Emerald

When it comes to celebrating Irish holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, there are generally only a handful of widely known options. There’s the Irish Shot, whose regrettable previous moniker of Irish Car Bomb has thankfully been slowly abandoned. There’s the beloved Irish Coffee, a quintessential cold-weather drink. And there’s the Tipperary, a lush and rich cocktail with Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, green Chartreuse and bitters.

It’s a bit of a short list, so fans of the oft-misunderstood but beloved family of Irish whiskeys are often looking for something new. For an easy, familiar take on a classic, why not turn to one of the mothers of all whiskey drinks, the singular Manhattan? After all, the Tipperary is essentially the same drink, only with the addition of half an ounce of green Chartreuse.

The beauty of the Irish Manhattan is that it takes very little thought. Merely substitute your favorite Irish whiskey for the traditional rye or bourbon in the drink, and call it good. But the other benefit of the Manhattan, Irish or otherwise, is the flexibility of it. The template provides an opportunity to mix and match and find which Irish whiskeys you like best in your drink, and which sweet vermouths pair best with them. As the Irish whiskey category continues to grow, there are plenty of new ones on the market to try. Similarly, sweet vermouth continues to be a burgeoning market, as we’ve long ago moved away from Martini and Rossi as the only option on the shelf.

Of course, once you’ve found your ideal combination of Irish whiskey and vermouth, this could quickly become your go-to recipe for entertaining or quiet nights at home. For fans of Irish whiskey, it could even replace the standard rye or bourbon Manhattan for your regular bar order.