The Tipperary: A Potent Irish Cocktail

It may be a 'long way to Tipperary' but the journey to craft a Tipperary cocktail is short and sweet. Follow this easy Tipperary cocktail recipe and start sipping the potent classic cocktail in mere minutes.

Tipperary CocktailPhoto by2foodtrippers

A Tipperary is likely not be on the tip of your tongue when you order a stiff cocktail at your local watering hole. But maybe it should be.

Older than a century, this classic pre-prohibition cocktail has withstood the test of time. And, equally important to cocktail enthusiasts, it's an international drink with an Irish heartbeat. Irish whiskey is its primary ingredient.

Outside of its Irish spirit core, liquor additions of sweet red vermouth and angostura bitters add elements similar to a Manhattan. The addition of green chartreuse adds herbaceous flavors and makes the Tipperary unique.

What Is a Tipperary Cocktail?

Many people have never heard of the Tipperary cocktail.

Despite its status as an official IBA (International Bartenders Association) cocktail, the Tipperary doesn't appear on many modern cocktail lists. In fact, most people discover the classic cocktail while hunting for sophisticated sippers crafted with Irish whiskey. At least that's how we discovered the Tipperary.

While researching the cocktail, we couldn't stop humming the British marching song It's a Long Way to Tipperary and singing the following lyrics again and again and again:

It’s a long way to Tipperary,
It’s a long way to go.
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know!

Tipperary Cocktail History

Our wee bit of research revealed that the Tipperary wasn't actually invented in Dublin or another Irish city. Rather, its roots are across the pond in a New York City bar. However, we like to think that the original bartender was inspired by County Tipperary or at least the song that's next to impossible to stop humming.

Ingredients

Staying true to the Tipperary's history, we use the following ingredients in our Tipperary cocktail recipe:

• 1½ ounces Irish whiskey
• 1 ounce sweet red vermouth
• ½ ounce green chartreuse
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• orange peel (garnish)
• ice cubes (for mixing)

Despite its reputation as an Irish cocktail, the Tipperary recipe is more international than its name implies. The classic cocktail's liquors hail from four countries in two different continents.

• Irish Whiskey from Ireland
• Green Chartreuse from France
• Sweet Red Vermouth from Italy
• Angostura Bitters from Trinidad and Tobago

How to Craft a Tipperary Cocktail

The first step is to measure the Irish whiskey, sweet red vermouth and green chartreuse. We use a Japanese Jigger in this and other cocktail recipes to avoid spillage and ensure accurate measurements.

You'll want to pour each liquor directly into a mixing glass. You can use a large cup or shaker if you don't have a mixing glass.

The second step is to add two dashes of angostura bitters directly into mixing glass.

Next, add a handful of ice and stir until the liquids are thoroughly mixed and chilled.

We use a bar spoon to stir this and other cocktails.

Immediately strain the cocktail into a glass.

We like to use a small martini glass but a coupe glass would work well too.

The final step is to express the glass with orange peel and garnish with an orange twist.

Your Tipperary crafting journey is now complete. Hooray!

Variations

After you follow the not-so-long way to Tipperary, you can craft one of the the following similar cocktails if you're feeling experimental or if you're missing any of the Tipperary's ingredients:

• Craft a Bijou cocktail with gin, sweet red vermouth, and green chartreuse.
• Craft an Emerald cocktail with Irish whiskey, sweet red vermouth and orange bitters.
• Craft a Manhattan cocktail with whiskey, sweet red vermouth and angostura bitters.
• Craft an Old Fashioned cocktail with whiskey, a sugar cube and angostura bitters.

This recipe was originally published on 2foodtrippers. Consider subscribing to 2foodtrippers if you enjoyed it.