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WHISKEY A Cocktail-Driven Trend Also driving the Irish whiskey trend is the overall interest in brown spirits in the cocktail shaker. "Irish whiskey is definitely a bartender favorite," Briese says. "We see a lot of bartenders playing with Bushmills for all sorts of cocktails." Especially on St. Patty's Day, Irish whiskey cocktails are extremely popular. Bartenders mix with green Chartreuse or food coloring to give a nice light green tint. Irish whiskey cocktails are catching steam year-round, too. Many bars are sticking to Irish whiskey in Manhattans, Irish coffees and Hot Toddies, but they are also branding their own cocktails. For example, Dallas-area restau- rant group The Londoner Pub boasts The London Kiss: Bushmills, DeKuyper Peachtree, ginger ale and orange juice. Costa Mesa, California's Skosh Monahan's Irish Pub, which boasts the largest Irish whiskey selection in Southern California, calls the combination of Jameson, butterscotch schnapps and orange juice an Irish Pancake. Also trending: bars stockpiling fine Irish whiskies for sipping neat or on the rocks. Few may carry Knappogue Castle 1951 pure pot still, which sells at retail for $1,000, but many bars in New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco are replacing higher end cognacs and scotches with more afford- able Irish whiskeys. The momentum in Irish whiskey is opening up new avenues for whiskey enthusiasts who might have traditionally stayed with one genre of spirit, Briese says. "This just opens up opportunities for people where they wouldn't have necessarily ventured into the Irish whiskey space," she says. In other words, the luck of the Irish will be smiling on lot of lads and lassies. Brand Profile: Michael Collins Traditionally, Irish whiskey is a triple-distilled product, but Michael Collins switched things up by double-distilling and using peated malted barley in its single malt. Made at the Cooley Distillery, which was recently acquired by Jim Beam for $95 million, both the blended Michael Collins Irish Whiskey ($22) and Michael Collins 10 Year Old Single Malt ($40) are double-distilled in small, long-necked copper pot stills. Both are aged in bourbon casks. The Single Malt earned Best Irish Whiskey and Double Gold at the 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, earning critics' admiration for its sweet nose of caramel, rich ripe fruit, peat and white flowers, followed by a clean palate with a smoky finish. The blended Michael Collins might be the best value in all of whiskey. It earned the 2011 Chairman's Trophy at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Both Michael Collins whiskies are a great tribute to the man on the bicycle who negotiated Ireland's 1921 Treaty of Independence. SIDNEY FRANK IMPORTING CO. 76 / the tasting panel / march 2012 Fred Minnick's Hot Picks Knappogue Castle Twin Wood 17 Years Single Malt ($100) This is a limited-edition 80-proof whiskey that is aged in two types of wood: bourbon barrels and sherry casks. Medium gold in color with a nose of honey, sherry, apricots, peach, wintergreen and hints of almond and dark cherry. An elegant palate styling notes of vanilla, toasted almonds, dried apricots and hints of tobacco and oak. Beautiful, somewhat short, finish of dried fruits. CASTLE BRANDS INC. Barton Irish Whiskey ($19.99) A rather new-to-mar- ket product, Barton Irish Whiskey, like many other labels, is made at the Cooley Distillery in Ireland. A light amber with hues of yellow is followed by a sweet nose with powerful notes of vanilla and hazelnut. Its smooth flavor brings notes of caramel, more vanilla, almond and bittersweet chocolate. 80 proof. THE SAZERAC COMPANY Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey ($50) This whiskey is a single, unblended, pure pot still production, triple-distilled and aged in oak sherry and bourbon casks for not less than 12 years. Its beautiful gold color meets a gorgeous nose of chocolate, marsh- mallow, vanilla, hints of smoke and citrus. The complex palate finds many of the same notes, with pronounced lemon curd, sweet malt and a soft finish. 80 proof. PERNOD RICARD USA PHOTO: FRED MINNICK PHOTO: FRED MINNICK