Quick Shot: A 1-Minute St. Patrick’s Day Irish Whiskey Refresher

The vast majority of Irish whiskey is light, quaffable, triple distilled blends of malted and unmalted barley and grains. Jameson, Power’s, and Tullamore D.E.W. are examples. The result is easy sipping compared to more complex Scotch offerings. But once you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that Ireland has way more to offer than a shot of Jameson. Here are a few classic Irish whiskeys in three styles.

Single Pot Still whiskey refers to the inclusion of un-malted barley in the mash-bill, not the number of times it’s been distilled, and Redbreast is considered a gold standard of the category. Produced at Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Redbreast is an elegant and well-aged whiskey known for its spicy, grassy flavors.

Bushmills White Label is Ireland’s most famous single malt Irish in the United States, but check out their age-stated offerings to explore single malt Irish whiskey’s true potential. Bushmills is aged in a combo of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, imparting a signature fruity sweetness. Bonus! This St Patrick’s Day, Bushmills is buying. If you are of legal age, order a Bushmills Whiskey straight or in a cocktail from any pub, snap a photo of the itemized receipt, and upload to www.Bushmills.com/FirstWhiskey. Valid receipts will be reimbursed $6.00 via Venmo, PayPal, or Amazon.

A single grain Irish whiskey is distilled and aged in a single location using a grain plus malted barley. Here, that grain is corn, column-distilled to produce a leaner, softer whiskey than most single-pot-still. Kilbeggan Single Grain is sweet and creamy with enough familiar vanilla and caramel notes to lure bourbon fans to the Emerald Isle. Bonus! Ring in St. Patrick’s Day with Kilbeggan’s St. Virtual Toast, happening today at 17:57 in Ireland, or 12:57 pm E.S.T. They chose this time because Kilbeggan Distillery is the oldest licensed distillery in Ireland, established in 1757. Slainte!