The Dead Rabbit has New Book-FROM BARLEY TO BLARNEY, A WHISKEY LOVER'S GUIDE TO IRELAND Available 4/16/19
By: Marina Kennedy Feb. 18, 2019
The Dead Rabbit, a tri-level mid-19th century style Irish/New York drinking saloon and two-time "World's Best Bar" winner that recently expanded its guest capacity, today announces "From Barley to Blarney, a Whiskey Lover's Guide to Ireland." Authored by The Dead Rabbit's Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, together with fellow Irish native and Irish whiskey expert Tim Herlihy, the book is an unprecedented portrait of 22 of Ireland's distilleries and their bottlings, 50 of its renowned pubs, as well as recipes for 12 original Irish whiskey cocktails, all extensively photographed.
The hardbound book, which includes a history of whiskey-making in Ireland, as well as attractions to visit, chronicles the trio's fact-finding trips and is the ultimate travel guide for whiskey enthusiasts, pub lovers and Hibernophiles. It goes on sale April 16, 2019 (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 272 pages, ISBN: 978-1-4494-8993-9, $28 suggested retail price).
Two Fact-Finding Trips, 4,000 Miles, 111 Pubs and Every Working Distillery
To research the book, Muldoon, McGarry and Herlihy conducted two, month-long whirlwind tours in a VW bus driven by McGarry's father. They logged over 4,000 miles, visited 111 pubs and every single working whiskey distillery on the island. In the process, they explored 29 counties and recorded 120 hours of interviews with distillers and publicans. Every step was documented by Elaine Hill, a noted photographer, whose images grace the book. Drinksology, the Belfast firm behind The Dead Rabbit's award-winning menus and its two cocktail tomes, designed this handsome book.
And if the voice of the book seems familiar, it is because it was written by Conor Kelly, who also penned "The Dead Rabbit: Mixology & Mayhem" and copy for The Dead Rabbit's website and social media. While the trio gathered the information and conducted the interviews, Kelly brought everything together as a cohesive and witty literary whole.
"We are constantly asked for our recommendations of where to go in Ireland, what to see and what to do. This book sums up our collective wisdom and was truly a labor of love," says Muldoon, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, The Dead Rabbit and a pub expert. "Ireland is experiencing explosive growth in both distilleries and whiskey and we wanted to capture this unique and historic revival. In the early 1900s, Irish whiskey accounted for 60% of world whiskey sales. Having completed this book, we can say its best days are still ahead and a visit to the Emerald Isle is definitely in order."
Pushing Boundaries While Respecting Ireland's Whiskey-Making Traditions
Brief histories of each distillery, along with interviews of their distillers, are included, as are descriptions of key bottlings. These artisans all respect Ireland's great distillation heritage, yet are taking creative license in the name of flavor.
The portraits include:
-A distillery on a castle estate where rock royalty play
-A distillery producing 60 million liters annually
-The world's oldest distillery that dates back to 1757
-A distillery with a distillery museum on site
-A distillery in a long-deconsecrated church with stained glass windows
-A distillery crafting just two casks a day
-A distillery in a relocated historic cow shed that was reassembled brick by brick
The wellspring of innovation includes adding different grains to the mash, like wheat and rye, and using casks that formerly held beer, fortified wine and other spirits to impart additional layers of complexity. Furthermore, producers are experimenting with non-oak casks, such as chestnut. They also found distilleries bringing back barley provenance and adopting the use of organic barley, with some producers now even going so far as to distill only one farmer's barley at a time.
Cocktails Showcasing One of the Most Diverse Spirits in the World
The book contains 12 original recipes for Irish whiskey cocktails by mixological master McGarry. Each was designed around the distinctive qualities of one of the whiskeys featured in the book. They are prefaced with a mini-course of tips, tricks and explanations.
"Irish whiskey is one of the most diverse categories of spirits in the world," says McGarry, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, The Dead Rabbit. "We have sweet Single Grains, lighter Blends, floral and crisp Single Malts and viscous Pot Stills. Moreover, there are now multiple wood profiles and finishes. The recipes I created showcase these flavor profiles in riffs on the classics, like the Sour, the Old-Fashioned, the Manhattan and more. So while the drinks have The Dead Rabbit signature, they are much more accessible for the home bartender to understand and recreate."
