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Blended Whisky – Part Two

A look at blending your own whisky and the new Chivas Regal blending kit

Blending your own

If you’ve read part one of this post, or even if you haven’t, you might be thinking it would be fun to try blending your own whisky.

Well, if you think you have what it takes to create a unique and delicious blend, there are a few options available to you. There are a very small number of distilleries around the world that offer a whisky blending experience, where you can sample several different whiskies, and then try blending them with the help of an expert.

If a trip to one of these is not an option, you could buy several different bottles with different flavor profiles, or grab what you have on hand, and start blending.

Whisky Blending Kit from Chivas Regal – Comes in a very nice presentation box for gifting

Here’s another fun option, which I just tried. In November of 2018, Chivas Regal, one of the world’s leading whisky blenders, released a whisky blending kit. For about $35 U.S., you get 50 ml bottles (“airline” bottles) of 5 different whiskies identified only as smoky, fruity, floral, citrus, and creamy, as well as a 50 ml bottle of Chivas Regal 12 (as an example of a good, well balanced blend), a pipette to measure and dispense the whisky, and a beaker to do your blending. It also includes an empty 50 ml bottle labeled “My Blend”. All of this comes in a nice box, which would be perfect for gifting.

The idea here is to work in small batches, adding anywhere from .5 to 3 or 4 ml of each, to build a small tasting sample. You then taste, and adjust your recipe if you want more or less of a certain flavor. Once you have a blend you’re happy with, you can scale up your recipe and make enough to fill the 50 ml bottle.

It took a few attempts, but I managed to come up with something i was proud to call “My Blend”

If you’re going to give this a try, either with this kit or with your own whiskies, I have a few suggestions:
⦁ Before mixing anything, taste 2-3 ml of each whisky. Like making a cocktail, or cooking, it’s important to appreciate the taste of each component on its own, so you know what it’s contributing to the finished product.
⦁ A little smoke goes a long way. Even if you like a smoky whisky, you don’t want to drown out all of the other flavors. The purpose here is to learn about balance. I would recommend no more than about 5% of the “smoky” if you want to be able to appreciate the other flavors.
⦁ The main idea of the “creamy” is to add body and mouthfeel, not flavor. Use it accordingly.
⦁ Measure carefully, and keep track of what you do in each batch, so you can make informed adjustments, and reproduce the results once you find something you’re proud of.

If you look at this as $35 for 300 ml of whisky, it may not seem like a great bargain. I choose to look at it as $35 for a unique learning experience, and for that, it’s a great value.

I do wish they had an option to submit your recipe online and order a full sized bottle of your custom blend. There are sources that offer that, but you’re working from descriptions only, and don’t get to experiment first, so a mistake can leave you with a full bottle of something you don’t like.

Working with bottles of single malt that are available retail gives you better options for buying more, and making larger batches, but then it’s up to you to determine what to use for various flavor characteristics. With the kit, Chivas Regal has done that work for you.

Overall, if you have an interest in making your own custom blends, I think the new Chivas Regal kit is an excellent place to start.

Blended Whisky – Part One

Blends are your friends – Why you shouldn’t automatically dismiss blended whisky as inferior.

Blends are your friends

When most people hear the term “blended whisky”, they immediately think of Scotch. Irish whisky is also divided into blended and single categories, and there are even a small number of blenders in the U.S., but generally, blended whisky refers to Scotch whisky. The idea behind a blend is to combine whiskies of different flavor profiles to achieve a balanced, harmonious medley of flavors.

With single malt increasingly being marketed as a premium product, and news headlines about some examples selling for six figures, many people automatically dismiss blended whisky as somehow inferior to single malt. That is unfortunate. I’ve had some wonderful blends, and some mediocre single malts.

I even saw a comment once that single malt is better because they “get it right every time, every batch”, as if single malt meant single barrel. Obviously this person did not realize that unless it is labeled as “single barrel” or “single cask”, most single malts are a blend of different barrels, different batches, different ages, intended to produce a consistent product. It just all comes from one distillery.

The task of the master blender is not one to be disparaged or taken lightly. It takes years of experience and a trained nose and palate to make sure the next batch of Glenlivet tastes like the last batch of Glenlivet, when differences in grain, wood, and climate can vastly affect the flavor of each barrel. Or to make Chivas Regal taste like Chivas Regal, year after year, with varying supplies from all of your different distilleries.

