Irish
Irish cuisine
Drink
Apart from the spelling, Irish whiskey differs from Scotch whisky in that Irish is normally distilled three times (whereas Scotch is double-distilled). Also, Irish whiskey generally has a less ‘peaty’ flavour because of its slightly different malting process.
Whiskey is also the key component of a number of cream liqueurs, such as Feeney, Carmichaels, St. Brendans, O'Mara's and Baileys - all delicious served over ice. It also makes a perky pick-me-up mixed with espresso and sugar and topped with a layer of double cream in the classic Irish coffee.
The other drink deeply beloved of the Irish is Irish stout; Guinness is by far the most known, though Beamish and Murphy’s are also popular. Irish stout adds extra depth to braised beef dishes, and modern Irish chefs use it to make ice creams or chocolate stout cakes and brownies. To enjoy Guinness at its best, try the classic Irish combination of Guinness with oysters – Galway oysters are particularly recommended.
Did You Know?
• Irish coffee was allegedly created by Joe Sheridan, a barman at Shannon Airport in the early 1950s, before being publicised by American travel writer, Stanton Delaplane. There is now a bar named after the legendary barman in Shannon Airport.
• Colcannon was traditionally associated with predicting marriages. Unmarried women would hang socks filled with colcannon at the front door and would be said to marry the first man to enter the house.
• A black and tan (or a half-and-half) is made up of a layer of Bass Pale Ale, Harp or Smithwicks, underneath half a pint of carefully poured Guinness (often poured over a special Guinness spoon). ‘Black and tan’ was first used to describe a breed of beagles used as hunting dogs in Ireland; though more famously the term was used for a brutal regiment of British soldiers serving in Ireland after World War One.
By Ramona Andrews
Apart from the spelling, Irish whiskey differs from Scotch whisky in that Irish is normally distilled three times (whereas Scotch is double-distilled). Also, Irish whiskey generally has a less ‘peaty’ flavour because of its slightly different malting process.
Whiskey is also the key component of a number of cream liqueurs, such as Feeney, Carmichaels, St. Brendans, O'Mara's and Baileys - all delicious served over ice. It also makes a perky pick-me-up mixed with espresso and sugar and topped with a layer of double cream in the classic Irish coffee.
The other drink deeply beloved of the Irish is Irish stout; Guinness is by far the most known, though Beamish and Murphy’s are also popular. Irish stout adds extra depth to braised beef dishes, and modern Irish chefs use it to make ice creams or chocolate stout cakes and brownies. To enjoy Guinness at its best, try the classic Irish combination of Guinness with oysters – Galway oysters are particularly recommended.
Did You Know?
• Irish coffee was allegedly created by Joe Sheridan, a barman at Shannon Airport in the early 1950s, before being publicised by American travel writer, Stanton Delaplane. There is now a bar named after the legendary barman in Shannon Airport.
• Colcannon was traditionally associated with predicting marriages. Unmarried women would hang socks filled with colcannon at the front door and would be said to marry the first man to enter the house.
• A black and tan (or a half-and-half) is made up of a layer of Bass Pale Ale, Harp or Smithwicks, underneath half a pint of carefully poured Guinness (often poured over a special Guinness spoon). ‘Black and tan’ was first used to describe a breed of beagles used as hunting dogs in Ireland; though more famously the term was used for a brutal regiment of British soldiers serving in Ireland after World War One.
By Ramona Andrews
