The cocktail edit: From classic to complex, discover 3 perfect pours

Whether you’re entertaining guests or simply looking for a new tipple to try, the Tipperary makes the perfect choice, whether served alone or with simple dishes that bring out its sophisticated flavour notes.

As Belfast-based mixologist Mick Brown says, “The Tipperary is a beautiful balance of Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth and green chartreuse. It was created by Hugo R Ensslin and published in his book Recipes for Mixed Drinks in 1917. Ensslin was an incredible bartender – droves of his drinks went on to feature in Harry Craddock’s famous Savoy Cocktail Book, and cocktail culture owes a lot to this unsung hero.”

So now you have the cocktail, what’s the best whiskey to create the perfect pour? “Slane Irish Whiskey is so versatile, whether you’re making the perfect Irish coffee to a refreshing summer highball of Slane Irish Whiskey and Blood Orange soda. It also lends itself so well to use in classic cocktails from the Whiskey sour to the aforementioned Tipperary.” Mick puts this down to Slane’s rich and complex flavour profile. “It’s a perfect sipping whiskey but also mixes incredibly well in classic cocktails. It’s this versatility that makes it the perfect bartender’s choice.”

Dublin-based mixologist Tiago T Lopez, agrees. “I love the craftsmanship of Slane, how balanced the nose and the palate are. I love creating stirred drinks and whiskey is one of my top all time spirits to work with.”

Here Mick and Tiago create three exclusive cocktail recipes – a classic Tipperary, plus their own unique spins on the drink – so you can find your perfect pour.

“Slane Irish Whiskey has a multitude of flavour notes, including dried fruit and winter spices from our Oloroso Sherry butts and vanilla, toasted oak and ginger spice from our virgin Oak cask,” says Mick.

“With this classic Tipperary, the rich vanilla and butterscotch notes from Slane Irish Whiskey work so well with sweet vermouth, while the vegetal notes from the Chartreuse in both cases play subtly on the palette.”

Ingredients

40ml Slane Irish Whiskey

20ml Sweet Vermouth

10ml Green Chartreuse

1 dash Angostura bitters

Method

To prepare a Tipperary, first chill your glass with some ice or in the freezer for 30 mins beforehand.

Then move onto your garnish. Take a speed peeler (potato peeler) and remove a long strip of orange peel, about10 cm. Trim off the edges to make yourself a rectangular shape before cutting the shorter ends at an angle. Set this aside.

Add all your ingredients to your mixing tin or glass and add plenty of ice before stirring until chilled and sufficiently diluted – 30 seconds should do it. Have a taste and check the balance, stir for another 10 seconds if needed.

Now strain into your perfectly chilled glass and express the oils from your prepared garnish over the drink. Finally place the garnish in your drink.

“In terms of my mixology style, I’m a purist when it comes to the classics, and a curious child when it comes to my own concoctions,” says Tiago.

“The Slane Whiskey flavour note that I wanted to highlight is the nuttiness and I did this using the roasted sesame oil. The T & Tipperary is a smooth, sophisticated variation, adding coffee and nutty flavours to the drink. It will pair well with tagliatelle with truffles and blue cheese.”

Ingredients

45 ml Slane

15 ml Sweet vermouth

10 ml Green Chartreuse

10 ml Kahlua

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method

Add all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled .

Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass (no ice).

Express the oil of an orange twist over the glass and discard, add three drops of roasted sesame oil.

“Again, with Slane Whiskey, in terms of flavour there’s a lot to play with – the seasoned American Whiskey casks give notes of banana and coconut,” says Mick.

“So for my spin on the Tipperary, I really wanted to amplify this, knowing how well yellow Chartreuse works with banana, it was an obvious substitute for the green Chartreuse found in the classic. This adds a wonderful tropical nose and top notes on the palette, to create a full and rich sipper.”

Ingredients

30ml Slane Irish Whiskey

20ml Sweet Vermouth

10ml Yellow Chartreuse

10ml Banana Liqueur

1 dash Absinthe

Method

To prepare a Banana Munster, first chill your glass with some ice or in the freezer 30 mins beforehand.

Then move onto your garnish. Take a speed peeler (potato peeler) and remove a long strip of lemon peel, about 10 cm, trim off the edges to make yourself a rectangular shape before cutting the shorter ends at an angle, set aside.

Add all your ingredients to your mixing tin/glass and add plenty of ice before stirring until chilled and sufficiently diluted, 30 seconds should do it. Have a taste and check the balance, stir for another 10 seconds if needed.

Now strain into your perfectly chilled glass, with a large block ice cube or plenty of regular ice and express the oils from your prepared garnish over the drink, finally place the garnish in your drink.

Photography: Dan Jones. Styling: Libby Silbermann.

Slane Irish Whiskey: For the perfect celebration

Forged within the idyllic Boyne Valley, Slane Distillery is built on the grounds of the legendary Slane Castle, an ancient estate where they make extraordinary whiskey and throw legendary gigs. Since the first incredible concert in 1981, Slane Castle has hosted some of the most iconic acts in music history. This year sees the return of the Slane Castle concerts for the first time since 2019.

Slane Irish Whiskey is a blend of malt and grain whiskeys which are matured using a signature triple-casked process that builds a complex and full-flavoured taste profile. Each cask is matured separately and then they are masterfully blended together.

Blending, like music, is about achieving the right balance between these different notes and with these three casks there are plenty of flavours to play with. From the virgin oak cask, there is vanilla and toasted oak, from the seasoned cask, brown sugar and ripe banana, while the oloroso sherry cask delivers dried fruits and spice. All of this comes together in the blend to create a rich, bold Irish whiskey that stands out, even when mixed into a classic cocktail or favourite mixer.

Click here to find out more about Slane Irish whiskey, or order online.

Please drink responsibly.