If there’s one thing I hate about living in the Pacific Northwest, it’s the stretch of time from late October until late June, when the sun makes only the most occasional of appearances. I typically pack on an extra 10-15 pounds during those rainy months, party due to over-consumption of wintertime drinks like dark beer, egg nog, hot-buttered-anything and wassail. I wanted a drink for the winter that I could add to my cocktail menu that was more like the light, café-style cocktails I typically gravitate to during the summer.
Jerry Thomas prescribed a drink called “sangaree” that, to the best of our knowledge was a colonial adaptation of the Spanish “sangria”. The recipe, which calls for anywhere from 1½ to 4 ounces of port, Madeira, gin or brandy dolled up with sugar and dusted with nutmeg in a glass sounded less than exciting to me, but the challenge of updating this old chestnut sounded like a fun January task.
We began with ruby and tawny ports but found both way too sweet. White port got us much closer to our target, but it wasn’t until a healthy dose of dry vermouth was applied that we knew we were on to something. To provide additional depth and hint at the drink’s colonial origins we sweetened with a maple-nutmeg syrup and finished the whole thing off with a teaspoon of allspice liqueur and orange oil.
The Dry Vermouth Sangaree
3 oz dry vermouth
½ oz maple-nutmeg syrup*
1 tsp St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1 large strip orange peel
Shake everything – yes, even the orange peel – with ice until well-chilled and strain into a cold cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh strip of orange peel.
*To make maple-nutmeg syrup, combine 8 ounces each of Grade B maple syrup and water, and 1 tbsp freshly-grated nutmeg. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Let cool, strain out solids, bottle and chill.
My problem with homemade tonic water has always been a flavor profile that was too esoteric for the general audience. This recipe takes some of the positive qualities people have come to understand from commercial tonic water and updated them with fresh ingredients.
One question I'm often asked is "Do you have any drink-related book recommendations?" Well, funny you should ask, I've compiled a list of the ten books every professional bartender or home mixologist should own. I keep every one of these close at hand and have read most of them several times. I suggest you do the same.
The problem with living in Oregon is the absence of little wooden shacks by the sea that sell cases of fresh ginger beer stacked on back porches. But with some readily-available ingredients, a recipe I've been revising for several years - and a few free minutes - I can easily transport myself to a little fishing boat on the ocean as I sip a Dark and Stormy made with fresh, house-made ginger beer.
It's always mojito season somewhere, so this advice is timely in your area about half the year. Wether you're making them or simply enjoying them, this advice will help you look like a pro in no time at all.
The flavors of the Richmond Gimlet are imbued with sunshine. Fresh mint mingling with the herbaceousness of gin and the tartness of lime have made this drink a Eugene classic for many years now.
You'll get a lot of snarky advice on this site about how to make a proper drink, but if you ever need to know what not to do, this is the video for you.
Not to be confused with the Spanish wine-and-fruit-based alcoholic beverage sangria, sangrita (meaning "little blood") is a traditional accompaniment to a tequila served completo; a non-alcoholic sipper that cleanses the palate between fiery doses of agave.
The world of booze can be mystifying to people that don't work in bars or around alcohol all the time. I hear a lot of assumptions about the industry I'm in that are - much like 90% of what you hear in bars - completely false. Here are a few you've probably heard yourself.
The debate rages on: Should we try to look cool and crack open the Boston shaker or be tidy professionals and use the Hawthorne strainer the way God intended? Be sure to leave your two cents in the comments section.
The traditional garnish for a Pisco Sour is a couple of drops of bitters in the foam, but I've never been particularly impressed with the way these few paltry drops of bitters sat in their little egg-white mattress and didn't play along with the rest of the drink. I envisioned a Pisco Sour with a uniformly-distributed bitters-scorched foam: slightly crisp as the fire burnt the sugars, and slightly warm as the foam insulated the rest of the frosty cocktail from the heat. A pisco creme brulée in a glass!
I get so many visitors looking for tips on how to write a bartending resume that I thought I should finally post a tutorial on how to write your own. Click the headline to read more.
I always love showing up to a party with a gallon jug of pre-mixed margaritas, so I've decided to share my recipe. This margarita recipe is the perfect blend of strong, sweet, and sour. But be warned: this recipe packs a serious punch.