Essential Single Malts

A guide to adding single malt Scotch to your home bar.

So you’ve got your home bar set up with all the basics. You’ve got all of the base spirits covered, including some whiskies for mixing. Maybe a bottle of Evan Williams or Jim Beam for bourbon cocktails. A decent inexpensive rye like Old Overholt. Maybe even Johnnie Walker Red Label or Dewar’s White Label to make up a Rob Roy in a pinch.

But now you’re looking to up your game. You have that friend or relative who’s a “serious” Scotch drinker. You want to add something nice that can be sipped neat. You want to add single malt Scotch to your home bar.

But where to begin? There are so many selections out there! Prices starting around $30, running up to hundreds. Thousands! Maybe you’ve tried a few. Maybe you’ve tried more than a few, and even have some favorites.

I thought about this, and decided to put togther a list, with a few basics requirements:
⦁ Provide a selection from each of the four most widely known Scotch regions (sorry, Cambeltown), each of which is representative of that region.
⦁ Keep prices reasonable, around $40 per bottle, so you can have a nice selection without spending the next mortgage payment.
⦁ By keeping prices reasonable, it also means you can introduce someone to Scotch without making them think “Gee, this is great. I wish I could afford to drink it at home.”
⦁ Be widely available. I don’t want to recommend something that you can’t find, nor do I want you to introduce your guests to something they can’t find.

For less than $200 (at least in my area), you can have a varied selection to please fans of everything from smoky Islay malts to sherried Speysides, as well as appeal to those new to the world of Scotch. For what it’s worth, here is my recommended “essential single malts”. While other expressions may come and go from my collection, these are the ones that will always sit on my bar, front and center.

Islay – Bowmore 12 Year Old – While this whisky offers the typical peat smoke flavor you would expect from an Islay, it is subdued, not overpowering, and balanced by a pleasant sweetness. It is not a “smoke bomb” like Laphroiag or Ardbeg. For someone looking to try Scotch and expecting it to be smoky, this is a great starting point. If you’re going to start with a single bottle, this is the one I would recommend.

Speyside – Glenlivet 12 Year Old (Glenfiddich 12 Year Old also works well) – These are probably the two most popular single malts worldwide. Both of these showcase the typical flavor profile of a whisky aged in sherry casks, and both should be available at almost any bar or liquor store. Both of these are a little over my $40 target price, but still under $50. Yes, there are Speysides under $40, but none do a better job of representing the region.

Highlands – Glenmorangie The Original (10 Year Old) – This was a tough one. There are so many options from this region, with such varied flavors. The “typical” Highland malt, however, is described as being light bodied and fruity. This core expression from Glenmorangie fits that description perfectly, with the distinctive citrus notes that run through all of their offerings.

Lowlands – Auchentoshan 12 Year Old – With most of the distilleries in the lowlands producing grain whisky, and much of that destined for blended Scotch, there aren’t too many choices for a Lowlands single malt. With Glenkinchie’s 12 Year Old coming in around $55-60, Auchentoshan is the winner by default to stay within my guidelines. The light body and earthy flavors are typical of the Lowlands.

You might be tempted to pick up the Auchentoshan American Wood for about $10 less. While it’s a good whisky for the price, it can be a little rough around the edges. In my opinion, it’s worth a few extra dollars to upgrade to the smoother, more approachable, 12 Year Old.

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International Whisk(e)y Day

Try something new this International Whisk(e)y Day.

Today, March 27th, is International Whisk(e)y day. Those behind the creation of this day use the (e) notation to be all-inclusive, so I am following their lead on this one.

Certainly if you have the chance, you should enjoy a dram. But since it’s an international celebration, maybe this is a good chance to reach for something you wouldn’t normally drink, and try something new? Embrace the fact that whisky is truly an international drink!

Do you normally drink Bourbon, and shy away from Scotch because it’s too smoky? Balvenie 14 year old Caribbean cask finish may be just the right thing. It’s on the sweeter side, picking up some notes from the rum that previously filled those barrels. Or maybe Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or, finished in sweet Sauternes casks.

