We made the three-ingredient whiskey cocktail to try this St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and that got me thinking about liquor crafted and perfected in Ireland, notably whiskey.

Celebrations will look a lot different this March 17 as many of us toast with friends in-person following two years of exclusively-over-Zoom-festivities. This alone calls for raising a glass with a truly innovative distilled beverage that pays homage to Ireland. Don’t you think?

It’s not uncommon to hear the usual suspects mentioned when it comes to Irish whiskey, but there’s a whole other world waiting to be explored with craft whiskies. Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey is a prime example.

This craft creation challenges traditional views by using unconventional techniques to bring forward new imaginative flavours. I had the opportunity to try it for the first time — using it as the base for an impeccable, three-ingredient whiskey cocktail.

A new generation whiskey

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey (@vanessashakespeare/Daily Hive)

Before I started channelling my inner (very amateur) mixologist self, I was curious to know what makes Teeling Whiskey so renowned in the whiskey space and how it achieved such success since launching less than 10 years ago.

Fuelled by a purpose of discovery and experimentation, co-founders Jack and Stephen Teeling, along with head distiller Alex Chaskowith opened their distillery in Dublin, Ireland, back in 2015. This in itself marked a moment in history, becoming the first distillery to open in the city in over 125 years.

Experimentation plays a massive role in how Teeling Whiskey approaches distilling, and instead of rushing a product out the door, the team invests time in testing cask maturation techniques. The result is pretty incredible, leading to small-batch, interesting, and genuinely unique whiskies.

Knowing all of the above, I was excited to see how Teeling Whiskey presents in an elevated cocktail, so I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

Making the Teeling Dublin Mule

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey (@vanessashakespeare/Daily Hive)

When I say “work,” there isn’t a ton of it involved in assembling the Teeling Dublin Mule, and that’s what makes it even more approachable. Personally, if I come across a cocktail recipe with a seemingly endless list of ingredients, I’m thrown off almost instantly based on the time and shopping list required to make it.

This cocktail, however, comprises just three ingredients: Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey, Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer, and a lime slice to garnish.

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey (@vanessashakespeare/Daily Hive)

After preparing some mini quiche and a charcuterie board with cured meats, cheeses, lemon and cranberry crackers (with hummus on standby), along with mixed nuts for grazing later in the evening, I crafted the cocktail.

With 1.5 ounces of whiskey and five ounces of ginger beer mixed, I poured the drink into a tall glass filled with ice. For the garnish, I went with a slice of lime on the side and added a sprig of rosemary for additional fragrance and aesthetics (why not?).

In less than five minutes, the Teeling Dublin Mule cocktail was ready, and that first taste was second to none. The subtle spice of ginger beer complemented the smoothness of the whiskey and its notes of vanilla, burnt sugar, and dried fruit; you could taste the character with each sip.

An all-season cocktail for St. Patrick’s Day

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey (@vanessashakespeare/Daily Hive)

My partner tried the cocktail, too, and both of us (who are from Dublin), admired the refreshing taste and palate-cleansing capability of the drink. It’s uncomplicated, balanced, elegant, and appears perfectly suitable for winter, spring, summer, or fall sipping.

One aspect I found particularly impressive was the sweetness that carried through from the Teeling Whiskey small-batch method, which uses corn and barley. Aged separately in hand-selected casks of grain and malt whiskey at a ratio of 3:1, the blend is then finished in ex-bourbon barrels for up to six years.

Teeling Whiskey then goes the extra mile to finish its blend in Central American rum casks, allowing the grain and malt whiskies to merge and garner a dried fruit character. Each of these thoughtful details comes through in the Dublin Mule, making it an unmatched whiskey cocktail.

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey (@vanessashakespeare/Daily Hive)

This naturally coloured whiskey is also seductively silky on the rocks, where you can almost taste the warmth on its long finish boasting notes of oak. During my tasting and cocktail-making experience, I discovered a new taste of home that I will be savouring this St. Patrick’s Day.

To try this exceptional whiskey and make the Dublin Mule as you celebrate Irish culture with friends, look out for Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey and the Teeling Small Batch Spirit of Dublin Gift Pack at your nearest LCBO store. You can learn more about the small-batch difference before then at teelingwhiskey.com.

Teeling Dublin Mule Recipe

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey (@vanessashakespeare/Daily Hive)

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 oz. Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
• 5 oz. Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer
• lime slice for garnish
• ice

Instructions: 

1. Mix Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey and Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer in a cocktail shaker.
2. Pour the mixture over ice in a tall glass.
3. Garnish with a lime slice, and enjoy.