There isn't much I can say about this video that hasn't been said already. If you've read anything I've written about cocktails, you'll understand why this video symbolizes everything wrong with the state of bartending in America today. Watch and learn, but be warned: this one isn't for the feint of heart.
About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the head bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. Mixing drinks has become something of a passion for me in recent years, and I strive to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
My South Side Irish Chicago Dad always told me that Jameson was the Catholic whisky and that Bushmills was the whiskey made by “the damn Protestants”. Now this character I met at the bar is trying to tell me it’s the other way around. Help! Who do I believe, the man who raised me, or some drunk I met in a bar? You can see why I am confused.
School Marm
Hey Marm
I was wondering when someone would ask this question. The truth of the matter is, the age-old faux-pas of ordering Bushmills for fear of supporting English aggression and offending the Republic of Ireland is about as Irish as corned beef – which is to say, not very Irish at all but rather Irish-American (Sorry, kids, corned beef is a Jewish invention).
Anyway, both of your sources are wrong, but at least your father got the order right. The widely-accepted Irish-American version is that Jameson is Catholic whiskey and Bushmills is Protestant whiskey. But that’s merely based on geography: Bushmills is from Northern Ireland (a predominantly Protestant region) and Jameson is from Cork – Catholic country.
Jameson was pretty much founded in 1780 when John Jameson – a Scottish guy – purchased the Bow Street Distillery, which at the time was one of the biggest distilleries in Ireland. Now, it’s important to note that the Scottish Reformation occurred in 1560, so odds are in favor of the founder of the Jameson distillery, being Scottish, was a damn Protestant.
Bushmills, on the other hand, was officially licensed in 1608 by King James I (of Bible fame) and despite of its location deep in the heart of Protestant country (and this next bit is straight from my local Bushmills rep, so take it or leave it) has a Catholic as a master distiller.
According to everyone I’ve spoken with on the subject, you only really find this debate in the States, where Irish-American support of the Republic can sometimes be blind and often fueled by the very product we’re speaking of. But none of it means much, anyway: both distilleries are owned by huge international entities: Jameson by French liquor conglomerate Pernod-Ricard, and Bushmills by the English firm Diageo.
As for my preference, I tend to like the lighter Bushmills as it’s the first Irish whiskey I discovered years ago, and I’ve certainly enjoyed my share of Jameson from time to time. But my personal preference is Redbreast, a twelve-year pot still Irish whiskey produced at the Old Midleton Distillery and a real delight to sip while enjoying a late-night Irish breakfast of sausage, egg, pudding and soda bread. Yum.
Comments
36 Responses to “Ask Your Bartender: Protestant vs. Catholic Whiskey”
Funny, I also sought some info from a Bushmills rep when this controversy came up around St. Pattys day! Turned out not to be such a controversy. I’m redbreast girl too, but recently been sipping on the Bushmill’s 10, thought now I’m interested to try Powers Gold Label!
Funny thing is, Jeffrey, that at the end of your debunking of the myth, you subtly reassert its validity in rightly noting that Bushmills is owned by Diageo, a company based in a largely Protestant country, while Jameson is owned by Pernod-Ricard, which is based in a predominantly Catholic country. Funny how these things work out, innit?
Me, I’ll opt mostly for the great spirits of the independent Cooley Distillery, located just north of Dublin. Connemara Cask Strength is a real treat, and Greenore Single Grain is likewise enjoyable. And let us not forget the new cask finishes of The Tyrconnell…
Beaumont – Funny, I thought of addressing that as I was wrapping up the post, but then thought, “Nah, the chuckleheads who read this website aren’t smart enough to draw that conclusion.” Guess I was wrong.
As for those Tyrconnell expressions: major thumbs up.
27 Mar 2009 at 1:12 pm 7. John Claude
When I lived in Providence, there was a lot of Powers drinking going on. I find it to be a little…thick? But there was a bar that had a shot of Powers and a Guinness for $7, so as you can guess I ended up drinking quite a bit of it. Though in the end, I do really prefer Bushmills. Never tried Redbreast for some reason. I’ll take one next time I’m out.
One further chapter in the history that really debunks this myth is that between 1972 and 2005, both Midleton (makers of Jameson) and Bushmills were owned by the same corporation, Irish Distillers. ID was purchased by Pernod Ricard in 1988 and they sold off Bushmills to Diageo in 2005.
