Hot and Cold Holiday Spirits

In keeping with the ebullient holiday mood abroad in the land, the oldest whiskey in the world and the oldest distilled spirits in the United States have donned up-to-the-minute guises. The new Irish whiskey and the new applejack have gone "soft" and are luring a whole new audience of light-and-dry-drink connoisseurs. December--with its river of punches, grogs, nogs, flips and bowls--is the perfect month to test the versatility of the recently introduced Irish and apple spirits.

Irishmen were the first to make whiskey--around 1200 a.d. They not only demonstrated that barley could be used for something more exciting than gruel but gave us the very word whiskey; they called it uisgebeatha--water of life. Before World War One, Irish whiskey heavily outsold Scotch in this country. Over 400 brands were registered in the U. S., and in England it was the drink of those who dined en famille at Buckingham Palace. Between the two Wars, the canny Scots stepped-in with their new, lighter malt liquor and ran away with the whiskey market in both England and this country. The Irish, who considered themselves perfectionists in making whiskey, particularly that which they exported, resisted change. In the 19th Century, when John Jameson's foremen were planning to build a new fence in the courtyard of his Dublin distillery, Jameson objected strongly. "It may change the taste of the whiskey," he warned. If an Irishman ordered a cask of whiskey from Power's distillery, which always used the delicate mountain water of the Vartry River in its big mash tuns, he would receive not only his cask of whiskey but a cask of water from the Vartry itself, so that when he diluted his spirits, he wouldn't run the risk of changing the original character. But in whiskey making, perfectionists in one era are all too often the reactionaries of a succeeding one. Over the years, Irish whiskey did change, but only at a drop-by-drop pace. Now it's been remodeled noticeably and notably. Both the old and the new are sipping whiskeys, and we can't imagine a more pleasant bit of indoor research beside a winter fireplace than nosing and tasting the old and the new from generous-size brandy glasses.

The difference between the ancient and modern is that the previous Irish whiskey was made in old-fashioned pot stills and the new Irish whiskey, like almost all Scotch coming to this country, is a blend of pot and column stills. Any pot still produces pungent, low-proof intense flavor; a column or continuous still yields high-proof, light, buoyant whiskey. You can spot the new Irish whiskey by the word blended on the label. Unlike most Scotch blends, which carry no age designation, several of the best-known Irish blends proudly indicate their seven-year sojourn in the wood.

Don't assume that the new Irish whiskey is simply Scotch in a Gaelic guise. It's an easy assumption to make, since both whiskeys are made from barley, just as most U. S. whiskey is made from corn and most Canadian from rye. Actually, the two barley-born whiskeys are worlds apart in taste. Scotch barley is dried over kilns where the smoke of peat or coal reaches the grain and gives it its unforgettably smoky flavor. Irish barley is dried over smokeless anthracite coal. There are other variations, but that alone is enough to make Irish as different from Scotch as a harp from a haggis.

Ireland's contribution to modern drink classics is Irish coffee. Its guidelines are simple: A jigger of Irish whiskey is poured into the kind of goblet you can lift without scalding your fingers; the whiskey must be followed by freshly brewed strong black coffee sweetened to taste; you must leave enough room in the glass for a cream topping; the cream may be whipped or unwhipped but never from a plastic dispenser. Of the standard bar drinks, an Irish old fashioned or an Irish sour on the rocks brings out the best of the new Irish blends.

The fact that most of the Irish whiskeys are now blends doesn't mean that any of them has lost its individuality. Paddy's, for some reason, spells its product without an e in the word whiskey, just as the Scotch do. Perhaps the lightest of all Irish whiskeys coming to these shores is Dunphy's. You may have to visit several liquor stores to find it, but it's worth the search. Its special smoothness can be traced to the fact that each year, it's blended by a noted American distiller, Joseph Haefelin, which proves that Irishmen and Americans are bound by a tie that is not necessarily thicker but certainly stronger than water.

The old Irish proverb "How could the apple be but as the apple tree?" might now be paraphrased "How could the new applejack be but as the apple?" Lighter and more satiny than straight applejack, the new spirits don't dissipate the essential flavor of the fruit. A sip of applejack is clearly reminiscent of a bite of crisp juicy Winesap right off the tree.

