice as possible. Discard any remaining solids. Store shrub in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. This makes approximately 1 quart of concentrate.

For the Cocktail: Combine the Jack Daniels, lemon & orange juices along with the blackberry shrub in an ice filled cocktail shaker. Shake it up until it is chilled and thoroughly combined. Strain over cocktail glasses filled with crushed ice. Fill glass 1/2 way and then top with tonic water. Garnish with fresh mint if desired.

Enjoy!

Black Jack Cocktail brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Black Jack Cocktail:

Cuisinart Set of 3 Fine Mesh Strainers

Oxo Steel Double Jigger

24 oz. Cocktail Shaker

Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water

La Rochere Napoleon Bee Tumblers

 

Roasty Toasty Cocktail

It’s almost Halloween, which is my favorite holiday! And I have a great recipe to share with you – The Roasty Toasty Cocktail! Full of vodka and toasted marshmallow syrup, one small taste will conjure up autumn thoughts of Halloween bonfires and s’mores. It is just the perfect libation to sip while handing out candy to those adorable little trick or treaters. I must admit, it is a bit on the sweet side, so you’ll feel like you’re indulging in a bit of candy yourself. Why should the kids have all the fun anyway? But let me tell you… this candy cocktail is definitely for adults and has a much better kick to it than your average old Snickers bar! Guaranteed to keep you warm on the most chilly Fall evenings.

I found this delicious cocktail recipe through a fun company called Cocktail Courier. A good friend got the Husband and I a subscription to it a bit back and we have loved it! The way it works is you select your favorite spirits, you know like Vodka and Gin and then the Cocktail Courier folks send you a box with everything in it that you need to create a fabulous cocktail at home.

That’s right – you get the recipe, the booze, mixers and garnish all delivered right to your door (3,6 or 12 month subscriptions are available). Each kit makes 4 -12 amazing cocktails. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving! And Christmas isn’t very far away – so it might be a good gift idea for any boozy buddies you have. Or maybe you could just treat yourself! It’s never been easier to be a hip and happening bartender.

Roasty Toasty

• Servings: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe by: Cocktail Courier/ Laila Grainawi

Ingredients:

• 1.5 ounces Vodka
• .75 ounces Marshmallow Syrup
• .50 ounces Manzanilla Sherry
• 3 Drops Cherry Bark Bitters
• Garnish: 3 roasted and toasted mini marshmallows

Directions:

Chill Rocks glass by placing in fridge/freezer or by filling with ice water and setting aside for 5 minutes.

Measure and add all ingredients (except for garnish) to Mixing Beaker

Fill Mixing Beaker with ice, stir contents by placing shaft of Bar spoon or teaspoon between your index and middle finger. Insert spoon into the beaker until spoon touches the bottom.

Stir for 15 seconds.

Remove Rocks Glass from fridge/freezer or if using ice water, empty the glass.

Strain the contents of the mixing beaker using Julep Strainer, into your Rocks Glass. Top with ice.

Create your garnish by sliding three mini marshmallows onto each skewer. Carefully toast your marshmallows using a lighter or kitchen torch. Place atop each drink.

Enjoy!

Roasty Toasty Cocktail brought to you by Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Roasty Toasty:

Torani Toasted Marshmallow Syrup

Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters

Oxo Streel Double Jigger

Libbey Glass Studded Mixing Glass with Julep Strainer & pourer

Hiware 12 Inches Stainless Steel Mixing Spoon

 

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail – how’s that for a fantastic St. Patrick’s Day offering. Now I know a bunch of folks are going to be guzzling big honking pints of Guinness or even more scary pints of that suspicious looking lager with a green hue. I don’t know about you, but as much as I like the taste of Guinness, I can’t manage more than one pint of the stuff. Not because I’m a light weight…give me some credit please! It’s because Guinness is so filling I feel as though I’ve eaten an entire loaf of bread. I’m ready to roll on home after one measly pint. Where’s the fun in that?!! So this Irish Whiskey Marmalade sounds pretty dang refreshing to me!

Jammy cocktails have been all the rage now for a couple of years. Adding a quality artisan jam to your favorite liquor is a really easy way to achieve a drink with wonderfully complex fruit flavors. The recipe for this particular tipple can be found in my friend Theresa’s debut cookbook: Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen.

