Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur hosted an evening filled with cocktails, food and Irish music at the Lovage amid the St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
By all accounts, St. Patrick’s Day is now over. Confirmed. Have no doubt, St. Patrick’s Day is far from a day-long celebration now, though. At least in NYC, St. Patrick’s Day has become a weeklong ordeal, culminating on the 17th of March with all out green drink fest. But with marketing pushing St. Patrick’s Day harder than ever, it feels as though its been St. Patrick’s Day weekend for the past month. Fortunately, Kerrygold, the legendary Irish butter and cheesemaker crashed into NYC to celebrate its Irish Cream Liqueur.
It was a relief to step out of the snow and noise and into the posh penthouse Lovage lounge in Midtown West for Kerrygold’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration, perhaps one of the more authentic events one could be attending. Kerrygold is well-known for its cheeses and butters, but guests were served the delightful Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur with nothing more than ice upon arrival. That was a brazen (and well-received) testament to the smooth taste of the liqueur that maintains a subtle note of chocolate and butter. It was an opportunity for guests to familiarize themselves with the taste of Kerrygold, who happens to be a newcomer to the Irish Cream Liqueur scene and the base of the custom cocktails produced by Pamela Wiznitzer for the evening.
Pamela Wiznitzer, the award-winning mixologist admits, “I’ve always been a fan of cream liqueurs, and you can always make more than just a mudslide or on-ice.” She blew us away with the three offerings she whipped up:
The Gaelic Grasshopper: This one’s not to hard to whip up, it takes 1.5oz Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur, 1oz Teeling Small Batch Irish whiskey, .5oz Brancamenta, and .5oz Creme de Cacao. Simply shake lightly and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with mint and shaved chocolate. The taste is exceptional: at once refreshing and sweet, but never overwhelming.
Thai Iced Tea: A charming and easy, these one has a bit of grit that introduces a great texture on the tongue. It’s 1.5oz Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur, 2.5oz heavily brewed tea (ceylon is best for this), 1oz aged rum, 1oz coconut milk, .5oz sweetened condensed milk, clove, anise, vanilla bean. To make it: Mix the kerrygold, sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk together with clove, vanilla, and anise and allow to sit for 2-3 hours. In a glass place the tea and rum with ice. Then add 3 oz of the mixture on top and layer them, Finish with a dusting of nutmeg.
With classic Irish quartet adding some lively and quaint music to the sleek environment, chef Clodagh Mckenna provided guests with an eclectic variety of hors d’oeuvres, which she described as “warm” and “gorgeous.” We weren’t inclined to disagree: the macaroni and cheese was dense and perfect, made with Kerrygold butter and in muffin pan, providing perfectly toasty edges. The crostini with walnut and the potato puff were equally delightful. A spread of cheeses including the Kerrygold Dubliner and Cashel Blue variations. Our favorite was the Aged Cheddar, which was just soft enough and seemed to felt in the life. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to enjoy the truffles- they were always eaten before we had a chance to enjoy.
After the cocktails, the music, and the exciting crowd, we were given a chance to really consider Kerrygold and the bar-cart must-have in a new light, forever associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Now, to enjoy a Kerrygold and coffee to wind down after a fabulous St. Patrick’s Day.