Like the new Irish whiskey, the new applejack is identified by the word blended on the label. Unlike Irish whiskey, which is all whiskey of varying intensities of flavor, blended applejack is a union of applejack and neutral grain spirits. As a matter of record, the new applejack--which took 15 years of research, including extensive tasting sessions among young people--is a modern version of one made over half a century ago, when liquor men found a mixture of applejack and neutral grain spirits more congenial to the public's drinking tastes than straight pot-stilled applejack. During Prohibition, applejack fell from its once high estate when it appeared as Jersey lightning or raw apple spirits delivered directly from the still to the bootlegger. But the misdeeds of Prohibition couldn't dishonor a liquor that once was distilled by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and served in Abraham Lincoln's New Salem tavern.

But even more important than what applejack has done for history is what it does for the festive season. As a mixer, the regenerated applejack dances rings around its older version. Blended applejack in a punch bowl endows the punch with a rich fruity essence without the necessity of turning the bowl into a liquid fruit salad. In mulled hot drinks, it's sufficiently vivid in flavor to keep the sharp aromas of allspice, cinnamon and cloves in a neat balance. The most highly regarded mixed drink for those who love to raise a glass to the apple is the jack rose cocktail--a jigger of applejack, 3/4 oz. lemon juice and 1/2 oz. grenadine, shaken well with ice. A surprisingly pleasant new combination is blended applejack in a bitter aperitif cocktail that you can concoct as follows: In an old fashioned glass with rocks, stir 1 oz. applejack and 1 oz. club soda with 1 oz. Punt e Mes, Campari or sweet vermouth.

For those who enjoy the old-fashioned applejack for sipping, the bottle that wears the brightest halo is Laird's 71/2-year-old 80-proof apple brandy, an incredibly suave version of the liquid apple in its straight form.

Dubliner James Joyce once talked of "the light music of whiskey falling into glasses--an agreeable interlude." The interlude will be longer and the music lighter when any of the following Irish and American elixirs fall into glasses:

[recipe_title]Irish Apple Bowl[/recipe_title]

(24 6-oz. punch cups)

[drinkRecipe]20 ozs. blended Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]20 ozs. blended applejack[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]10 ozs. Rose's lime juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 limes, sliced thin[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 large red Delicious apples[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 large bottles plus 1 pint ginger ale[/drinkRecipe]

All ingredients, including spirits. should be prechilled. Apples should be cored but not peeled and cut into 1/2-in. dice. Pour whiskey, applejack and lime juice over block of ice in punch bowl. Add lime slices and apples; stir well. Let mixture ripen in refrigerator 1 hour. Pour ginger ale into bowl; stir lightly.

[recipe_title]Hot Irish and Port[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. blended Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 ozs. tawny port[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. water[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 stick cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 slice orange[/drinkRecipe]

Pour whiskey, port and water into saucepan. Heat to boiling point (concluded on page 312) Holiday Spirits (continued from page 132) but do not boil. Pour into preheated mug. Add stick cinnamon and orange slice. Let drink stand on hot tray about 5 minutes before serving.

[recipe_title]Hot Buttered Irish[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. blended Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. water[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 dashes Angostura bitters[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 whole cloves[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon sweet butter[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 piece lemon peel[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whole nutmeg[/drinkRecipe]

Pour whiskey, orange juice, lemon juice, water, sugar and bitters into saucepan; add cloves. Heat to boiling point (concluded on page 312) Holiday Spirits (continued from page 132) but do not boil. Pour into preheated mug. Add butter and stir until butter melts. Twist lemon peel over drink and drop into mug. Grate nutmeg over drink. Let drink stand on hot tray about 5 minutes before serving.

[recipe_title]Irish Milk and Maple Punch[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. blended Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]8 ozs. milk[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 tablespoon maple syrup[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whole nutmeg[/drinkRecipe]

Shake whiskey, milk and maple syrup very well with ice. Strain into 14-oz. tall glass. Grate nutmeg over drink.

[recipe_title]Irish Tea[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. blended Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]6 ozs. freshly brewed hot Irish black tea[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 whole cloves[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 whole allspice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 stick cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 teaspoons honey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 slice lemon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whole nutmeg[/drinkRecipe]

Put whiskey, tea, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, sugar and honey into preheated mug; stir well. Add lemon slice. Grate nutmeg over drink. Let drink stand on hot tray about 5 minutes before serving.

[recipe_title]Misty Irish[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. blended Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. Irish Mist liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 cup coarsely cracked ice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 brandied cherry[/drinkRecipe]

Pour whiskey, liqueur, orange juice, lemon juice, sugar and ice into blender. Blend at high speed 15 seconds. Pour into prechilled old fashioned glass. Add ice cubes to fill to rim. Add brandied cherry.

[recipe_title]Irish Alexander on the Rocks[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. blended Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. Irish coffee liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. heavy cream[/drinkRecipe]

Shake all ingredients well with ice. Pour into prechilled old fashioned glass. Add ice cubes to fill to rim. A dessert cocktail.

