Taste Testin’ the Tipperary
Irish Whiskey and Chartreuse seem like an unlikely cocktail combo; the boldness of the peat paired with the profusion of herbs and spices from one of the world’s most complex liqueurs form a daunting flavor profile, but the adventurous mixologist who dare try one is in for a treat. The seemingly incongruous ingredients blend to form a delicate, balanced, and flavorful cocktail, that became a bar favorite among Miss Flighty’s whiskey loving guests.
These days, such a cocktail is not at all a surprise, but in the early part of the decade, when Miss Flighty had the pleasure of serving behind the bar at the Orbit Room (1900 Market Street, San Francisco) even the smallest foray outside the realm of the Manhattan was really quite exotic. Tuesday nights, late, after most had gone home, were reserved for cocktail R&D. These weren’t just any ole’ drinkers, they were as passionate about cocktails as I was. They collected old drink books before they became a big then and every Tuesday we made one new gin based and one new whiskey based cocktail; the Oriental, the Journalist, the Bobby Burns, all these sound familiar now but for us it was the first time. One of our very favorite was this herbal whiskey delight; I hope you like it as much as we did.