I told you all about her and her award winning artisan preserve company, The Green Apron, in my last blog about Irish Whiskey Marmalade Tarts. And yes, you guessed it….that batch of Irish Whiskey Marmalade that I made up for the tarts…I’m also using it in these cocktails. See, I told you The Green Apron jams were very versatile!  Theresa’s Blas na hEireann (Taste of Ireland) award winning Irish Whiskey Marmalade is a perfect choice for this libation.

As far as which Irish Whiskey you should use…well I think that is definitely a personal preference. There is always Jameson, though I have a few friends that swear by Black Bush. The husband is a fan of Red Breast. I’ll leave the choice up to you, but I should say you’ve gotta like Irish Whiskey to drink this creation. In fact, it could be called an Irish Whiskey Marmalade Whiskey Cocktail, come to think of it. Double Whiskey?!! Yup…perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!

• Servings: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen by Theresa Storey

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons marmalade
• 2 – 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
• 60 ml (2 fl. oz.) Irish whiskey
• 1 Tablespoon simple syrup
• Ice cubes
• sparkling water

Directions:

Muddle the marmalade, bitters and whiskey together until the marmalade starts to dissolve. (I know I have a spoon of the jam sitting by the cocktails in the pictures above, so it looks like I’m just going to stir it into the cocktail when I’m ready to imbibe. However, you really should either muddle it with the whiskey and bitters or shake them in shaker ahead of time though, otherwise it is difficult to incorporate into the already mixed cocktail.)

Add the simple syrup. (To make simple syrup, mix equal amounts of water and sugar and heat until he sugar dissolves. Allow to cool completely and keep in the fridge. Use within a few weeks.)

Drink neat over ice or add sparkling water.

Sláinte!

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links to helpful kitchen tools and ingredients for Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail:

Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen by Theresa Storey

Angostura Orange bitters

Fireball Cider Cocktail

Happy Halloween ya’ll! I’m sitting here with cocktail in hand and candy at the ready! I thought you might also like to enjoy a lovely cocktail that is just bursting with Fall/Halloween flavors – The Fireball Cider Cocktail.

It is made with Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey and hard apple cider with a few slices of apples thrown in cuz you want to make sure you’re eating healthy and all… It is delicious and packs quite a punch! You can serve it over ice or if it is going to be a really chilly Halloween where you are, this cocktail also tastes great when served warm. You know…think mulled wine…’cept better, with a fiery cinnamon punch to delight the taste buds. Have one or two (or so…) of these tipples to keep you warm on your wanders. Happy Hauntings!

• Servings: one cocktail
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: What’s Cooking America

Ingredients:

• Ice Cubes (approximately 4 or 5 ice cubes)
• 2 ounces Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey
• 3 ounces hard apple cider
• Apple slices

Directions:

Fill a glass (highball glass or white wine glass) 1/4 full with ice cubes.  You want to chill the drink and not water it down.  Pour in the Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey and then top with the apple cider. (If you chose to enjoy this drink warm, heat the cider and just before you are ready to serve, stir in the Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. If you heat the whiskey too long you risk evaporating all of that lovely alcohol…)

Gently stir until mixed.  Garnish with apple slices.

Enjoy & Happy Halloween!

Fireball Cider Cocktails brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Whiskey & Orange Oat Cream Toddy

Yes indeed! Contrary to what old Punxsutawney Phil would lead us to believe, it is still Winter. And I’ve noticed quite a few folks out there are sniffling and wheezing with winter colds. I know just what’s called for….a Whiskey & Orange Oat Cream Toddy! Chock full of vitamin C to build up your immune defenses and Irish Whiskey to kill any germs or at least make you feel a bit better if they’ve already managed to take hold. Unless the mercury around here suddenly takes a turn for the warmer, you’ll need one or two (or so…) of these to warm you body and soul after attending any St. Patrick’s Day parades. Both delicious and nutritious, so what are you waiting for? Sláinte!

• Servings: 2
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook

Ingredients;

• freshly squeezed juice of 6 large oranges
• 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey, to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tablespoons Irish Whiskey
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons rolled oats, toasted

Directions:

Squeeze the juice from the oranges. You should have 1 1/2 cups juice.

Add the juice to a small saucepan. Add the honey and heat until hot. Do not boil

In the meantime, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Stir in 1 Tablespoon of the Whiskey.

Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of whiskey to the hot orange juice.

