In 1948, a distillery in the Irish town of Tullamore began producing Irish Mist liqueur. The same distillery also produced one of the great Irish whiskeys, Tullamore Dew. The recipe is said to date back more than 1,000 years, based on a recipe for "heather wine" that dates back to the early Irish clans.
The exact recipe for Irish Mist is kept secret, and there are few hints to be found in history. There are numerous references to various beers, wines and spirits throughout history, but heather wine appears to have disappeared. There's little indication whether it was brewed from heather flowers, or whether it was possibly a mead brewed from heather honey.
Irish Mist is similar in some ways to Drambuie. Where Drambuie is based on Scotch whisky, Irish Mist is based on Irish whiskey, blended with honey, herbs, and spices. Since it's based on Irish whiskey, Irish Mist lacks the characteristic smoky flavor found in Drambuie. This makes it easier to mix into cocktails.
The Black Nail
- 1 part Bushmills Irish whiskey
- 1 part Irish Mist
Combine the whiskey and liqueur in an old-fashioned glass half-filled with cracked ice. Serve garnished with an orange peel.
Irish Trinity
- 1 part Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey
- 1 part Irish Mist
- 1 part Irish Cream liqueur (Carolans or Bailey's)
Combine the whiskey and the liqueurs in a rocks glass over ice.
A Tinker Tall
- 1 1/4 oz. Irish Mist
- 3 oz. club soda
- 3 oz. ginger ale
Pour the Irish Mist over ice in a tall glass. Top off with club soda and ginger ale.
Slapshot
- 1 oz. dark rum
- 1/3 oz. Irish Mist
- 2/3 oz. Scotch whisky
- Cola
- lime wedges
Add the rum, whisky and liqueur to an ice-filled highball glass. Top off with cola, and add a squeeze of lime. Serve garnished with an additional lime wedge.
Champagne Irish Mist
- 1/2 oz. Irish Mist liqueur
- 4 oz. champagne
Pour the Irish Mist into a chilled champagne flute. Top off with champagne. Do not stir!
Samhain
- 1 part Scotch whisky
- 1 part Irish whiskey
- 1/2 part Irish Mist liqueur
- 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker, and shake briskly to combine. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and serve garnished with an orange twist.
Cork Comfort
- 1 part Irish whiskey
- 1/2 part Irish Mist
- Dash of Southern Comfort
- Dash of Angostura Bitters
Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Irish Fix
- 2 oz. Irish whiskey
- 1/2 oz. Irish Mist
- 1/2 oz. lemon juice
- 1 oz. pineapple juice
- 1/2 tsp. simple syrup
- lemon slice
Combine all ingredients except the lemon slice with ice in a shaker, and shake well to combine. Strain over ice in an old-fashioned glass, and serve garnished with the lemon slice.
Explore more great Irish Mist recipes. Readers who enjoy whiskey-based liqueurs may also enjoy Drambuie or Southern Comfort.
