A campaign to find Ireland’s favourite cocktail kicks off today as part of the Irish Cocktail Festival. The event, which runs until Saturday, October 15th, has gone nationwide for the first time this year, with 70 venues taking part across the 32 counties.
The explosion of interest in distilling in Ireland is reflected in the spirits used in many of the signature cocktails devised for the festival by the bars, restaurants, hotels and pop-ups taking part.
You could mark the start of the week by sipping a Dill-igence, made with Gunpowder Gin (from Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim), chamomile and dill syrup, fresh sage, pear and lemon, at Coppinger Row in Dublin 2 (€10).
Bow Lane cocktail bar in Aungier Street, Dublin, is offering a Who’s Who of Yuzu, made with Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey – the Oak Devil blend of malt and grain whiskies aged in bourbon casks – with rhubarb liqueur, yuzu fruit, sugar syrup, Angostura bitters, egg whites, garnished with rhubarb and custard candy (€10).
Down in Ballymaloe House in Co Cork, they’ve stayed local with their choice of spirit. You can prime your appetite for dinner there with a Garden Barrel Punch, made with Jameson Black Barrel, distilled a few miles down the road in Midleton, Crinnaghtaun apple juice, lemon and soda, garnished with the fruits of the hotel’s gardens (€10).
Glenlo Abbey Hotel in Galway is offering a trip on the Orient Express via its Dingle vodka, John Lemon rhubarb and ginger beer, garnished with a frosted ginger orange crust (€9.90).
And if Budget 2016 brings you no good news, you could drown your sorrows with an Irish Manhattan, made with Writer’s Tears whiskey at Bill Byrne’s bar in Kilkenny city (€7).
You can vote for your favourite by using the #BestIrishCocktail hashtag on Twitter or by commenting at facebook.com/GreatIrishBeverages.
