Mr L extends range

Mr. L’s Cocktails has extended its premium cocktail range to include a new ready to drink Espresso Martini. A velvety mix of triple distilled vodka, 100% Arabica cold brew coffee, coffee liqueur and sea salt, the new cocktail joins the existing range which includes Pina Colada, 1930’s Cosmo, Whiskey Sour and P*rnstar Martini. Talking about the latest addition to the range, creator and expert mixologist Paul Lambert said: “We chose an Espresso Martini as our next cocktail in the range as it is probably the most requested cocktail in a bar nowadays. We now have the 'Famous 5', ie the top five most popular cocktails as our range, giving the consumer even more great choice and giving bars throughout Ireland more options for their guests. Having previously met the creator of the Espresso Martini, Dick Bradsell and been given a handwritten note for his recipe, I wanted to do it justice and I believe we have. Using quality ingredients from the alcohol to the coffee, I believe we have a product that can be reproduced easily and guarantees a great tasting cocktail for your guests/customers time and time again.”

Cocktail Hour

NO.76 MANHATTAN

Earlier this year, The Imperial’s former restaurant at its South Mall entrance underwent a makeover and is now home to a swanky new bar, No. 76. Open Thursday to Sunday, the bar has live music and a cocktail menu featuring 99% local ingredients, along with the hotel’s own Imperial Pale Ale (IPA) which has an ‘8 miles to the tap’ ethos.

One of the most asked for cocktails in the bar is the ‘No.76 Manhattan’, made with Bourbon Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth and bitters, served in a dome of flavoured smoke.

Bernard Walsh joins Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame

Bernard Walsh, Co-Founder (with his wife Rosemary) of Walsh Whiskey, has been inducted into Whisky Magazine’s Hall of Fame in honour of his contribution to the industry. The creator of Writers’ Tears and The Irishman whiskeys is just the third Irish whiskey founder to be honoured after John Teeling and the late Oliver Hughes. Bernard, a farmer’s son from County Tipperary, founded Walsh Whiskey in 1999 and started off producing an Irish Coffee liqueur - The Hot Irishman. He subsequently went on to create The Irishman and Writers’ Tears super-premium Irish whiskeys. Speaking at his induction in London, he said: “It is a great honour to be inducted into this august group. I accept it on behalf of everyone that I have worked alongside to get to where we are, especially my wife Rosemary. I am very grateful that the whiskey sector is such a collegiate sector and that the Irish category is in the early phases of its second golden age.”

Georgia Weston named Irish Coffee Making Champion

To celebrate International Irish Coffee Day this year, Paddy Irish Whiskey invited bartenders throughout the country to put forward their best take on an Irish Coffee to be in with the chance of winning a once in a lifetime trip. Bartenders were encouraged to push the boundaries of the traditional Irish Coffee recipe, a mix of Irish Whiskey, coffee, cream and sugar and to put their own creative spin on the much-loved classic.

Georgia Weston, head bartender at the Distilled Whiskey Bar, was selected as this year’s Paddy Irish Coffee Champion. She received an all-expenses paid trip to Paris for two people including flights, a two-night stay in a central hotel as well as an Irish Coffee masterclass in the famous Corcoran's Irish Pub. Georgia’s winning recipe combined 15ml of homemade orange oleo saccharum, 40ml of Paddy Irish Whiskey and freshly brewed hot coffee, complemented by whipped fresh Irish cream.

Irish wine drinkers embrace new styles

Irish wine subscription service

WineSpark has released its latest trends report, which shows Irish tastes around wine are expanding rapidly. While the big five grapes (Tempranillo, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc) still have the biggest market share, they dropped by 21% in 2022 versus the year before. Customer preference looks to be moving towards less common white wines, with Riesling up 56%, Albariño up 33% and Verdejo up 29%. On the flip side,