The cocktails include:
-Against the Grain - Teeling Single Grain, Graham's LBV Port Wine, lemon juice, lemon sherbet, red currant preserves, dry cider
-City Slicker - Redbreast Irish Whiskey 12-Year-Old, Cocchi di Torino, maraschino liqueur, Sommer Icon
-Civil Servant - Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey, Amaro di Angostura, Graham's LBV Port Wine, coffee-chicory syrup, Demerara syrup, lemon juice, Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters
-Custom Maid - Jameson Black Barrel, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, cucumber slices
-Dead Rabbit Irish Coffee - Bushmills Original, Demerara syrup, Dead Rabbit Blend Coffee, prepared whipped cream
-Grass Roots - Bushmills Single Malt 10-Year-Old, Merlet Crème de Poire, pear eau-de-vie, lemon juice, rich honey syrup, absinthe, soda water
-Grindstone - Tullamore D.E.W. Cider Cask, American Fruits Apple Liqueur, Green Chartreuse, Boston Bittahs, semi-dry cider
-Revolver - Green Spot, Copper & Kings Un-Aged Apple Brandy, Dolin Blanc, Suze Gentiane, menthe pastille, Peychaud's Bitters
-Short & Sweet - Tullamore D.E.W. Caribbean Rum Cask, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, Velvet Falernum, lime juice, cane syrup, Angostura Bitters
-Thunderbolt - Teeling Small Batch, Giffard Crème de Banane, Giffard Ginger Liqueur, St. Elizabeth Pimento Dram, xocolatl mole bitters, Angostura Bitters
-Tipperary - Powers John's Lane, sweet vermouth, Green Chartreuse, absinthe, orange bitters, Angostura Bitters
-Wild Irish Rose - Connemara Peated Irish Whiskey, Laird's Bonded Applejack, Aperol, grenadine, lemon juice, grapefruit bitters, egg white
Documenting Ireland's World Renowned Pubs and Its Publicans' Charms
The trio paid calls to 111 pubs that were their personal favorites, as well as others that surfaced through extensive research and social media inquiries. These included spirits grocers, whiskey havens, hidden gems worth a pilgrimage, pubs famed for live Irish music and traditional pubs with a modern spin.
The portraits include:
-a pub from 900 A.D., possibly the oldest bar in the world
-pubs serving the best pints of Guinness in Ireland
-the pub where JFK sank a few pints when he was a thirsty journalist
-an unforgettable pub that only opens once a week
-a pub where guests can get a belt made while waiting for their pint to settle
-a pub with a traditional turf-burning pot-bellied stove
-the only pub in Ireland where guests can pull their own pint of Guinness
-the pub where the ashes of a devoted Texan customer are interred in a grandfather clock
-A pub where guests can also pick up a box of nails, fishing line and perhaps even a light bulb
-A pub with a collection of 500 whiskeys
-A pub with a sloping floor, which allowed the occasional flood waters from the River Shannon to gracefully escape
Whittling the list down to 50 pubs took extensive discussions among the authors. Part of the criteria for inclusion was the prevalence of craic, a quintessential Irish word meaning fun, laughter, divilment and diversion.
The book recounts the fact that pubs were and are the centerpiece of the community. In rural towns, they can be co-housed with the local grocery, bakery or even the undertaker. Many publicans view themselves as custodians of a noble hospitality tradition, rather than purely businesspeople.
Pubs and Distilleries by Day, Pubs by Night, and Hurricane Ophelia
The daily routine included visiting four pubs a day and one to two distilleries, as well as revisiting the pubs in the evening to see them in action. The group was welcomed with open arms and was treated to an insider's perspective on distilling, a preview of experimental liquids, as well as the opportunity to get to know some legendary characters. It also included a run-in with Hurricane Ophelia, the worst storm in Ireland in 60 years that downed trees in Cork and made driving a challenge.
"Five years ago, there were only seven distilleries in Ireland. Today, there are 23, with more than 30 slated to be operational by 2025," says Herlihy, U.S. National Brand Ambassador, Tullamore D.E.W. "In 2012, exports of Irish whiskey were 2.2 million cases and by 2017 had almost doubled to 4.2 million. Irish whiskey is the world's fastest growing spirits category with more than 100 new expressions to savor. Ireland is the birthplace of whiskey-making and it is coming to take back its rightful crown."
A Country Ready for Spirits Tourism
Like its Gaelic neighbor east of the North Channel, Ireland is embracing spirits tourism. With no language barrier and world renowned hospitality, it is already a hotspot for American tourists. Whiskey tourism, while relatively new, is robust, with 18 of the book's 22 featured distilleries offering tours and visitor experiences. The country is small, with a drive from Dublin to Galway a mere two and a half hours. To retrace all the stops in the book, a six-week time frame and an unquenchable thirst are highly recommended.
About The Dead Rabbit
The Dead Rabbit is a tri-level mid-19th century style Irish/New York drinking saloon located at 30 Water Street in Lower Manhattan. It won "World's Best Bar" in 2016 at The World's 50 Best Bars in London, following winning the top honor in 2015 at Tales of the Cocktail, along with "World's Best Cocktail Menu." This followed wins of "Best American Cocktail Bar" and "World's Best Drinks Selection" in 2014, as well as "World's Best Cocktail Menu" and "International Bartender of the Year" in 2013.
Housed in a landmarked building dating back to 1828 and an adjacent building of equal renown, The Dead Rabbit combines a first-story neighborhood Taproom serving the city's best Irish Coffee and best pint of Guinness, as well as North America's largest Irish whiskey selection. Its refined second-story Parlor offers world-class original cocktails. The third floor's Occasional Room is available for private events, business meetings and parties. Taking its name from an infamous street gang of the era, The Dead Rabbit is the brainchild of Sean Muldoon with Jack McGarry, both formerly of The Merchant Hotel, which earned the title of "World's Best Cocktail Bar" at 2010 Tales of the Cocktail. For dining, The Dead Rabbit has an extensive raw bar and dishes inspired by the British Isles, the locality and the era.
The Dead Rabbit's Taproom is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Its Parlor is open Monday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 12 noon to 12 midnight. The Parlor extension is open Thursday to Saturday and available for private events the rest of the week. On weekends, brunch is served 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The third floor's Occasional Room is available for rental seven days a week. For more information, please visit www.deadrabbitnyc.com, "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/deadrabbitnyc and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @deadrabbitnyc.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Dead Rabbit
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