Pour the mixture into 2 warm whiskey glasses. Top with a layer of whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted oats.

Enjoy!

Whiskey & Orange Oat Cream Toddy brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links to Useful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Whiskey & Orange Oat Cream Toddy

Oxo Good Grips Double-Sided Citrus Juicer

Scáiltín (Milk Punch)

I thought you might enjoy this recipe for a St. Patrick’s Day beverage. Scáiltín, or Milk Punch, is a hot drink made with milk, Irish whiskey and spices. It has been enjoyed in Ireland since the Middle Ages. I can just see myself, curled up next to the fire with a good book and a big mug of the stuff. Perhaps I can see this so clearly because that is exactly what happened on last night’s snowy eve! Yup, the weather folks were right. It sure did snow yesterday and everything was closed down. It was that really heavy, wet snow that had a lot of rain mixed in. It is mostly gone now around here, though I understand that folks out closer to the mountains got a whole lot more of the stuff. It was an absolutely perfect day to make up a batch of this punch.

Now let me explain, it wasn’t like I was swanning about the house all day yesterday sipping big mugs of Scáiltín and occasionally pausing to snap a photo or two of the blessed concoction. Well, I might have taken a nip of two from the mugs….but it was strictly for research purposes. I certainly wouldn’t want to blog about something that I didn’t think tasted delicious. And in my defense, it was a snow day. Yes, my husband and I both work from home, but that doesn’t mean we can’t join in with the spirit of a snow day. And I definitely was not “swanning about” in the least. But this is about Scáiltín, not me. So let me tell you this silky smooth, spicy cuppa really does pack a punch and will  warm you head to toes. I can see why it was thought to be medicinal. Great for a nightcap or with some cookies in the afternoon or as a remedy for a damp, bone-chilling, slush shoveling day.

Interestingly enough, whilst I was researching Scáiltín, I came across a recipe for New Orleans Milk Punch which is thought to have its origins from Irish Scáiltin, but has evolved appropriately to be imbibed in steamy Louisiana. This beverage is served cold, either over ice or in a “slushy” state. Well, I was very excited to see this. I mean it is a wee bit cold in the winter months in Virginia, we did have a slush storm yesterday, but it is muggy, hot and humid for the majority of the time. So, iced drinks are really popular. And everyone knows, Americans LOVE ice, and lots of it. Literally can’t get enough of the stuff. If we’re getting a cocktail, fill that glass up with ice. Our beer, we want it icy cold and in a chilled mug. We even ice down our tea (gasp, horror). I can assure you, if I lived in New Orleans, one of the muggiest places going, I would drink my Milk Punch in milkshake form!

Now a New Orleans Milk Punch is a bit different from Scáiltín, and not only in temperature. Sure there is milk, but the alcohol added can differ. I found recipes which called for Bourbon, other whiskies or Brandy, though it seems that Brandy is preferred in the Big Easy. Powdered sugar is the sweetener rather than honey and vanilla extract was added to the mix. Although I didn’t see a recipe which called for cinnamon or ginger, nutmeg did make the cut. How exciting! Apparently, New Orleans Milk Punch is often enjoyed at brunch as a sort of “hair of the dog”. I can just see myself sipping it pool side, under a large shady umbrella I assure you. I just couldn’t resist giving you the recipes for both versions and that way you’ll be set with an appropriate beverage no matter how close to the equator you are when you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Sláinte! (Irish for “to your health”).

Scáiltín

Recipe from: The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook

Yield: 2 mugs

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup Irish Whiskey (I used Jameson)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey (or to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I really like cinnamon and used 1/4 tsp.)
• 2 pats of irish butter (optional)
• freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

Directions:

Pour the milk and whiskey into a small saucepan and stir in the honey, ginger and cinnamon.

Heat over low heat, without letting the mixture boil, a whisking briskly to create a froth.

Pour into two warm mugs, top with a pat of butter and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.

Enjoy!

New Orleans Milk Punch

recipe from: Epicurious

yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brandy, (or Bourbon, or other Whiskey )
• 3 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 gratings fresh nutmeg
• Handful of ice cubes
• Crushed ice in 4 glasses

Directions:

Put the brandy (bourbon or other whiskey), milk, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and ice cubes into a blender and blend for 20 seconds.

Strain into glasses of crushed ice, garnish with extra nutmeg gratings and serve.

Enjoy!