For this year’s original St. Patrick’s Day cocktail, I’ve chosen the name Mo Chara. Meaning “My Friend” in Gaelic, this drink’s name is a nod to the way in which this cocktail was created. Starting with an Old Pal (or Boulevardier if you think of bourbon whiskey first), it then took a twist through a white Negroni. The result was this beautiful cocktail, whose name is a tip of the hat to the Old Pal it was generated from.
Mo Chara
The Mo Chara is complex, refreshing, and smooth. The start is filled with a pop of citrus and the brightness of the Cocchi, which gives way to a slightly sweet orange, apple, and herbal flavor. The layering continues with notes of butterscotch, vanilla, nuts, and a hint of cereal. The texture becoming richly lanolin, before breaking into an interesting mix of orange peel candies, spices, herbs, and a nutty butterscotch on the ending. It lingers with herbs and spices over a citrus backdrop pleasantly.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
This drink is modeled after an Old Pal / Boulevardier and run through a white Negroni filter. As such, the ingredients chosen here are more from being on hand, than for specific depth of flavors in most cases. I’ll try to provide some substitutes in describing each.
- Knappogue Castle 12 Irish Whiskey – I honestly used this because it was the best available Irish Whiskey in the house. Had I had a bottle, I would have easily used Redbreast 12 here. I recommend something more refined, and leaving the Buskers and Jameson on the sideline here.
- Aperitivo Cocchi Americano – Used in place of Kina Lillet, this was picked for the good balance of sweetness and brightness in the wine. The honeyed sweetness really compliments the mix of citrus that focuses on orange, but pulls in mixes of kumquats, tangerines, and other wonderful grape notes. Lillet Blanc could serve as a substitute here.
- Dolin Genepy le Chamois – Dolin Genepy le Chamois has a wonderfully aromatic and herbal character, similar to a softer Green Chartreuse or Absinthe. It has almost this sage and spiced gumdrop character with that sage rabbit’s ear softness. Slight mint, slight floral notes add in. Yellow Chartreuse may work as a substitute.
- Regans’ Orange Bitters – These bitters have a wonderful spice note to them with their moderately complex orange character. You can find them on Amazon* if your local doesn’t have them, and they’re generally worth using as your house orange bitters.
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