And you Scotch drinkers – how about giving Connemarra peated Irish whiskey a try? Or maybe a Bourbon with a little more char flavor? Yes, char is a different flavor than peat smoke (more on that in a later post), but it just might be something you like.

Or maybe this is a good time to explore a country not normally known for whisky? Sure, Japanese whisky has been making a splash (pun intended) on the international scene lately, but how about Indian whisky? Amrut Fusion is excellent. Jim Murray rated it 97 points and named it 3rd best whisky in the world in 2010.

The point is, there’s a whole world of whisky out there. Don’t be afraid to leave your own back yard, or your comfort zone.

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What is Scotch?

What are the requirements for a whisky to be called Scotch? What are the different types and regions?

Scotch whisky, like Bourbon, is a specific type of whisky. Because it is commonly just called “Scotch”, it is sometimes thought of as a separate category, also like Bourbon. More than once, I’ve heard or read “I don’t drink whisky, I drink Scotch. Sorry to tell you, but if you’re drinking Scotch, you ARE drinking whisky.

However, although all Scotch is whisky, not all whisky is Scotch. In order to be called Scotch whisky, the following requirements must be met:
⦁ Must be distilled in Scotland from water, malted barley, and other whole cereal grains (the ingredients themselves do not need to come from Scotland).
⦁ Distilled to no higher than 94.8% ABV (alcohol by volume). ⦁ Aged in Scotland for a minimum of 3 years.
⦁ Can contain caramel coloring E150, but no other added colors or flavors. ⦁ Must be bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV.
⦁ If labeled with an age statement, it must indicate the youngest whisky included.
⦁ Labeling without an age statement is permitted. These are referred to as NAS (non age statement) whiskies.

It is a popular myth that all Scotch is smoky. I have even read that Scotch “must” be smoky, as if it were a requirement. This notion comes from the fact that traditionally, the heat to dry barley during the malting process was provided by burning peat, which is an abundant fuel source in Scotland. The smoke from this burning peat flavored the grain, and that flavor was still present in the finished product. Many distilleries still use peat smoke to impart that distinctive flavor, but many others use alternative heat sources to dry the grain and produce a whisky with no smoky taste.

In addition to these requirements, there are various sub-categories of Scotch. The most commonly known are single malt and blended, but there are actually 5 categories.
⦁ Single Malt Scotch must only contain malted barley (no other grains) and be produced at a single distillery. It can be, and usually is, a “blend” of multiple casks of various ages. Do not confuse Single Malt with Single Barrel, which is, as the name implies, from a single barrel.
⦁ Single Grain Scotch must come from a single distillery, but can contain other grains besides malted barley.
⦁ Blended Malt Scotch is a blend of different single malts from different distilleries.
⦁ Blended Grain Scotch is a blend of different single grains from different distilleries.
⦁ Blended Scotch is a blend of single malts and single grains from different distilleries.

As if that isn’t enough to remember, there are five official whisky producing regions within Scotland. These regions are mostly associated with single malt whiskies. Most blends contain whiskies from multiple regions, although occasionally you will see a blend from a single region.

Speyside – The largest whisky region in terms of number of distilleries and total production, and home to many of the best known single malt distilleries. Speyside whiskies are known for being full bodied and full flavored. Many are aged or “finished” in sherry casks, leading to a distinctive flavor profile. More on cask “finishes” in a later post. Speyside is located entirely within the highlands, and whisky produced in Speyside can legally be labelled as Highland whisky.

For a long time, I was under the misconception (as I think many are) that the Speyside region was defined as distilleries drawing their water from the River Spey and its tributaries. I learned recently that it is actually a geographical tax designation, defined by specific boundary lines and counties.

Highlands – The largest region geographically. Highland whiskies can vary widely in flavor profile, largely due to the size and diverse terrain of the region. Several smaller islands off the coast of Scotland’s mainland are home to distilleries. While some think these “island” distilleries should be a separate region, due to their unique characteristics, they are officially part of the Highlands – with one notable exception.

Islay – This single island is home to 8 active distilleries, and is considered its own region. Most Islay distilleries have continued the traditional use of peat. The region is known for its smoky whiskies, although there are some unpeated Islay whiskies as well. The S in Islay is silent, just like the S in island.