Multi-national corporations, of course, know no religious or other loyalty, except to the almighty dollar/pound/Euro.
27 Mar 2009 at 10:25 pm 9. Ciaran
Yup, only the americans give a shit about this stuff anymore.
I came to mention Powers- it seems my work is done. I got into Powers through my wife, ans she learned of it from Shane MacGowan(’s music). Maybe not the best role model, but whaddaya gonna do?
And, fact fans, the space-age Middleton distillery in the far south makes the neutral alcohol for the blends produced at Bushmills up North. And a true story: as a young Dublin barman I was confounded by a true-blue Dubliner who asked for ” a large Shirley Bassey”. Yep, he was referring to a certain product from Bushmills…..
28 Mar 2009 at 11:33 pm 12. LB
Not buying a certain brand of product because of centuries of English overlordship of Ireland is just so stupid on so many levels.
So, so stupid. I am not trying to be offensive here, but really, it is just so dumb. Why not stop purchasing rum to protest Spanish aggression while you are at it. Or champagne to protest Frankish aggression against the Gallo Romans.
29 Mar 2009 at 12:52 pm 13. Mike S.
I love Redbreast and always have a bottle about, but based on some comments here I’ll definitely be picking up a bottle of Powers Gold Label
30 Mar 2009 at 8:56 am 14. ND
This is mildly off topic, but does anyone else find Jameson to be similar in many ways to Wild Turkey bourbon?
30 Mar 2009 at 9:00 am 15. Kelsey Crenshaw
“linseed oil is used on its own or blended with other drying oils, resins and solvents as an impregnator and varnish in wood finishing, as a pigment binder in oil paints, as a plasticizer and hardener in putty and in the manufacture of linoleum.” from wikipedia
Michael Jackson
“Nose
Clean, fresh. hint of linseed. Nuts. Cake
Palate
By far the biggest of this selection. Assertive and complex, with lots of development and seemingly infinite dimension. Ginger cake, brazil nuts, treacle
Finish
Liquorice-like sherry notes
Comment
Delicious, soothing, contemplative. A great whiskey. Makes me want to get on a plane to Dublin immediately.”
“It’s like loving the smell of a sharpie or gasoline, in small way” Kelsey Crenshaw
30 Mar 2009 at 1:27 pm 16. Tim
I will second the Powers recommendation to add some turf to the fire. Although, when faced with only Jameson and Bushmills, I will usually go for the Bushmills. I find Jameson to be a bit too… sweet, I guess. Redbreast makes for good sipping but for my budget Powers is my standby.
I usually drink my whiskey neat but would anyone be able to recommend an Irish whiskey cocktail/mixed drink that doesn’t included coffee or a green liquid?
30 Mar 2009 at 10:14 pm 17. Mike S.
Tim, I made a great Manhattan variation last night with 2oz Powers Gold Label, 1oz Carpano Punt E Mes and a dash or two of Angostura (regular, not orange), stirred up with a cherry garnish and enjoyed it very much indeed. No coffee or anything green.
Regarding the Catholic/Protestant/Jewish/Corn Beef relationship…
Man is walking down the street in Belfast. Robber jumps out of an alley, holds up a gun, and says, “Are you a Protestant or a Catholic?” Man says, “Neither, I’m a jew.” Robber thinks for a moment, says, “but are you a Protestant Jew or a Catholic Jew?”
Alternate version:
“are you a Protestant or a Catholic?”
“neither, I’m a Jew.”
“Then I must be the luckiest Arab in all o’ Ireland!”
01 Apr 2009 at 9:23 am 19. Tim
Thanks, Mike. I should have thought of other whisk(e)y cocktails when typing that last thought. I’ve used Irish Whiskey in Old Fashions and Sours before with tasty results. I’ll have to try a Manhattan next.
02 Apr 2009 at 10:33 am 20. Michael Robertson
Wow, not one mention of Tullamore Dew. It has been my favorite since discovering it at the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco. It was their house label Irish before it was readily available in the US. I went to the Distillery in Tullamore(now a museum for the whiskey), it is now produced in Middleton, although it is no longer owned by Pernod-Ricard. Great smooth flavor and a soft long finish. I think Irish whiskey is like Scotch, meant for sipping, not mixing.
03 Apr 2009 at 7:29 am 21. dawoo
No one here has a soft spot in their heart for Paddy’s?
