John Collins

John Collins is the whiskey brother to Tom Collins. I realize there is also a Whiskey Collins, but the Collins is such an Irish-American cocktail that it needs doing with a real Irish whiskey.

I'm hot and cold on my feelings about Donegal Estates whiskey. It is dry and almost flavorless except for a bit of grain on the center of the tongue. This makes it excellent as a cocktail whiskey with light and refreshing drinks like the Collins. It is uninteresting when taken neat, except that occasionally it pairs well with shortbread or as a topper to fizzy drinks. For me, it wasn't worth the price, in the 30 dollar range, but that's the thing about Irish whiskey imports. You pay a premium regardless of quality.

• 2 oz. Irish whiskey (Donegal Estates used)
• 1 oz. lemon juice 
• 1 tsp. sugar
• soda
• lemon slice
• orange slice
• maraschino cherry (green used)

Combine whiskey, juice and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass (Guinness glass used) and top with soda. Garnish with fruit.

Serpent's Tooth

At the heart of this wily cocktail is Irish whiskey, placing this drink among the rank of the Tipperary and Everybody's Irish which use green Chartreuse and lots of flavorful spirits. As written, the recipe calls for 1 1/2 oz. of lemon juice, making it extremely acidic and difficult to drink. With a half ounce of simple syrup added, it becomes extremely amenable and boozy. You notice sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters and Jagermeister. I'll include the sugar in the recipe so that no one feels the bite of the Serpent.

• 2 oz. Irish whiskey
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz. Jagermeister
• 1 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 3-5 dashes Angostura bitters
• lemon twist

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. Garnish with twist. 

Irish Cow

There's a time and place for drinks like this. That's not to say it's a bad drink, just not something you want on a hot day, right?

So this was surprisingly simple to make. Heating the mild and sugar in a saucepan on low, then dumping it in a mug with the whiskey. That may be well, because you will want this drink when you are having trouble sleeping. Warm milk is a great way to ease yourself back to bed on a sleepless night. The whiskey helps calm nerves as well. Throw in a few shortbread cookies and you have a nice midnight snack.

• 2 oz. Irish whiskey (Donegal used)
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 tsp. sugar

Warm milk and sugar in a saucepan on low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Build drink in a heat-resistant mug with whiskey first and topping with milk. 

One Ireland

A lot of minty St. Patrick's Day drinks are a little gross because the creme de menthe is cheap and tastes bitter. I could see this being done with no sugar and some vermouth or green Chartreuse like in the Everybody's Irish. I can't cite that recipe enough as the worst example of a green drink for the sake of being green on St. Patrick's Day.

On the other hand, this one is actually pretty nifty. It's not my style: a mint ice cream flavor that I'm sure some women will like. And it isn't really a great drink to waste good whiskey in, because it would work equally well with vodka. The point is that it is green and really creamy and doesn't offend anyone.

Which is funny, because the name suggests a stridently political outcome. I'm not taking sides, but this strangely ameliorating cocktail probably got its name because no one can disparage this drink for not being Irish enough.

• 2 oz. Irish whiskey (Donegal Estates used)
• 1 oz. green creme de menthe
• small scoop of vanilla ice cream

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass. 

(Irish) Whiskey Flip

While I'm drinking Donegal Irish whiskey, I thought I'd make a Whiskey Flip. I've said before that you can flip anything; meaning you can add an egg, cream and sugar to any spirit, wine, or even non-alcoholic drink like coffee or tea and shake it up into an eggnog.

Whiskey seems to be one of the main choices for a flip because it adds a little vanilla flavor from the barrel aging. Blended whiskey is specified because you don't want something with too much character sticking out and detracting from the dessert-like quality of the drink.

This is thick and and luxurious, the kind of drink you want in the winter: and it is still technically winter, though a warm one. Fresh nutmeg makes it even more of a treat.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Donegal Estates used)
• 1 oz. half-and-half
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake until foamy. Add ice and shake to chill. Strain into a sour glass and garnish with grated nutmeg to taste.

Boston Sour

Boston has a bunch of cocktails to its name. It is currently one of the world's cocktail hotspots, as well. I wonder if the Boston Sour has made a comeback in recent years. I hope so; it's a good drink for this time of year.

The Boston Sour is a very sweet and silky sour owing to the large portion of sugar and egg white. It isn't a standout among many sours that include egg white, however. To make it more regionally specific, I picked an Irish whiskey, Donegal Estates, which is a good blended whiskey for mixing. With all the Irish-American influence in Boston, it seems like a good choice.

• 2 oz. blended whiskey (Donegal Estates used)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 egg white
• lemon wheel
• maraschino cherry (green for St. Patrick's Day used)

Combine sugar, whiskey, lemon juice and egg white in a shaker and shake well until foamy. Add ice and shake again to chill. Strain into a chilled sour glass and garnish with lemon and cherry.