Lowlands – Most distilleries in the lowlands produce grain whisky, and much of that ends up in blends. The small number of lowland single malts are known for being light bodied and “approachable”.

Campbeltown – Ask many “experts” how many whisky regions Scotland has, and they will proudly say “four”, and proceed to list those above. There is a fifth official region, however. Campbeltown is located on the Kintyre peninsula in the southwest of Scotland, near Ireland. Legend holds that St. Patrick introduced distillation to Scotland by way of the Kintyre peninsula in the 5th century. At one time, Campbeltown was home to over 30 distilleries, and was known as the whisky capital of the world.

The few remaining single malts produced in Campbeltown are known for being full bodied and often “oily”. Like many coastal distilleries, they can have some salinity to them as well, as the salty air penetrates the casks over the many years that they spend aging in warehouses near the sea.

I know, that’s a lot of information. If you’ve made it this far, thank you! The truth is, this only scratches the surface, but it does cover the basics, and should help you get started. If you’d like to learn more, please be sure to subscribe!

Milk Street Distillery

Visiting Milk Street Distillery in northwestern New Jersey.

This past weekend, I had a chance to visit Milk Street Distillery. The distillery is named for Milk Street, the quiet street it is on. Milk Street is located in the small town of Branchville, in the northwest corner of New Jersey.

The exterior of the 125 year old building fits right in with the surroundings.

Passing through the entryway, you are greeted by seating on an enclosed porch, and an inviting wooden bar.

Gorgeous wooden bar offering drink service for the enclosed porch and tastings

Beyond the bar, you will find a nice waiting area outside the doors to the distillery floor, and a merchandise display including bottled goods, accessories, and books.

The State of New Jersey has strict liquor license laws, and only allows local distilleries to sell product in conjunction with a tour. Self-guided tours are permissable, and many locations settle for handing out a pamphlet and pointing the way.

Milk Street goes a step above, and offers guided tours for no charge (some distilleries charge for guided tours or do not offer them at all). Tastings are available after the tour for a reasonable charge.

Upon walking through the doors from the waiting area, one of the first things you see is JimTom, the distillery cat. Distilleries use grain, and grain attracts rodents. Many distilleries employ a distillery cat to help protect their raw ingredients. IMHO, a good distillery cat is the mark of a good distillery, and JimTom is one of the best.

JimTom the distillery cat takes a quick break from his mousing duties

Our tour was conducted by Gordon Geerhart, who co-owns the operation with his older brother Mike. Gordon gave one of the best tours I’ve ever taken, and I’ve taken many. He provided a lot of good information, and found the perfect balance between not over-simplifying and not being overly technical.

Right inside the entry way, you will see the smaller of two stills, Little Boy. This is used for test runs and recipe formulation.

“Little Boy” – The smaller of two stills is used for recipe formulation

It wasn’t until we moved further back to the larger still that the signifcance of the name dawned on my. Fat Man is used for larger production runs that will be hand bottled and then used behind the bar or sold to take home.

“Fat Man” – The larger of the two stills is used for production runs.

Clear spirits include two different vodkas (one from rice, and one from corn), a rum made from a combination of molasses and evaporated cane juice, and an unaged rye.

On the brown side, they have three offerings:
– An aged rye made from a 100% rye bill – this is very smooth, and offers a tyipcal rye spice profile with maybe a touch more sweetness than some.
– A malt whiskey – here we find a slightly nutty aroma and of course a malty sweetness. The flavor is soft and mild, similar, in my opinion, to a typical lowland single malt.
– “War Penny Bourbon” – I’ll offer a more in depth review of this one soon, but for now I’ll say that a portion of the mash bill is smoked with cherry wood, offering a unique flavor profile.

All of their whiskeys are smooth and delicious. There are a lot of entries in the craft distilling market, and the Geerhart brothers are one team who are getting it right in every detail, from a quality product to an an enjoyable experience.

Craft Distilleries

Why you should consider visiting a local craft distillery near you.

For a long time, if you wanted to create alcoholic beverages on a small scale in the United States, you were limited to beer or wine. Microbreweries were popping up and gaining popularity everywhere, and small, local wineries were a great way to spend a pleasant afternoon.

Distilled spirits, however, remained the province of large operations. The minimum licensing fee for distillery operations was prohibitively high for a small start-up.