I think Paddy’s may be even rarer in the US than Powers. I’ve never even seen a bottle of Paddy’s (although I haven’t really been making an exhaustive search).
07 Apr 2009 at 10:26 pm 23. Greg in SF
“No one here has a soft spot in their heart for Paddy’s?”
I do.
Bad Catholic that I am, I always drank Bushmills over Jameson. The Protestant/Catholic thing was explained to me as a labor dispute where a bunch of Catholic Derrymen were laid off from the Bushmill’s distillery or some shite.
Currently, I go though a case of Jameson for every bottle of Bushmills that we sell at our bar. Whoever owns Paddy’s also owns one of these bigger brands and wont export to the US because they know they would cannibalize their own market share.
I’m a Redbreast man first when feeling flush, but usually turn to Power’s or the old John J when cash flow is normal.
Paddy is pretty readily available in the New York Metro Area, but I’ve never seen it since I left for warmer climes.
Bushmills I like, but I like Irish Whisky best of all the brown stuff. I don’t generally buy it, but I’ll drink it without complaint. The regular is fine; the Black Bush is nice if maybe too refined for me when I want a dram of Irish.
But the Bushmills Distillery Reserve, a bottle of which my very, very good sister recently brought back as a gift from Belfast, is holy smoking delicious good.
Here’s the real question – why does everyone insist on handing us shots of jameson late night in colorado? is that a catholic thing?
Also – how does Navan end up in a Heineken? Is Misty protestant?
Dear sir, I know you did a bit on”Sangrita”, but I was wondering if you have a good recipe for Sangria. I am going to be the bartender at my college prom, and need a drink that will be popular with “the kids”…
21 Apr 2009 at 11:23 pm 27. D, Muldoon
Mmmm…..Middleton distillery….
While Redbreast is great, wonderful stuff, don’t ever pass up a chance to sample their self-titled Middleton. Just don’t do anything silly like order it on the rocks…it’s way too good for that. Paid 10 Euro for a shot of it in Dublin, and well worth the price.
Thanks for the clarification. I was wondering this myself.
01 May 2009 at 1:07 am 29. Andrew
Hi all, please don’t reinforce past troubles by making brand choices based on hatred. I lived through this and lost people to it, and it saddens me to read this.
Bushmills is a great whisky celebrating an important anniversary this year with an updated look that will appear in late 2009. Jamesons too is lovely.
Oh and Bushmills was NOT licensed to distill in 1608…That’s marketing Bullshit. There were licenses to distill granted in and around the Bushmill’s area in 1608.
01 Aug 2009 at 5:19 pm 32. Patrick
Oh, don’t be a hater, just drink both.
In Ireland they’d drink either, but rarely had enough money for more than a pint ‘o the local beer.
I’d suggest Tullamore Dew, it was founded by Catholics and is still owned by a nice Irish Catholic company.
As the Protestants had pretty much a stranglehold over all shipping in the country, they refused to ship Dew in favor of the Protestant-produced Jameson.
Such days are long over, and Dew is rapidly making up the difference in sales, and has already overtaken Jamison in may countries in Europe.
13 Aug 2009 at 8:40 am 33. Edward
No votes for Dunphey’s? Hmmm.
25 Sep 2009 at 1:54 pm 34. Rob McHardy
Holy moly,
I’m an Irish barman and I am stunned by the ignorant waffle that some Irish Americans spew about the “‘oul sod”.
These two fine whiskeys should be enjoyed in a glass and not on some pseudo-religious podium.
DONT EVER ask an Irish person , north or south if they are catholic or protestant because they will look at you with contempt.
If you want to support Ireland, go and visit and maybe read a few history books and hopefully realise that most normal people don’t give a toss about religious leanings
13 Nov 2009 at 1:00 am 35. Albert
Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Not one of ya mentions Knappogue Castle. In particular – the 1951 offering of which I’ve never tasted its superior. Mind you the order as I see it goes – Knappogue ‘51 > Midleton Rare > Knappogue 15 > Redbreast > Black Bush > Knappogue ‘92 > Tullamore Dew (makes for the best Irish Coffee) > Then take your pick of the Jamesons/Bushmills/Cooley offerings. But generally, if you like it sweet, you like Jamesons products (including Redbreast, 1780, and Powers) If you like it dry, you’ll prefer the Busmills lineup. And if you just like something different – then Cooley’s your distillery (though that Michael Collins stuff is shite).
