Medicinal.
That’s what I would have said if anyone had challenged me about my supping of hot whiskeys at lunchtime on a Tuesday. As it was, I don’t think anyone in the vicinity was too bothered about my whiskey intake – possibly they were too busy downing hot toddies themselves. Besides, it was Dublin, it was January, it was cold. And the whiskeys were free. I really don’t think you need any more excuses than that.
The whiskey in question was Bushmills (a fine example of the breed) and was laid on at the launch event for the Temple Bar Trad Festival, which will be filling the city centre of Dublin with traditional Irish music in great quantities at the end of this month.
And, really, there is no more appropriate thing to do while listening to traditional Irish music than sink a dirty great big pint of Guinness or nurse an Irish whiskey, all the while ensconced in the cosy familiarity of an Irish pub. It’s no surprise, then, that Bushmills are major sponsors of Trad Fest, which, among other things, will feature a well-packed pub trail.
Temple Bar Trad, coming your way from the 27th to the 31st of January
For my part, I was so happily reminded of the joy that is hot whiskey by the event that I went a-baking with the flavours of hot whiskey in mind. The result? A whiskey apple pudding with hot whiskey sauce, which will get a post all of their own in due course. Meanwhile, it’s time for another hot whiskey, methinks.
By the by, nominations are open for this year’s incarnation of the Irish Blog Awards. I did rather well last time out. So off you pop now, over here, and nominate your, ahem, favourite Irish food/drink blog.
And if you’re looking for the blog contact details that they ask for, that’ll be editor [at] thedailyspud [dot] com. I even have a contact name (other than Spud), which is Aoife. Then have a hot whiskey as a big ol’ thank you.
Hot Whiskey
It’s simple, really. Take however much whiskey you’d like, dilute with as much boiling water as you’d like, adding a touch of sugar, lemon and cloves. You need more instructions? Alright, then…
The Summary:
- Makes one hot whiskey drink, which may well lead to another; if you count kettle boiling time, this’ll take no more than 5 min to prepare
You’ll need:
- 35ml measure Irish whiskey
- 125-150ml boiling water plus more for scalding the glass
- slice of lemon
- 3-4 whole cloves
- 1 tsp sugar
You’ll also need:
- Heatproof glass, preferably with a handle
The Steps:
- Stick the cloves into the lemon slice.
- Heat the glass by rinsing out with some boiling water.
- Add the sugar and boiling water to the glass and stir to dissolve.
- Add the lemon slice and whiskey, stir to mix, and enjoy.
The Variations:
- Dilute to your own taste. Add more sugar if you like or use honey to sweeten instead. Other than that, there’s no real need to tinker with such a classic.
Consider yourself nominated, Spud! Good luck! The Temple Bar Trad Festival sounds like tons of fun. I visited Temple Bar when I was in Dublin a few years back and loved it. Wish I’d had one of those Hot Whiskies, though. ;)
P.S. Aoife is such a lovely name!
I just added my nomination to what I’m sure will be a cascade. A hot whisky sounds just about right for these dreary winter days. Here’s a toast to you, friend – best wishes to the best Irish Food and Drink Blog. Soon enough, they’ll rename it after you!
Such a yummy drink! I like the cloves here! Got the nomination form in for you! Good luck!
As a lover of Irish whiskey I’m embarrased to say I’ve never tried it this way! I will have to remedy that this weekend. Off to nominate you!
Ahhh, I know this drink all too well, since I have a whiskey tooth, and was given this as a child when I had a itchy throat cold. Nice, and congrats!
Susan: Thanks! The trad fest does sound like fun. It has been running for a few years now and I have somehow managed to miss it every time. Will have to make more of an effort to get to it this year myself.
Tangled Noodle: *blushing now* – whether that’s the effect of your kind words or the hot whiskey or both, I couldn’t really say :)
Natasha: Aw, thank you – and this is a lovely drink, perfect for dark winter days.
Phoo-D: thanks and do remedy your lack of hot whiskeys post-haste – it’s a classic way to enjoy them
Chef E: it’s the drink of choice here for anyone suffering from winter colds – medicinal in all sorts of ways for young and old!
Done! Now go win… GREG
Tipping a hot toddy to you – next off to the nomination page. I sense a landslide brewing! Best of luck!
This hot whiskey looks really good!! You keep enjoying them.
SippitySup: an order is an order, I’ll do my best to oblige :)
OysterCulture: you’re too kind – I tip my hot toddy right back at you!
Velva: oh it is good – and I will make every effort to keep enjoying them :)
Happy to nominate! Have you ever covered Irish coffee? That tricky getting the cream to sit on the top always defeats me.
thank you thank you and thank you dear Spud – finally a hot whisky drink idea that I could easily cobble up on a dark Friday night! don’t know about you but I often find myself dreamily in need of a warming drink at around 4pm, whilst sort of finishing work:), when wine feels just too serious, and g & t is too cooling – whereas whisky (or brandy in fact) is always miraculously in my cupboard.
Michelle: no I haven’t covered Irish coffee (yet) – I think the trick with the cream is to pour it over the back of a spoon, but I’ll have to go and make one, just to be sure!
Katrina: you are most heartily welcome – this is perfect for a dark and dreary Friday night :)
I just nominated you!
My husband visited Dublin & the Temple bar a few years ago & he loved the atmosphere,…I wish I could go some day,…maybe next year!
The hot whiskey sounds very tasty,…my husband allready loves it. He is a whiskey admirer!
Thanks Sophie! Hope you get to visit here some day (and if you do, you’ll have to call in and visit). Meanwhile, the hot whiskey is indeed tasty and will fill you with a lovely warm glow :)
We pride ourselves on stocking quality drams at reasonable prices, including some rare and hard to find whiskies.
Another great recipe! I really enjoy reading recipes on your website and everything I’ve found so far is “must try”. Thank you and keep up the good work.