Tag: irish whiskey

What Is Irish Cream?

Wetbrain Leave a comment

 

What Is Irish Cream?

“Harold, you have been drinking Irish Cream with your morning coffee every day for months.” Dr. Wetbrain declared.

Harold defended himself with, “What?! Only 5 cups a day. Plus, it has sugar and cream. Perfect for coffee.”

The Dr. added, “Let us not forget the Irish whiskey. Funny thing about the Irish Cream Liqueur. It was Not created by the Irish!”

Believe it or not Irish Cream is not originally from Ireland.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur was created in 1971, in England by Tom Jago, a British marketing executive.

Irish Cream is a protected geographical product so that is why Bailey’s Irish Cream is now made in Dublin, Ireland.

What is Irish Cream?

Most Irish Cream liqueur brands consist of 16 to 20% alcohol, Bailey’s has 17%.

Most Irish Creams are made with a lot of sugar, cream and a splash or two of Irish whiskey. Some brands add a pinch of chocolate and a drop of vanilla.

Developed in 1978 Carolans Irish Cream is made in Kentucky, US, by the master distiller Coner O’Driscoll originally from Dublin, Ireland. In 2016 Carolans ranked 3rd in the cream liqueur category in the US market. Name was taken from a famous 17th century harpist Turlough O’Carolan. Harpist in those days is like an electric guitarist these days.

Carolans Irish Cream is made with honey instead of sugar. Besides the naturally harvested honey it is also made with farm fresh cream from Ireland and of course Irish Whiskey.

Even though Irish Cream is protected as a geographical product where it must be produced in Ireland, another U.S. distillery is making it.

Blarney’s Country Irish Cream is made by Minhas Distillery in Wisconsin, U.S. Blarney’s Country Irish Cream is made with fresh cream, Irish Whiskey, sweet chocolate and sweet caramel. My favorite Irish Cream. Wetbrain smirks.

Want to make your own Irish Cream?!

One day I was at a friend’s place, and she put into a glass with ice a good-looking creamy liqueur. It was a great drink. She kindly gave me her recipe.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. -Unsweetened Cocoa powder or chocolate syrup

1 tbsp. -Sugar

1 tsp. -Non artificial vanilla extract

1 tbsp. -Instant coffee or espresso powder

1 14oz. can -Sweetened condensed milk (no evaporated milk)

1 cup -Heavy cream

1 cup -The best part, Irish Whiskey. Can use white rum or bourbon and a little more then 1 cup whiskey, if needed.

Throw all the ingredients into a blender. Blend till smooth. Pour into a large bottle, juice jug, canning jars or glasses with ice cubes and drink it now. You can keep this liqueur in the fridge for later.

With this rich creamy sweet liqueur, you can use it for baking, cocktail drinks, coffee mix, ice cream or just into a glass of ice.

“So, Harold,” Dr. Wetbrain concluded. “I think you drink way too much morning coffee.”

I Cry For Whiskey and Rye.

Wetbrain Leave a comment

I Cry, For Whiskey and Rye.

I, Dr. Wetbrain, pledge a solemn oath to whiskey and rye. Rye and water are my favorite poisons. So, I know a little bit about whiskey and rye.

The word ‘whiskey’ comes from the Gaelic uisge beatha, meaning ‘lively water’ or ‘water of life’. Interesting to note how also the American Natives use to call whiskey ‘fire water’.

Whiskey, rye or bourbon are more of a European, American and Canadian made spirit compared to the rest of the world.

I very much enjoy a glass of whiskey or two, usually with two thirds of the glass with cold water added as mix to the rye. Mostly in movies, on the other hand, people will down about two ounces at once in a shot glass. Holly, cow! Must have been watered down.

Whiskey is made by distilling fermented barley, rye or wheat grain in large stills and then aged in charred wooden ‘aging’ barrels.

Difference between Whiskey and Rye. 

Whiskey is an American and Canadian based libation made with either wheat, corn, barley or many other grains.

Rye is a type of whiskey, made the same way, but with at least 51% rye mash.

Scotch is made from fermented barley.

Irish whiskey must ferment with added yeast. I’m sure that each distillery has their own tricks of the trade with the production of these spirits by using other additions and processes and aging times. No matter what, each finished product is like a piece of art. 

Bourbon is a whiskey which is fermented with at least 51% corn mash.

Brief History, On Whiskey

Whiskey’s distilling tricks of the trade were brought on by monks between 1100 – 1300 AD to Scotland and Ireland.

At one time beer made with barley was distilled into hard liquor. Medicine they all thought. Speaking of medicine, in the dirty thirties (Prohibition time), over a million gallons of whiskey was prescribed by dignified doctors to sufferers of many unique ailments.

In 1794 during the American Revolutionary War whiskey was used as currency for room and board, bullets, boots, etc.…

      Moonshine, white lightning, hooch is usually made by refining 100% corn mash and distilling this mash in a contraption called a ‘still’. Totally illegal to manufacture this moonshine in its time, production was done in secrecy.

This high proofed alcohol was in high demand during the prohibition era (1920 – 1933). During this era, the speakeasies bought moonshine and watered it down for more profits.

“Harold sounds dignified when he drinks whiskey, when I have seen others go snake crazy drinking this spirit”, Dr. Wetbrain remarks.