My two farthings on the matter. ;)
08 Jan 2010 at 2:30 pm 36. paddy hirsch
To complicate the issue even more, Bushmills has been owned by a big drinks corporation since 1972 (first Irish Distillers, now Diageo), but before then it was owned by a Scottish Jew!
I absolutely hate it when someone sends me a box full of sex toys in the mail. Sure, it might sound like fun to some of you (you know who you are), but receiving a big box of free sex is much more trouble than it’s worth. Believe me. So I get a [...]
27 Mar 2009 at 8:17 am 1. Jeff Frane
Redbreast is wonderful, but spendy. Powers Gold Label is also wonderful and dirt cheap.
If I was the kind of person who blogwhored, I would http://tinyurl.com/d92kdl
say more.
27 Mar 2009 at 9:16 am 2. Darcy O'Neil
Powers Gold Label for me, thank you very much. Said to be the favorite of the Emerald Isle too.
27 Mar 2009 at 9:55 am 3. Shaun
Is Redbreast coke or pepsi?
27 Mar 2009 at 9:58 am 4. MissMeaghan
Funny, I also sought some info from a Bushmills rep when this controversy came up around St. Pattys day! Turned out not to be such a controversy. I’m redbreast girl too, but recently been sipping on the Bushmill’s 10, thought now I’m interested to try Powers Gold Label!
27 Mar 2009 at 10:02 am 5. Stephen Beaumont
Funny thing is, Jeffrey, that at the end of your debunking of the myth, you subtly reassert its validity in rightly noting that Bushmills is owned by Diageo, a company based in a largely Protestant country, while Jameson is owned by Pernod-Ricard, which is based in a predominantly Catholic country. Funny how these things work out, innit?
Me, I’ll opt mostly for the great spirits of the independent Cooley Distillery, located just north of Dublin. Connemara Cask Strength is a real treat, and Greenore Single Grain is likewise enjoyable. And let us not forget the new cask finishes of The Tyrconnell…
27 Mar 2009 at 10:26 am 6. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Beaumont – Funny, I thought of addressing that as I was wrapping up the post, but then thought, “Nah, the chuckleheads who read this website aren’t smart enough to draw that conclusion.” Guess I was wrong.
As for those Tyrconnell expressions: major thumbs up.
27 Mar 2009 at 1:12 pm 7. John Claude
When I lived in Providence, there was a lot of Powers drinking going on. I find it to be a little…thick? But there was a bar that had a shot of Powers and a Guinness for $7, so as you can guess I ended up drinking quite a bit of it. Though in the end, I do really prefer Bushmills. Never tried Redbreast for some reason. I’ll take one next time I’m out.
27 Mar 2009 at 2:11 pm 8. sku
One further chapter in the history that really debunks this myth is that between 1972 and 2005, both Midleton (makers of Jameson) and Bushmills were owned by the same corporation, Irish Distillers. ID was purchased by Pernod Ricard in 1988 and they sold off Bushmills to Diageo in 2005.
Multi-national corporations, of course, know no religious or other loyalty, except to the almighty dollar/pound/Euro.
27 Mar 2009 at 10:25 pm 9. Ciaran
Yup, only the americans give a shit about this stuff anymore.
28 Mar 2009 at 5:24 am 10. Phill
I came to mention Powers- it seems my work is done. I got into Powers through my wife, ans she learned of it from Shane MacGowan(’s music). Maybe not the best role model, but whaddaya gonna do?
28 Mar 2009 at 10:38 am 11. Philip
And, fact fans, the space-age Middleton distillery in the far south makes the neutral alcohol for the blends produced at Bushmills up North. And a true story: as a young Dublin barman I was confounded by a true-blue Dubliner who asked for ” a large Shirley Bassey”. Yep, he was referring to a certain product from Bushmills…..
28 Mar 2009 at 11:33 pm 12. LB
Not buying a certain brand of product because of centuries of English overlordship of Ireland is just so stupid on so many levels.
So, so stupid. I am not trying to be offensive here, but really, it is just so dumb. Why not stop purchasing rum to protest Spanish aggression while you are at it. Or champagne to protest Frankish aggression against the Gallo Romans.
