Last weekend I was out having dinner with my wife at our favorite Thai restaurant. When we sat down the waitress placed the menus in front of us and also their drinks menu. I don’t usually order more than the occasional glass of wine at this particular restaurant. It definitely has a 4J bar. However, this time the waitress put my drinks menu down upside down. I glanced down and saw something interesting. “Jameson Whisky Martini” it said. Aside from spelling it wrong (Irish whiskies are generally “whiskey” not “whisky”) the idea of a martini-like tipple made with Jameson piqued my interest so I ordered one.
About three minutes latter the waitress comes walking towards our table carrying a drink that could not possibly be mine. But in following Murphy’s Laws and a few of my own she set the drink right in front of me. My wife and I both just stared. For the love of God the thing was blue! I’m not entirely sure how you make a brown spirit turn blue but that’s what it was. Well, I paid for it and in the spirit of open mindedness I indulged in this aqua colored marvel.
Here’s what I tasted…
• Blue curacao
• Sweet & sour mix
• Peach schnapps
• Cherry syrup (I think)
Oh and there was a cherry floating in the bottom of the martini glass. You know what I didn’t taste? Jameson. I don’t really know how you call it a “Jameson Whiskey Martini” and not actually be able to taste any Jameson. And did I mention it was blue? Really? Blue?
I’m not sure whose idea it was to start replacing vodka with whiskey in cocktails but that just doesn’t cut it. Vodka and whiskey are too VERY different spirits and are in no way interchangeable. When you put vodka in a cocktail you really just want alcohol in what you’re drinking. When you’re working with a whiskey you want the cocktail components to compliment the spirit, not mask it. This blue wonder was a travesty to the Jameson name. It just goes to show that not all whiskey cocktails are created equal. Choose wisely my friends.
-Richard
This is truly a lamentable tale my friend. Personally, I steer clear of specialty martinis in general. But I’m a bit of a purist and refuse to call a even vodka ‘martini’ a martini. For the neophyte, I suggest sticking with the old school whisk(e)y cocktails until you are comfortable with designer cocktails. Try an old fashioned, highball, Manhattan, rusty nail, or one of the many others.