Then, about a decade or so ago, many states began paving the way for the entrepreneur to enter the distilling business. Soon, craft distilleries began showing up around the country.

I’ve visited and toured over 20 of these operations, and spoken to many owners. The typical time from the first planning stages to opening the doors as a licensed operation tends to be 2-3 years, at least in my home state and surrounding states.

After that kind of time and investment, there is a need to put product on the shelves and start generating some revenue. The last thing you want to do is make your first product something that won’t be ready for another year or more.

Because of that, most of them begin operations with clear spirits, such as vodka, gin, and white rum. There’s a saying among craft distillers, “Vodka pays the bills.” If they succeed, and get a steady cash flow going, a lot of them will eventually branch out into “brown” or aged spirits such as aged rum and whiskey.

Some in the whiskey community are concerned that these small operations will rush immature product to market, hoping to make a quick profit, and not counting on repeat business. In my experience, that is not the case.

Most of the craft distillers I have visited that are producing whiskey take pride in their product. They are not about to release a sub-standard offering. They already have a good business going in clear spirits, and have the time and money to wait until the stuff in the barrels is ready before putting it on the shelves.

Some of the best whiskeys that I have had, even bourbons (remember, bourbon doesn’t have to come from Kentucky), have been from small, local distilleries. Touring these facilities can be a very entertaining and educational experience. Most of these people are passionate about their craft, and are happy to discuss it with visitors who show an interest. Tours generally include a tasting (for a modest fee) and many have a bar where you can order a cocktail made with their spirits.

If you’re lucky enough to live near one of these places (or even not-so-near; many are worth a bit of a drive), I encourage you to visit their website and plan a visit.

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What is Bourbon?

There are a lot of misconceptions about what is and is not Bourbon. Let’s try to clear them up.

Most people have heard of bourbon, and have at least an idea of what it is, but there are a lot of misconceptions out there. Let’s try to clear some of them up.

Bourbon is a type of whiskey. I’ve heard people say “I don’t drink whiskey, I drink bourbon” as if it is a completely separate product. Bourbon is a very specific style of whiskey, with exact requirements, but it is still a whiskey.

In short, bourbon must be:
⦁ Made in the United States
⦁ Aged in new charred oak containers
⦁ Made from at least 51% corn
⦁ Distilled no higher than 160 proof (80% alcohol by volume)
⦁ Placed in aging containers at no higher than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume)
⦁ Bottled at no lower than 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume)
⦁ Contain no added colors or flavors

Perhaps the most common misunderstanding is that bourbon has to come from Kentucky. While Kentucky does produce most (over 95%) of the bourbon made, it can actually come from anywhere in the United States. It cannot, however, be made outside the U.S. – In 1964, Congress recognized bourbon as “a distinctive product of the United States”.

Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak containers. The container cannot have been previously used for any purpose, not even aging other bourbon. Because the containers cannot be reused for additional bourbon, there is a steady supply of used bourbon barrels. These can been used for aging other products ranging from other whiskies, to beer, maple syrup, and even coffee beans, all of which pick up some of the flavor from the bourbon that has been absorbed into the wood.

Sometimes the word “American” is mistakenly added to the previous requirement, but officially, the oak can come from anywhere. Also note that “barrel” is not specified, although barrels are almost always what is used.

Another frequent mistake is that bourbon must be aged for a minimum amount of time. Most commonly, it is thought that it must be aged at least two years. The fact is that there is no minumum age requirement. If it is aged at least two years, it can be labeled as “straight” bourbon. If it is aged at least 4 years, it does not need to contain an age statement on the label.

Combining the two previous requirements, Jimmy Russell, head distiller at Wild Turkey, famously said that you can take an oak bucket, char the inside, fill it from the still, walk it over to the bottling line, and call it bourbon. It would have to state that it is aged less than a day, but it would be bourbon. And if you wanted to do it again, you would have to get a new bucket.

The “mash” for bourbon must be at least 51% corn, though 65%-75% is most common. The remainder can be any other cereal grain. A portion of malted barley is almost used, as this grain contains the highest amount of the enzyme responsible for converting starches to fermentable sugars.

