A smidge of green, a pint of beer, and a laugh with friends are all things that make a St. Patrick’s Day celebration great – but what could make it better? A cocktail featuring the spirit of the holiday: Knappogue Castle 12 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Whether you’re staying in to celebrate with friends or having a nightcap after a pub-crawl, these cocktail recipes will be sure to please a crowd.

Emerald Old Fashioned

Photo Credit Jenny Adams 

A green-twist on an age-old classic, this cocktail meshes the sweet and spicy flavor palate of green chartreuse with the oaky, fruity balance of Knappogue Castle 12 Year. 

Ingredients:
2 oz Knappogue 12 Year Old
1 tsp Honey syrup
1 tsp Green Chartreuse
1 tsp Dolin Genepi
Mint

Method:
Pour all ingredients (excluding mint) into a rocks glass full of ice. Stir for approximately 12-14 seconds. Garnish with a sprig of mint, spanked, and enjoy.

Glass: Rocks glass
Garnish: Mint, spanked

She-lei-lei

Photo Credit Jenny Adams

Don’t feel like donning the traditional emerald attire this St. Patrick’s Day? Substitute it with this tropically inspired cocktail as your splash of green for the festivities. This light, sweet concoction combines the sweet, earthy undertones of matcha and coconut with the robust pepper and wood of Irish whiskey.

Ingredients:
2 oz Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old
3oz Vita Coco Coconut Water
½ oz Rich Cane Sugar Syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)
¼ tsp Matcha Tea

Method:
Add all ingredients into a shaker (adding the tea last) and shake for 10 seconds without the ice. Add the ice and shake again. Strain the concoction into a rocks glass, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon and a cinnamon stick across the top.

Glass: Rocks glass
Garnish: Freshly ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick for top of glass

Quin Parish Gold Rush

Photo Credit Gabi Porter

If you’re craving a sidecar but still want to be festive, this creative edition of a classic is the drink for you. With spicy, herbal elements of cardamom, paired with sweet, earthy notes of apple-infused whiskey, this cocktail will fill your need for something sweet and spicy in a holiday of savory.

Ingredients:
1 ½ oz apple-infused Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old
½ oz Pierre Ferrand Cognac
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz Steen’s cane syrup simple (1:1)
2 green cardamom pods

Method:
Muddle the cardamom pods and add this plus all the other ingredients to your shaker. Shake with ice, and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a small slice of apple and an edible flower for the perfect presentation.

Glass: Coupe glass
Garnish: Slice of apple, edible flower

Goodnight Irene, See You in my Dreams

Photo Credit Gabi Porter

Looking for a simple cocktail between beers? Look no further than this mix – the perfect combination of smooth, bittersweet spirits with a lemon twist at the end.

Ingredients:
1 oz Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old
1 oz Lustau East India Sherry
1 oz Cynar

Method:
Stir, over ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail, coupe, or down glass. Garnish with lemon oil.

Glass: Cocktail, coupe, or down
Garnish: Lemon oil

Haley’s Comet

Photo Credit Peter Scheider

Sophisticated and sweet – this libation will satisfy anyone who foregoes the traditional whiskey and beer for St. Patrick’s Day and craves something fruity and floral.

Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Knappogue 12 Year Old
¾ oz Lillet Rose
½ oz Crème de Framboise (Esprit du Vin)
1 tsp Amero (or Campari)
1 tsp vanilla syrup

Method:
Combine all the ingredients into a pot and put over heat. Continuously stir until the sugar is dissolved, then let the mixture come to a roaring boil and remove from the heat. Let it sit overnight, and strain it with a chinois or cheesecloth.

Glass: Cocktail
Garnish: None

Craving a pour of Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, neat? Find more Irish cocktail inspiration here.

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