29 Mar 2009 at 12:52 pm 13. Mike S.
I love Redbreast and always have a bottle about, but based on some comments here I’ll definitely be picking up a bottle of Powers Gold Label
30 Mar 2009 at 8:56 am 14. ND
This is mildly off topic, but does anyone else find Jameson to be similar in many ways to Wild Turkey bourbon?
30 Mar 2009 at 9:00 am 15. Kelsey Crenshaw
“linseed oil is used on its own or blended with other drying oils, resins and solvents as an impregnator and varnish in wood finishing, as a pigment binder in oil paints, as a plasticizer and hardener in putty and in the manufacture of linoleum.” from wikipedia
Michael Jackson
“Nose
Clean, fresh. hint of linseed. Nuts. Cake
Palate
By far the biggest of this selection. Assertive and complex, with lots of development and seemingly infinite dimension. Ginger cake, brazil nuts, treacle
Finish
Liquorice-like sherry notes
Comment
Delicious, soothing, contemplative. A great whiskey. Makes me want to get on a plane to Dublin immediately.”
“It’s like loving the smell of a sharpie or gasoline, in small way” Kelsey Crenshaw
30 Mar 2009 at 1:27 pm 16. Tim
I will second the Powers recommendation to add some turf to the fire. Although, when faced with only Jameson and Bushmills, I will usually go for the Bushmills. I find Jameson to be a bit too… sweet, I guess. Redbreast makes for good sipping but for my budget Powers is my standby.
I usually drink my whiskey neat but would anyone be able to recommend an Irish whiskey cocktail/mixed drink that doesn’t included coffee or a green liquid?
30 Mar 2009 at 10:14 pm 17. Mike S.
Tim, I made a great Manhattan variation last night with 2oz Powers Gold Label, 1oz Carpano Punt E Mes and a dash or two of Angostura (regular, not orange), stirred up with a cherry garnish and enjoyed it very much indeed. No coffee or anything green.
31 Mar 2009 at 10:41 am 18. Ted Munat
Regarding the Catholic/Protestant/Jewish/Corn Beef relationship…
Man is walking down the street in Belfast. Robber jumps out of an alley, holds up a gun, and says, “Are you a Protestant or a Catholic?” Man says, “Neither, I’m a jew.” Robber thinks for a moment, says, “but are you a Protestant Jew or a Catholic Jew?”
Alternate version:
“are you a Protestant or a Catholic?”
“neither, I’m a Jew.”
“Then I must be the luckiest Arab in all o’ Ireland!”
01 Apr 2009 at 9:23 am 19. Tim
Thanks, Mike. I should have thought of other whisk(e)y cocktails when typing that last thought. I’ve used Irish Whiskey in Old Fashions and Sours before with tasty results. I’ll have to try a Manhattan next.
02 Apr 2009 at 10:33 am 20. Michael Robertson
Wow, not one mention of Tullamore Dew. It has been my favorite since discovering it at the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco. It was their house label Irish before it was readily available in the US. I went to the Distillery in Tullamore(now a museum for the whiskey), it is now produced in Middleton, although it is no longer owned by Pernod-Ricard. Great smooth flavor and a soft long finish. I think Irish whiskey is like Scotch, meant for sipping, not mixing.
03 Apr 2009 at 7:29 am 21. dawoo
No one here has a soft spot in their heart for Paddy’s?
03 Apr 2009 at 5:29 pm 22. Phill
I think Paddy’s may be even rarer in the US than Powers. I’ve never even seen a bottle of Paddy’s (although I haven’t really been making an exhaustive search).
07 Apr 2009 at 10:26 pm 23. Greg in SF
“No one here has a soft spot in their heart for Paddy’s?”
I do.
Bad Catholic that I am, I always drank Bushmills over Jameson. The Protestant/Catholic thing was explained to me as a labor dispute where a bunch of Catholic Derrymen were laid off from the Bushmill’s distillery or some shite.
Currently, I go though a case of Jameson for every bottle of Bushmills that we sell at our bar. Whoever owns Paddy’s also owns one of these bigger brands and wont export to the US because they know they would cannibalize their own market share.
08 Apr 2009 at 11:14 pm 24. Bill
I’m a Redbreast man first when feeling flush, but usually turn to Power’s or the old John J when cash flow is normal.
Paddy is pretty readily available in the New York Metro Area, but I’ve never seen it since I left for warmer climes.
