Post- Justin C. Blomgren

This post is sponsored by Redbreast Whiskey

March is here, and that means it’s time to celebrate our favorite Irish holiday, St. Patrick’s Day! Although we all love it, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America don’t always have the classiest reputation in our modern pop culture. I often think of unsavory parties and lots of green food dye. Even as I walked through the supermarket today, all I could find were green streamers, glittery leprechaun hats, and images of rainbows connecting to pots of gold.

WE CAN DO BETTER, people!

That’s why this March I’ve partnered with Redbreast Whiskey to elevate your St. Patrick’s Day gathering. Here are my ideas:

Host a Small Gathering with Friends

St. Patrick’s was originally intended as a feast to celebrate the life of Saint Patrick, so I’m all for inviting friends over for some hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Plus, you know the bars are going to be PACKED, so really it’s a win win. When thinking of which drinks to serve, Irish Whiskey is of course a no brainer. Ireland has a LONG history of making some of the world’s BEST whiskey. I recommend Redbreast Whiskey of course, as it is the most awarded Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and, not to mention, delicious.

As your guests arrive, I would start with serving them a cheese board and a spirit forward cocktail. I suggest the classic Manhattan, using Redbreast 12 Year Old. This is a very nice whiskey, so you really don’t want to make a cocktail that has a lot of mix-ins. That is why the Manhattan is perfect. Here is the recipe:

Manhattan (recipe serves 2)

4 parts Redbreast 12 Year Old
2 parts Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes of bitters
Stir over ice and strain into a coup
Garnish with a cherry

Next I would bring out some Ricotta and Pesto Crostini’s. These are super easy to make, VERY delicious and have a pop of green to honor Saint Patrick.

Ricotta and Pesto Crostini

Ingredients:

½ cup toasted pine nuts
¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated
2 garlic cloves - finely grated
6 cups basil leaves (about 3 bunches)
¾ cup olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt

1 baguette
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Ricotta cheese

Making the Pesto:

Add toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add basil and place the top back on. While the motor is running, slowly add the olive oil. You’ll want the pesto mostly smooth. Season with salt. If you’re running short on time, you can always buy some fresh pesto from the store ;-)

Toast the crostini:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice your baguette and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 18 minutes, flipping crostini over half way through. Let cool completely on baking sheets.

Putting it all together:

Once cooled, add a dollop of ricotta cheese to each crostini. Then top with pesto and pine nuts. Voila!

A Grand Toast

As the evening progresses I would surprise everyone by bringing everyone a glass of Redbreast 27 Year Old (served neat) for a special toast. This whiskey is as good as it gets, and SHOULD NOT be mixed with anything. It’s been matured in a combination of bourbon, sherry and port casks to give it its signature finish, and has hints of dark fruits, blood orange, vanilla and oak. This should serve as the climax of your evening, so make sure your toast is grand, full of happiness and hope that there will be many more of these types of gatherings in the future.

And there you go, that’s my kind of St. Patrick’s Day celebration :)

Produced in limited quantities on an ongoing basis, Redbreast 27 Year Old is now available in select U.S. markets for an MSRP of $500.

For more information on Redbreast Irish Whiskey, visit RedbreastWhiskey.com and follow @RedbreastWhiskeyUS on Instagram, @Redbreast_US on Twitter and @RedbreastUS on Facebook for the latest updates, inspiration and more.

How are you celebrating this year?

This post is sponsored by Redbreast Whiskey but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

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