Friday, March 7, 2014

ALL THINGS IRISH

The next few posts will be all things Irish, starting with a wee bit o history about Irish Whiskey!
Of all whiskey, Irish alone is triple distilled. The raw spirit  goes into oak casks-sherry casks from Spain, rum and bourbon casks or cask of new American oak, all of which give a different shade of flavor ...there to lie and age until time and the wood have softened and matured it to a round mellowness. Age is as important to whiskey as to brandy. Most Irish whiskey is anywhere from five to twelve years old, some fifteen! Long aging is expensive but it makes a whiskey smooth, gives it a distinctive lightness and grace. True aficionados of Irish whiskey know the nuance of each and state their preferences for Jameson's, Power's, Paddy or Tullamore Dew, the Big Four of Irish whiskeys. The well tempered gentleness of Irish whiskey, it's been claimed leaves no hangover. the Elizabethan writer Richard Stanihurst further adds, "it is a sovereign liquor if it be orderlie taken"
here then are some "orederlie ways to take Irish whiskey as food and drink!


IRISH PUNCH
to restoke the inner fires after a day of skiing or skating, a football game or any other cold weather pastime.
2 slices of lemon
4 whole cloves
2 1/2 ounce Irish whiskey
hot water
sugar
Heat a good sized glass, add lemon, cloves and whiskey, fill with hot water, add sugar to taste, stir and drink!
IRISH COW
one glass hot milk slightly sweetened with sugar, spiked with Irish whiskey

THE LEPRECHAUN
one part Irish whiskey
one part tonic water over ice with a lemon

IRISH CRESTA
for days when you positively have to have a new kind of drink-
1/2 Irish whiskey,
1/4 Irish Mist liqueur,
1/4 fresh orange juice
and the white of an egg,
all shaken together

CHILLED IRISH COFFEE
is indecently rich and delicious invention of James Beard
4 cups freshly brewed coffee,
1 cup heavy cream
4 tsp sugar
1 tbs whipped gcream
ice cubes
1 1/2 - 2 ounces Irish whiskey
combine coffee, heavy cream and sugar then chill
put 1 tbs of whipped cream in the bottom of each 4 highball glasses
add 3 ice cubes
add whiskey
fill with coffee mixture
top off with another spoonful of whipped cream and dust with nutmeg or cinnamon

IRISH WHISKEY TRIFLE
a sinfully luscious dessert
sponge cake
raspberry preserves
2 ounces Irish whiskey
pureed or crushed fruit
custard
whipped cream
cut the top off of sponge cake, sandwich it back together with raspberry preserves, sprinkle with whiskey, cover with fruit, custard and whipped cream.

HAM ROSNAREE
sauted ham steaks, flamed with whiskey, served with brown sauce mixed with sauteed diced apples , 2 tbs  honey and 1/2 cup of cream.

DUBLIN LAWYER
remove the meat from a live lobster cut up
saute in butter
add seasonings to taste
flame with Irish whiskey
bathe in heavy cream
heated through but not allowed to boil
Lobsters and sauce go back into shell for serving.


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