[recipe_title]Irish Almond[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. blended Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 teaspoons orgeat or orzata[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon toasted almond slices[/drinkRecipe]

Shake whiskey, orange juice, lemon juice and orgeat well with ice. Strain into prechilled whiskey sour glass or Delmonico glass. Sprinkle almond slices on top. (To toast almonds, place prepared sliced almonds in shallow pan in oven preheated at 375°. Bake about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until medium brown. Sprinkle with salt. Cool.)

[recipe_title]Hot Apple Grog[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. blended applejack[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 tablespoon brown sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. water[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 whole allspice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 stick cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2-in. strip lemon peel[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. 151-proof rum[/drinkRecipe]

Pour applejack, sugar and water into saucepan. Add allspice and cinnamon. Bring to boiling point but do not boil. Pour into preheated mug. Twist lemon peel above mug and drop into drink. Float rum on top (pour it over the back of a tablespoon held along inside of mug). Set rum aflame. Let it burn for about a half minute, then stir to stop flaming. Warn guests not to burn lips on mug (take the first sip with a spoon).

[recipe_title]Hot Buttered Apple[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. blended applejack[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. green ginger wine[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. water[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 stick cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 whole cloves[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon sweet butter[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whole nutmeg[/drinkRecipe]

Pour applejack, ginger wine and water into saucepan. Add cinnamon, cloves and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to boiling point but do not boil. Pour into preheated mug. Add butter and stir until butter melts. Let drink stand on hot tray about 5 minutes before serving. Grate nutmeg over drink just before serving.

[recipe_title]Jack and Jerry[/recipe_title]

(4 drinks)

[drinkRecipe]8 ozs. blended applejack[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 eggs, separated[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 tablespoons sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 cup milk[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 tablespoons heavy cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Dash salt[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/8 teaspoon ground mace[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/8 teaspoon ground ginger[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 pint hot milk[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whole nutmeg[/drinkRecipe]

Beat egg yolks and sugar in top part of double boiler until well blended. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk, cream, salt, cinnamon, mace and ginger. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly with wire whip, until mixture thickens. It should have the consistency of a light sauce. Remove from fire. Beat egg whites until stiff. Slowly stir cooked mixture into beaten egg whites. Divide among 4 preheated mugs. Pour 2 ozs. applejack into each mug. Fill mugs with hot milk. Stir. Grate nutmeg over each drink.

[recipe_title]Frozen Apple[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 ozs. blended applejack[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 piece lemon peel[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Superfine sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 cup diced Delicious apple[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 cup crushed ice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

Rub rim of deep saucer champagne glass well with lemon peel, then dip in superfine sugar to make sugar-frosted rim. Chill glass in refrigerator. Peel and core apple and cut into 1/2-in. dice. Put applejack, diced apple, ice, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon sugar into blender and blend at low speed 20 seconds. Pour into prechilled glass.

[recipe_title]Apple Eggnog[/recipe_title]

(12 drinks)

[drinkRecipe]16 ozs. blended applejack[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]6 eggs[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 tablespoons sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 quart plus 1 pint milk[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 cup heavy cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Ground cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

Pour applejack, eggs and sugar into blender and blend at low speed 2 minutes. Pour into large pitcher or bowl. Stir in milk, cream and vanilla. Let mixture ripen in refrigerator at least 1 hour for flavors to blend. Pour into 6-oz. punch cups or Delmonico glasses. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

[recipe_title]Apple Suissesse[/recipe_title]

(2 drinks)

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. blended applejack[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Grenadine[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Superfine sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 egg white[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. heavy cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 cup crushed ice[/drinkRecipe]

Dip rims of 2 old fashioned glasses in grenadine, then in superfine sugar to make frosted rims. Place in freezer to chill. Pour applejack, 2 teaspoons sugar, egg white, cream and crushed ice into blender and blend at high speed 15 seconds. Pour into prechilled glasses.

[recipe_title]Spiced Apple Flip[/recipe_title]

(2 drinks)

[drinkRecipe]3 ozs. blended applejack[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 egg[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 tablespoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 teaspoons lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/8 teaspoon ground cloves[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whole nutmeg[/drinkRecipe]

Shake applejack, egg, sugar, lemon juice, cloves and cinnamon with ice. Strain into prechilled whiskey sour glasses or Delmonico glasses. Grate nutmeg over each drink.

The preceding mixed blessings should help you add refreshing new twists to your holiday hosting. Cheers!