St. Patrick’s Day is on the horizon, so look out for the green beer and NCAA Tournament brackets. We love the traditions based around this springtime holiday, but — like a good cocktail — we also like to shake things up. This year, try something new with an Irish twist on a tiki classic.
Naturally, we reached out to some quality mixologists for inspiration. And not just any cocktail crafters. We chatted with Three Dots and a Dash, one of the very best American bars. The Chicago institution makes some of the best tiki drinks you’ll likely ever taste.
Tiki drinks evoke warm vacations beneath palm fronds. They’re amazing at bona fide tiki bars and make holidays extra celebratory. But they’re great in the offseason, too, especially if you want to mentally transport somewhere.
The following drink is cool on multiple levels. For one, unless you get the chance to pop into Three Dots and a Dash (which you should), you’re likely not gonna find much like it anywhere else. Unless, of course, you make it yourself with the assist of the recipe below.
The cool factor extends to the drink’s approachability as well as its showy nature (dress it up, people). We suggest going all in and busting out your favorite floral button-down and big-billed hat. Throw on some vintage Hawaiian music and the tiny drink umbrellas. Who says those things can’t pair up with St. Paddy’s Day fixtures like Irish soda bread or Shepherd’s pie? Nobody, that’s who.
If you like Guinness, go nuts. Green everything? More power to you. But if you’re looking for something a little different this year, especially if you want to impress friends or your own palate, read on. We’ve got a great cocktail to have in hand during St. Paddy’s Day — Jameson mai tai.
Jameson mai tai
At the bar, the orgeat is made in house. You’re welcome to do the same (check out our orgeat syrup recipe) or find some at your local bar supply shop. Blending nuttiness with a citrus kick and the woody roundness of whiskey, this is a fine cocktail. Do play around with the presentation, as that’s half the fun with tiki drinks. Dust off your best vintage glassware, ready some flowers and fresh herbs, and bust out the paper straws.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Jameson Irish Whiskey
- 1/4 ounce dry Curaçao
- 3/4 ounce lime juice
- 3/4 ounce almond orgeat
- 16 ounces crushed ice
- 4 mint sprigs (for garnish)
- 1 spent lime hull half (for garnish)
- 1 edible orchid (optional garnish)
Method:
- Combine Jameson, dry curacao, and almond orgeat in a shaker with 16 ounces of crushed ice.
- Whip shake (shake until the ice is gone and the mixture is slightly frothy).
- Strain into a double rocks glass and add crushed ice until the drink fills the glass.
- Swizzle the cocktail until it’s homogeneous (becomes opaque).
- Garnish with a bouquet of mint, spent lime hull (rind up), and edible orchid (if desired).
St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have to be a beer-soaked and dreary occasion. Even if the weather is poor, you can go straight to the sun-kissed beach with this recipe. Here’s to longer, milder days ahead.
