EMBURY COCKTAILS

Jameson Laborers' Nicknames Provide A Wealth Of Cocktail Name Possibilities

Above, an illuminated cutaway of a whiskey barrel at Bow Street.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day I thought I'd dust off this little gold mine of brilliant nickames I came across while visiting Jameson's Bow Street Distillery in Dublin, a facility dating back to 1780. (The modern distillery is across the Isle, in County Cork). As the coopers, distilllers and other laborers were historically positions passed on from father to son, the preponderance of Joyces, Keanes & McCarthys led the crew to make nicknames universal and compulsory. You got one shortly after starting work, after you'd been properly sized up, and aftwewards you were never referred to by any other name. The cheekiness of these nicknames reveal a pretty wicked  collective sense of humor; "Gorgeous Gus", "Gamebird", "Philosopher" "Jellybelly"  and "Snow White"* are some of my personal favorites. But I think these names could serve another purpose--as great monikers for cocktails--ideally featuring the Irish whiskey, obviously. Naming cocktails is a realm where some find a fun challenge, and others find only dread and creative stalemate. Let the smartasses of history do some naming legwork for you. I've typed a partial list below, and by clicking on this blow-up of the nickname manifest you should be able to see them all. Sláinte!

 

Partial list:

The Laughing Cavalier

Lump

Manchester

Duckegg

Ducky Woman

Looney

Ya Ya

Chinstrap

Cock

General 

Nizzler

Snow White

Greenskin

Daddy

Shaky

Scrapper

Gew Gaw

Harpo

Little Rowdy

Jibber 

Flop 

Hump

Banjo

Lippy

Swank 

Fourty Ten

Forty Elleve

Misere

and, of course:

 

Twitterdick.

 

 

A Civilized Alternative To Countless Pints On St. Patrick's Day: Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve

(Note: This post was originally published on newnownext.com, the online side on the Logo network. When I first tasted the Black Barrel my instant reaction was: gateway Irish whiskey for the unitiated and the second thought was: I could see this bracing iteration of Jameson landing with the gays. Thus, the open shirt come-on of the photo (below) I shot for the piece. But rest assured: all are welcome to enjoy this fine spirit. J.R.)

Irish Whiskey has fallen off in popularity in the last couple generations in the U.S. but as drinkers' palates get more sophisticated and complex subtleties are starting to come back into the forefront of sprits (see: mezcal, pisco) the category is swiftly coming back into vogue. One bold new expression of a classic should further hasten that return. From the gold standard of Irish whiskies, Jameson, comes a subtle, restrained new iteration that falls well below the aged versions in terms of price, but holds up beautifully on flavor profile.  Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve is made from a combination of rare grain whiskies and pot still malted and unmalted whiskies, and aged in sherry & bourbon casks for an average of 12 years (as opposed to standard Jameson's 7), Then a team of distillers blends them in a wickedly tasty ratio that has the sock in the jaw you expect from Irish whiskies, but without the more maltly, almost syrup-y quality of Jameson. Where Jameson has a green apple sweetness the Black Barrel goes more autumnal, with notes of vanilla, toasted oak and stone fruit, set off by a touch of welcome spice and heat that gives each sip a complex and evolving arc. Bracing and supple, this sipper may just be the gateway Irish whiskey that seduces you.

Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve is only available in New York right now but will be rolling out to other markets in the months to come. It clocks in at about $44, and it can be ordered from Astor Wine & Spirits. J.R.

Shot Of The Week

Not that kind of shot, for once. Out inaugural SOTW comes from Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Portland's Clyde Common, who tweeted this photo with the caption "This is what your Irish whiskey shelf looks like after the Pogues drop by the restaurant for dinner".

St. Patrick's Day Special Pt. 2: Whiskey Flight with Paula Reynolds

It's all Irish, all day, here at Embury. We sat down with Paula at the  PR firm The Thomas Collective, where she led a tasting of 4 distinct Jamesons. Cameraman Chad Mumm and I got to sample all the varieties, and we were rather cheerful when we left that afternoon.

Jameson Whiskey Flight from Embury Cocktails on Vimeo.

St. Patrick's Day Special: 4 Questions for Paula Reynolds

Check out our clip of Paula making a Jameson Whiskey Sour here.
Jameson Irish Whiskey
The Thomas Collective

Friday Night Cocktail: The Jameson Whiskey Sour.

Paula Reynolds, brand ambassador for Jameson, demonstrates how to make the perfect Jameson Whiskey Sour.  More Paula to come on the 17th as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Jameson Whiskey Sour

2 Parts Jameson Irish Whiskey
1/2 Part Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/3 Part Simple Syrup
Dash Egg White
Dash Bitters
Orange Twist for Garnish
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake over ice. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with an orange
twist.