Tipperary

Take a trip to Ireland with the Tipperary. 

In the South of Ireland, you’ll find both a town and a county called Tipperary. It’s a storied part of Ireland that dates back to the 13th century. In New York City at a bar called the Dead Rabbit, you’ll likely find an Irish Whiskey cocktail called the Tipperary (or maybe not depending on the day – we aren’t in charge of their menu). It’s a storied cocktail, but it definitely doesn’t date back to the 13th century.  

The tale of the Tipperary starts somewhere around 1916 in the book, “Recipes for Mixed Drinks” by Hugo R. Ensslin. At that point it was written as an equal parts cocktail of Irish Whiskey, Vermouth, and Chartreuse. By 1922 in Harry MacElhone’s “ABC of Mixing Cocktails,” the Tipperary was color-coded with Irish Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, and the clarification of Green Chartreuse. In more modern times, the recipe has been finessed (And dare we say perfected) thanks to the Dead Rabbit bar in New York City. Although it only opened in 2013, the Dead Rabbit has become a staple in the cocktail community and won the “World’s Best Bar” award twice already. But even in the heart of Manhattan, the Dead Rabbit is a full on Irish pub, which would partially explain its interest in the Tipperary. 

Jack McGarry, an Irish bartender and owner of the Dead Rabbit, got ahold of the Tipperary, modified, and brought it back. With his recipe, the cocktail is no longer an equal parts drink, but one that more accurately balances out all of the ingredients and flavors – The sweetness of the vermouth, the herbal notes of the Green Chartreuse, and the punch of the whiskey.  More importantly, it lets the Irish Whiskey shine in a crisp, complex, and sophisticated cocktail. 

So for St. Patrick’s Day (or any day, really), tip your hat, tip your waiter, and take a sip of the Tipperary.