Irish drinks - pub in Dublin
Irish drinks - pub in Dublin“ - CC0 / Public Domain”

Irish drinks : our 9 favorites for your next visit to Ireland

Are you planning a trip to Ireland soon? Great! Ireland has a lot to offer for its visitors. St. Patrick’s Day on 17 March, rugby and racing, jolly (or not!) Celtic music – and pubs and drinks, obviously! So read on for a compilation of our 9 favorite Irish drinks that you should absolutely try on the best time to visit Ireland.

1. Irish drinks : Guinness – well, obviously!

The most famous of Irish drinks, this smooth and thick dry stout is brewed in over 50 countries and available in more than 120. By the way, did you know Guinness was rich in iron and antioxidants? When visiting Dublin, having oysters with a pint of Guinness in the famous  Temple Bar – established in 1599! – is a must – and also an extremely touristy place, but whatever! And for more pubs to visit, these are the best Dublin pubs in our opinion.

Irish drinks: Guinness
Irish drinks : Guinness“ – CC0 / Public Domain”

2. Irish coffee

If you haven’t already tasted Irish coffee, you should definitely try it in Ireland! Made of black coffee, a shot of Irish whiskey, brown sugar and topped with thick, yummy cream, this combination of hot-cold, soft-hard and black-white is a pure delight. For an authentic taste, you drink the coffee through the cream (that’s one is for me, as I would be tempted have the cream with a spoon first, like with my cappuccinos!)

3. Galway Hooker beer

This award-winning pale ale is very new, as its brewery was only founded in 2006, by cousins Aidan Murphy and Ronan Brennan in Oranmore in County Galway. It tastes pretty similar to other pale ales but it has an extra, distinct caramel flavor which will make you think of Irish red beers.

4. Kilkenny cream ale

Kilkenny cream ale originated (surprise, surprise!) in Kilkenny, Ireland. Available in draughts, bottles and cans, it was originally brewed by the founders of Guinness. Its nitrogenated cream head, similar to that in Guinness, makes it one of our favorites. This ale also is less carbonated that regular beers, and it has a smooth flavor. It is actually quite popular in most Irish pubs in Montreal.

5. Jameson whiskey

Did you know that founder the creator of Jameson whiskey, John Jameson, was actually a Scotsman? It was his Irish wife’s cousins who set up the Bow Street Distillery in Dublin, in 1740 and who employed him as general manager. Having been sold internationally since the 19th century, Jameson whiskey is without doubt the best-selling Irish whiskey in the world. As it is a fairly smooth blended whiskey, it has a lower alcoholic content than single cask whiskeys, which makes it widely appreciated, even by people who are not big whiskey fans.

Irish drinks - Jameson whiskey
Irish drinks – Jameson whiskey“ – CC0 / Public Domain”

6. Baileys Irish cream

A girly drink they say? Well, it only goes to show that women have good tastes! A liqueur made of whiskey and cream, Baileys was born in 1973 and is famous for its distinctive chocolaty taste. Nuff said!

7. Fat frog

This cocktail is called frog for its green color, and fat for its calorie intake! Mix some orange Bacardi Breezer, WKD blue, Smirnoff Ice and some fresh lime. It’s not for everyone… But it’s kinda famous in Ireland!

Irish drinks : fat frog
Irish drinks : fat frog“ – CC0 / Public Domain”

8. Irish cider : try Cockagee

Now there are many, many types of Irish ciders and we love many of them, but Cockagee pure Irish keeved cider  is our favorite because it’s the only Irish cider that’s made by keeving (an ancient technique that originated in France).

Irish drinks - Irish cider
Irish drinks – Irish cider“ – CC0 / Public Domain”

9. Irish mint milk shake

On a final note, and to prove to you that Irish drinks don’t always include alcohol (we don’t like clichés and we wouldn’t want you to overindulge!) our final pick shall be the Irish mint milk shake, which is great during St. Patrick Day celebrations (or anytime, really!) That’s a yummy mix of milk, mint syrup, cream, vanilla ice cream, peppermint extract and sugar for you.

And for a list of what to do in Ireland, these are our 9 favorite places to visit!