The Emerald Cocktail: Irish Whiskey Bliss

The Emerald cocktail is proof that there are many roads to cocktail bliss. It's also a fine Irish whiskey cocktail that's as easy to craft as it is to sip.

Emerald CocktailPhoto by2foodtrippers

Crafting Emerald cocktails reminds us that mixology is a deep sea with a bottom that's practically impossible to reach. Every time we craft one cocktail, we discover ten more that are similar. In this case that cocktail is the Manhattan.

The Emerald is so similar to a classic Manhattan cocktail that some people refer to it as an Irish Manhattan. But we prefer the cocktail's original name since we're fans of both the color and the gem.

What Is an Emerald Cocktail?

There's no need to adjust your screen.

While you might expect an Emerald cocktail to be green, its hue is actually amber. This cocktail's moniker has everything to do with the heritage of its primary ingredient and nothing to do with the cocktail's color.

To nobody's surprise, Irish whiskey hails from Ireland. Unlike the Emerald cocktail, Ireland is known as the 'Emerald Isle' due to its abundance of grasslands and general greenery. Thus, think of the cocktail as more of a tribute to the Irish nation than a color.

If your heart is set on imbibing a green cocktail, the Emerald is not for you. However, you're in the right place if you're looking for a simple yet sophisticated sipper featuring Irish whiskey. You can imbibe Emerald cocktails at pubs in Dublin but you can also craft them at home.

Ingredients

The Emerald cocktail's ingredients are similar those in a Manhattan but with a few twists. Here are the ingredients you'll need to craft an Emerald cocktail at home:

• 2 ounces Irish whiskey
• 1 ounce sweet red vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters
• orange peel (garnish)
• ice cubes (for mixing)

In addition to Irish whiskey, the Emerald cocktail recipe calls for two more liquors - sweet red vermouth and orange bitters.

To craft our Emeralds, we use Jameson Irish whiskey from Ireland, Carpano sweet red vermouth from Italy and Angostura orange bitters from Trinidad and Tobago. Pushing the cocktail's 'internationality,' we use oranges grown in Portugal's Algarve for garnish.

How to Craft an Emerald Cocktail

The first step is to measure the Irish whiskey and sweet red vermouth. We use a Japanese jigger in this and other cocktail recipes to ensure accurate measurements and clean pours.

You'll want to pour both liquors directly into a mixing glass as you measure each. You can use a shaker or tall glass if you don't have a mixing glass.

The next step is to add a dash of orange bitters. Don't skip this step as it completes the cocktail's flavors!

Add a handful of ice and stir until the ingredients are combined and chilled.

Strain the cocktail into a glass of your choice. We used a lowball glass but a coupe glass would work too.

Express the glass rim with an orange peel.

Finally, drop the peel into the glass as garnish.

Variations

The following two cocktails are both similar to the Emerald. We say craft all three to find your personal favorite.

• Craft a Manhattan cocktail with whiskey, sweet red vermouth and angostura bitters.
• Replace the orange bitters with angostura bitters and add green chartreuse to craft a Tipperary cocktail.

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