The Dublin

It is no secret that my family has a taste for the drink. My grandfather, Walter, owned a couple of bars in Sacramento, one of them, Goeman’s, still stands today on Franklin boulevard. Though I never personally saw the old guy overindulge, he never turned down a good cocktail. Whenever we would have family dinners, all of the adults would imbibe at least one of his signature drink: The Manhattan.

In honor of the late Walt Goeman, and to celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day, I tried whipping up an Irish version of this classic cocktail. They say on St. Paddy’s Day everyone is honorary Irish, and in the spirit of the holiday, the Manhattan is relocating 3,172 miles (5,104 km) to Ireland’s metropolis, Dublin.

The Manhattan is a really great drink because there is a simple way to remember how to make them. The area code to Manhattan is 212, which translates to:

2 shots of Whiskey

1 Shot of Sweet Vermouth

2 dashes of bitters

Pour those into an iced shaker, give it a couple whirls, then pour out into a glass. Martini glasses are traditional, but on St. Patrick’s day, any ship will do, ya feel me?

Add a maraschino cherry, and 1 tsp. of the cherry juice, and you got yourself a good beverage.

Now, here’s what you’ll need to make a delicious Dublin:

Irish Whiskey

Dry Vermouth

Sweet Vermouth

Aromatic Bitters

A cocktail shaker

a measuring unit (shot glass for the cautious, eyeballs for the Irish)

Morello Cherries

The Dublin area code (if calling from the U.S.) is 353 1. I do not think these numbers would translate to tasty portions, so just stick with the 212. However, the Dublin does have a few twists to give it something a little special.

First of all, the Irish whiskey you use really matters. Jameson, though accessible and great-tasting, does not make for a good cocktail. Jameson is good on its own. You can drink it straight from the bottle on St. Paddy’s, don’t bother dressing it up. If you want the real effect, go for a more smoky, peaty Irish Whiskey. Tullamore Dew may not be the most Irish, but it is certainly more pure-tasting than the Irish-American Jamie. If you wanna go higher on the shelf, go for it, but I recommend the Dew for the budget-minded cocktail enthusiast.

Secondly, when making a Dublin, you only use a 1/2 shot of sweet vermouth. You make up the other half with dry vermouth. Doing this apparently makes a cocktail “perfect,” and I am inclined to agree. If you’re gonna make a Dublin, why not do it “perfectly”?

I forgot to include this in my photo, but a cocktail isn’t a cocktail without a little garnish,

and maraschino cherries are the one for Manhattans. Unfortunately, Trader Joe’s does not offer maraschino cherries, they have Morello dark cherries. This leads me to believe either a) maraschino cherries are pretty bad for me, or b) Trader Joe is trying to put a dent in maraschino’s shares. Both could be true, but if you’re doing your shopping at the TJ’s, grab those morellos and feel slightly better for having something less corn-syrupy up in your bevvy.

So to review, The Perfect Dublin goes like this:

2 shots of legit Irish Whiskey

1/2 shot Sweet Vermouth

1/2 shot Dry Vermouth

2 dashes of bitters

Shake the main ingredients in your shaker with some ice. Pour the contents out of the shaker, then pop in a cherry and 1 tsp. of the jar juice and give it one more stir before enjoying. Some people like to have it over ice, but I think Irish people would think that was a waste. You don’t want boring-ass water diluting your perfect Dublin.

Happy St. Patrick’s day, don’t drink and drive, and enjoy as responsibly as possible!