The IMAGE Cocktail Club: Dearbhla’s Roe & Co nutmeg Old Fashioned

Making a neighbour of Roe & Co’s Dublin 8 distillery, Dearbhla had a hard time pinning down her favourite cocktail of choice.

“They have so many great options in the distillery bar,” she explains. “There’s one called The Caretaker, which is Roe & Co whiskey, salted Verdejo mixed with rhubarb and ginger syrup. It’s spicy, sweet and salty all at once – definitely worth trying.

“I also love a whiskey espresso martini for a slight twist on the classic, and at home, I love a cheeky Roe & Co Irish coffee, especially in the winter evenings.”

If it’s too dark outside to make it to the Roe & Co Distillery for a tour, Dearbhla has the perfect cocktail to warm you up on a chilly winter’s night.

“My go-to at the moment is a nutmeg Old Fashioned; it’s toasty and fragrant and deliciously drinkable without being too sweet.”

Roe & Co Nutmeg Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• Roe & Co. 106 Blended Irish Whiskey – 50ml
• Aromatic Bitters – 3/4 dashes
• Winter Spice Syrup* – 15ml

*To make the Winter Spice Syrup

• Demerara Sugar – 500g
• Water – 250ml
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 orange peels
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 whole cloves
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

• Add all Winter Spice Syrup ingredients to a pot and bring to a simmer. Allow to chill and fine-strain into a suitable bottle or pouring vessel.
• Once cooled and decanted, add all of the ingredients into a suitable mixing vessel. Stir until adequately diluted and chilled.
• Add ice to a short rocks glass and strain the mix over it. Garnish with an orange peel and a light dusting of fresh nutmeg.

Photography by Dan Dunne