A “finishing” or “flavoring” grain is usual added. Rye introduces a hint of the spicy flavor notes found in rye whiskey, while wheat produces a more mild flavor. Adding both, along with barley, results in what is often labeled “Four grain bourbon”. Some craft distillers are experimenting with other grains as well. I’ve seen bourbons with oat, millet, sorghum, and even quinoa, and even a “five grain” bourbon, a classic four grain with oat added to the mix.

Bourbon must be distilled to no higher than 160 proof, which is 80% alcohol by volume. This preserves a great deal of the characteristic of the grains that were used to make the mash. Some other whiskies can be distilled as high as 190 proof. Above that, almost all of the grain character is lost, resulting in what is called “neutral grain spirit”.

It must then be placed in the aging containers at no higher than 125 proof. This further helps to preserve the flavor of the grains used, as well as control what flavors are and are not extracted from the wood.

Like most distilled spirits in the U.S., bourbon must be bottled at a minimum of 80 proof, though it can be higher, sometimes as high as “barrel strength”, or “cask strength” meaning that it is placed in the bottles at the same proof that it came out of the barrels. If it is bottled at exactly 100 proof, and meets certain other requirements, it can be labeled as “Bottled in Bond”, but that’s a story for another day.

And lastly, bourbon can not contain any added color or flavor. This seems straight forward, but there is actually a debate going on in the bourbon world right now around this requirement. We’ll talk about that in a future post, I promise.

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Scotch? For St. Patrick’s Day?

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just for Irish whiskey. Why the right Scotch might be an appropriate choice.

St. Patrick’s day is right around the corner, but before you reach for that bottle of Irish whiskey, perhaps you should pause for a moment.

But what does Scotch whisky have to do with St. Patrick? Plenty. St. Patrick was actually a native of Scotland, taken to Ireland at the age of 14. Legend holds that he introduced the art of distilling to Scotland in the 5th Century, via the Kintyre Peninsula.

With that in mind, a whisky from that region would certainly be appropriate for March 17th. Once a booming whisky city, Campbletown has precious few distilleries left, yet remains an official (but often overlooked) region.

The Glengyle Distillery closed almost a centruy ago, but re-opened in 2004. After several limited “preview” releases, the signature Kilkerran 12 Year Old was finally available in 2016.

Upon pouring, this whisky gives an impression of having a lot of body, almost appearing thick.

Oak dominates the nose, along with a hint of peat, and some sherry notes that one would more likely expect from a Speyside. Cherries come through, and linger after everything else has passed.

On the palate, it has a full-bodied mouthfeel that confirms the first visual impression – this is a viscous whisky. Fruity and citrus flavors dominate, along with the smoke hinted at on the nose, similar to a peated Highland. However, the oily body and lingering salinity confirm that this is indeed a Campbletown malt.

The finish is long, warm, and pleasant. If you’ve never had a Campbletown before, this would be a worthy place to start.

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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to try a new whiskey.

Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and many people will be reaching for a bottle of Irish whiskey (remember, there’s an E in Ireland, so there’s an E in the whiskey).

Ireland is crucial in the history of whiskey. In fact, the word whiskey itself comes from Gaelic. Romans called distilled spirits aqua vitae, “water of life”. When they introduced distillation to Ireland, the Gaelic translation was uisge beatha (pronounced ooska bah). Over many years, this became “usky” and then finally “whiskey”.

If you’re not normally a whiskey drinker (or have a friend or signifacant other who you’re trying to introduce to whiskey), this is a perfect occasssion to give it a try. Irish whiskeys tend to be smooth and mildly flavored. In other words, a perfect “beginner’s” whiskey.

And if you’re an experienced whiskey drinker, this is a great opportunity to expand your horizons. Sure, you could reach for the familiar, popular bottle of Jameson’s or Bushmill’s. But why not try something new?

If you’re sticking to a budget, a bottle of Paddy’s could be an interesting change of pace, and will certainly set your party apart from the others. If you’re willing and able to spend a few dollars more, premium Irish whiskeys like Knappogue Castle and Red Breast are worth the price. Normally a Scotch drinker? Give Connemara Peated Irish Whiskey a try.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! And as they say on the Emerald Isle, “sláinte mhaith” – good health! (It’s pronounced slancha va, or you can just say sláinte, which is “health”)

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