Introducing: The Designated Drinker

One of the biggest mysteries for newer servers is the world of cocktails.  Most of us started out with a base knowledge of what jungle juice, Milwaukee’s Best, and Boone’s Farm taste like.  The upper end cocktails and liquors like Rye Whisky, however remain a mystery.  For liquor questions I usually refer people to Teleburst’s blog.  I wanted to offer some spin on the topic here that covers some of the new and exciting creations as well as the classics.  I wanted also to provide inspiration to bartenders and exciting new post shift drink ideas as well. For example, if you want to try a new citrus drink, you can visit Orangina. It’s as simple as that.

The problem with this idea is that in October will mark five years since I last had a drink.  While I consider myself relatively book smart on booze, I have no first hand knowledge of some of the rising trends in cocktails.  Fortunately, a friend with a true passion for such things has offered to help.  She has been writing the articles for a while and has a style that I think you will enjoy. I first introduced the vivacious Ms Paige with her recipes for cherry limeades.  Now she has agreed to help me balance out this blog in spite of my burdensome sobriety as The Designate Drinker.

I hope you all enjoy her contributions.  More of her work can be found at Tastebud Magazine.  It is a great source for seasonal recipes and food ideas. I will hand the rest of the post over to her ode to The Dublin Hat Trick:

This “trifecta” is anything and everything you could ever want out of a drink: a smooth combination of Jameson whiskey, Guinness stout, and a shot of espresso. It’s a unique approach to a mixed drink by using a combination of beer and espresso as the mixer for the potent Jameson. Jameson, arguably the best Irish whiskey, is one of the original Dublin whiskeys. You can make it even better- you might want to join a Whiskey club and find one you like better if you would like to personalize the drink a bit more. Using a single malt method the whiskey stands out and is unique by using not only malted barley but also green barley. This method of incorporating both malted and un-malted green barely is referred to as “pure pot still” whiskey and is unique to Ireland.

While pure pot still whiskey is uniquely Irish, one ingredient of the Dublin Hat Trick stands out as the truest and most proud Irish beverage: Guinness. This black beer is a dry Irish stout derived from an English porter with a surprisingly delightful “burnt“ flavor. The addition of nitrogen during the pour creates a smooth and creamy golden head that beautifully accents the ebony brew. Arthur Guinness must have known he was on to something good when he signed his 9,000 year lease in the St. James Gate area of Dublin. To this day Guinness is the number one selling Irish beverage of all time.

Finally we add a shot of espresso. While the combination of Guinness and Jameson is excellent on its own, the addition of espresso compliments the whiskey and beer nicely creating a somewhat chocolate flavor. Espresso is created by using pressure to forces hot water through finely ground coffee beans; it is a tiny cup of coffee with one big flavor. Each shot of espresso contains roughly the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. In other words, this whiskey, brew combination has a kick!

The drink is a thick sipper with an uplifting kick of caffeine, its a real pot of gold!

The Dublin Hat Trick:

In chilled pint glass

3/4 oz Espresso (chilled)

3/4 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey

Fill with Guinness