Elevated Irish Whiskey Ginger Cocktail Recipe

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For many whiskey lovers, Irish whiskey is often enjoyed within Irish coffee, which is one of the most popular coffee cocktails. Irish whiskey, however, is just as versatile as its similar (but not identical) Scottish cousin. One of the main differences between the two (besides their country or origin) is the fact that Irish whiskey is often triple-distilled, which can make it lighter and smoother than double-distilled Scotch. It can have a subtly fruity flavor profile, as well, which makes it the perfect pick for this ginger-citrus cocktail.

As recipe developer Patterson Watkins says of her Irish whiskey ginger cocktail recipe, "That refreshing combo of zesty ginger and those almost vanilla-honey elements of the whiskey make for some tantalizing flavors to build off of." Instead of simple syrup, she sweetens the cocktail with a syrup made from brown sugar and baking spices. Further adding to the drink's complexity is a garnish of candied sage leaves, something she says "brings an earthy, herbal element, contrasting with the ginger beer's bubbly bite." The addition of orange juice adds some tartness to the sweet syrup and bitter booze, making for a mixed drink that's as well-balanced as it is refreshing.

The main components of the cocktail are whiskey, ginger beer, and a syrup made from orange juice, brown sugar, ginger, anise, cardamom, and cinnamon. To make the garnishes, you'll also need granulated sugar, sage leaves, and orange peels.

A few notes on the ingredients: Don't substitute ginger ale for the ginger beer, since the drink is already on the sweet side and needs that gingery bite. You can opt for a wallet-friendly whiskey, however, since the sweet, yet slightly tart orange juice syrup will help smooth out the rough edges found in a bottom-shelf bottle.

To make the candied sage leaves, place ¼ cup sugar and water in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine and warm over medium-low heat.

Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Place the sage leaves on a sheet of wax paper, evenly spaced.

Brush both sides of the sage leaves with the simple syrup.

Generously sprinkle the brushed sage with the remaining granulated sugar and transfer to a wire rack to dry, about 2 hours.

To make the brown sugar syrup, place the orange juice, minced ginger, star anise, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks in another small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the orange juice has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Remove the baking spices from the saucepan using a slotted spoon and discard.

Add the brown sugar to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Continue to simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes more.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to catch any missed baking spices. Set the syrup aside to cool at room temperature.

To make the cocktails, fill glasses (rocks or collins) with ice and pour 2 ounces of whiskey into each glass.

Pour 1 ounce of the brown sugar syrup into each glass and stir.

Top the glasses with ginger beer.

Garnish the cocktails with candied sage leaves and orange peels before serving.

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The brown sugar syrup can be prepared well in advance, since it keeps for a fairly long time in the fridge (at least two weeks, if not longer). Since this recipe makes a generous amount, you will likely have leftovers, and these can be used to flavor coffee or tea. You could also pour this orange and brown sugar-flavored syrup over your waffles or pancakes for a morning treat, or add it to ice cream for dessert.

The candied sage leaves, on the other hand, won't last quite as long if prepped ahead. "The sage leaves are tricky, if you want to prep them ahead of time, you're going to want to keep them as dry as possible (that sugar coating really likes to soak up moisture)," Watkins explains. If you'll be using them within 24 hours, store them on a wire rack at room temperature and leave them uncovered so they stay as dry as possible. Apart from making a striking sweet-and-savory drink garnish, candied sage leaves are also an excellent way to dress up fall desserts. Keep them in mind for Thanksgiving, since they'd be the perfect accompaniment for pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole.

This recipe calls for whole spices to flavor the syrup, but you don't need to use these if they're not something you typically keep in the pantry. Instead of the cardamom pods, you may use ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom. ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon can take the place of both cinnamon sticks, while ¼ teaspoon of powdered ginger can replace the minced fresh ginger. For the star anise, you could substitute a small pinch of crushed anise seeds or even ground cloves. Two or three whole cloves could also be used in its place.

If you do go with whole cloves or any other ingredient that can't be fished out with a slotted spoon, strain the infused orange juice through a coffee filter or a cheesecloth-lined strainer before adding the brown sugar. This additional straining step, along with the one performed after the sugar has dissolved, will help to ensure that there aren't any unsightly dregs floating in the drink.

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