The Irish Maid is similar to the popular whiskey smash, with floral notes from elderflower liqueur and freshness from the cucumber.
If you're reading this on the 17th of March - happy Saint Patricks Day! If you celebrate it! Which I don't! I do however enjoy the occasional Irish whiskey, particularly in a cocktail. The Irish Maid falls under the category of sours, which usually contain a base liquor, lemon or lime juice and a sweetener.
A little bit about Irish Whiskey: as the name suggests, the spirit is made in Ireland. Irish whiskey is made from a sour mash of malted cereal grains, in comparison to Scotch whisky, made from malted barley and water. The former is distilled three times, with Scotch only distilled twice, giving it a smoother finish. The discrepancies in the distillation methods are said to be what creates the biggest difference between Irish and Scotch whiskey.
This drink was created by Jack McGarry and is a riff on the Kentucky Maid, considered a contemporary classic. It provides a delicate balance of flavours, with elderflower liqueur adding a little something extra, and the muddled cucumber a nice way to reduce the intensity of the lemon.
This is a great drink to accompany your next barbeque. It goes well in the warm afternoon sun, of which we are experiencing a lot of here in Brisbane (as I right this, I sit in 35ºC heat). Watch the video for the Irish Maid here. If you make this one, don't forget to tag me on Instagram or TikTok. I love to see it!
Irish Maid
Ingredients
- 2 slices cucumber
- 60 mL Irish whiskey
- 15 mL elderflower liqueur
- 22.5 mL lemon juice
- 10 mL rich simple syrup
- Cucumber slices for garnish
Instructions
- Muddle cucumber in the base of a cocktail shaker.
- Add whiskey, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup, followed by ice. Shake to chill.
- Double strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with slices of cucumber.
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