Bushmills I like, but I like Irish Whisky best of all the brown stuff. I don’t generally buy it, but I’ll drink it without complaint. The regular is fine; the Black Bush is nice if maybe too refined for me when I want a dram of Irish.
But the Bushmills Distillery Reserve, a bottle of which my very, very good sister recently brought back as a gift from Belfast, is holy smoking delicious good.
And, no, I won’t share.
09 Apr 2009 at 7:54 pm 25. Jenny Adams
Here’s the real question – why does everyone insist on handing us shots of jameson late night in colorado? is that a catholic thing?
Also – how does Navan end up in a Heineken? Is Misty protestant?
Sincerely,
Surley in Alabama
11 Apr 2009 at 6:01 pm 26. d.clark
Dear sir, I know you did a bit on”Sangrita”, but I was wondering if you have a good recipe for Sangria. I am going to be the bartender at my college prom, and need a drink that will be popular with “the kids”…
21 Apr 2009 at 11:23 pm 27. D, Muldoon
Mmmm…..Middleton distillery….
While Redbreast is great, wonderful stuff, don’t ever pass up a chance to sample their self-titled Middleton. Just don’t do anything silly like order it on the rocks…it’s way too good for that. Paid 10 Euro for a shot of it in Dublin, and well worth the price.
23 Apr 2009 at 7:58 pm 28. Cielo Gold
Thanks for the clarification. I was wondering this myself.
01 May 2009 at 1:07 am 29. Andrew
Hi all, please don’t reinforce past troubles by making brand choices based on hatred. I lived through this and lost people to it, and it saddens me to read this.
Bushmills is a great whisky celebrating an important anniversary this year with an updated look that will appear in late 2009. Jamesons too is lovely.
11 May 2009 at 5:26 am 30. Kevin Erskine
Not enough time to read through comments. But until 2005 BOTH distilleries were owned by Pernod-Ricard.
11 May 2009 at 5:44 am 31. Kevin Erskine
Oh and Bushmills was NOT licensed to distill in 1608…That’s marketing Bullshit. There were licenses to distill granted in and around the Bushmill’s area in 1608.
01 Aug 2009 at 5:19 pm 32. Patrick
Oh, don’t be a hater, just drink both.
In Ireland they’d drink either, but rarely had enough money for more than a pint ‘o the local beer.
I’d suggest Tullamore Dew, it was founded by Catholics and is still owned by a nice Irish Catholic company.
As the Protestants had pretty much a stranglehold over all shipping in the country, they refused to ship Dew in favor of the Protestant-produced Jameson.
Such days are long over, and Dew is rapidly making up the difference in sales, and has already overtaken Jamison in may countries in Europe.
13 Aug 2009 at 8:40 am 33. Edward
No votes for Dunphey’s? Hmmm.
25 Sep 2009 at 1:54 pm 34. Rob McHardy
Holy moly,
I’m an Irish barman and I am stunned by the ignorant waffle that some Irish Americans spew about the “‘oul sod”.
These two fine whiskeys should be enjoyed in a glass and not on some pseudo-religious podium.
DONT EVER ask an Irish person , north or south if they are catholic or protestant because they will look at you with contempt.
If you want to support Ireland, go and visit and maybe read a few history books and hopefully realise that most normal people don’t give a toss about religious leanings
13 Nov 2009 at 1:00 am 35. Albert
Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Not one of ya mentions Knappogue Castle. In particular – the 1951 offering of which I’ve never tasted its superior. Mind you the order as I see it goes – Knappogue ‘51 > Midleton Rare > Knappogue 15 > Redbreast > Black Bush > Knappogue ‘92 > Tullamore Dew (makes for the best Irish Coffee) > Then take your pick of the Jamesons/Bushmills/Cooley offerings. But generally, if you like it sweet, you like Jamesons products (including Redbreast, 1780, and Powers) If you like it dry, you’ll prefer the Busmills lineup. And if you just like something different – then Cooley’s your distillery (though that Michael Collins stuff is shite).
My two farthings on the matter. ;)
08 Jan 2010 at 2:30 pm 36. paddy hirsch
To complicate the issue even more, Bushmills has been owned by a big drinks corporation since 1972 (first Irish Distillers, now Diageo), but before then it was owned by a Scottish Jew!