The Emerald Isle Cocktail blends herbal and citrus notes with a touch of mint for an unusual flavor combination. What brings it all together is three dashes of Angostura bitters. It was another discovery whilst researching ideas for our Spring Collection, and trying to find something suitable as a St Patrick’s Day celebration.
The gin is very dominant in this cocktail as the recipe only calls for a teaspoon of crème de menthe. You need to like gin if you’re going to enjoy this drink, and it’s worth using a good one. Bombay Sapphire works particularly well. The Angostura bitters help to bring out the sweetness of the crème de menthe by providing a contrasting bitter spicy flavor.
This drink is pretty similar to the Fallen Angel, which blends gin and a little bit of crème de menthe with lime and Angostura bitters. And it’s also not a million miles away from the Green Dragon, which adds Kummel to the mix. Both of those are fairly strong drinks, and this one is all alcohol. That’s why you could actually look at it as a type of martini.
Emerald Isle Cocktail Recipe
2 ounces gin
1 teaspoon green creme de menthe
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
Put all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill, and strain the mixture into a cocktail glass.
