Spring is in bloom and so too are our winter palettes that wish to move away from nocturnal whiskey hot drinks and seek out something a little more bright, floral and refreshing to suit the seasons’ mood.

Many whiskies already incorporate floral notes like elderflower, rose, heather, or lavender, and floral-scented ingredients or colourful seasonal garnishes are a great compliment, bringing renewed life to your whiskey cocktail regimen.

Lambay Small Batch Blend is certainly the season’s favourite, its subtle floral notes, and light malt mix very well with most fruit bases, while the cognac cask notes- albeit in the background – offer a soft balance of fruit and lingering sweetness.

More than a just pretty face, edible pansies deliver a wisp of wintergreen, while borage tastes of cucumber and nasturtiums are peppery and radish-like. Both beautiful and flavorful, floral whiskey drinks have a way of growing on you.

Irish whiskey is known for its depth and diversity and adaptability for great classic whiskey cocktails, and this is where Lambay Whiskey is firmly based to bring a new taste of whiskey cocktails to the discerning cocktail and whiskey drinker alike. Below are some tips to keep your drinks fresh and creative while your garden grows!

DRESS YOUR DRINK WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS

Look for edible flowers at your local farmers’ market, plant your own, or simply forage your local countryside for natural edible wildflowers. The folks at bumblebeeflowerfarm can certainly point you in the right direction.

Calendula – A sweet tangy flower that blooms from March right through to November is perfect for its vibrant yellow and orange petals, full of Vitamin C, and will certainly garnish even the simplest Irish whiskey cocktail.

Szechuan Buttons—Also called electric daisies or buzz buttons, these golden buds have an electric quality on the tongue. Mixologists value them for the ways they can alter and heighten cocktail flavors. Angel Teta, bar manager at Ataula, Portland, suggests using them on a Sour variation.

Elderflowers—Popularized by St-Germain elderflower liqueur, elderflowers have a floral sweet note with a hint of vanilla that plays well in bourbon-based punches, says Teta.

Cornflowers—Also known as bachelor buttons, they come in a variety of colors. “They taste like cucumber or fresh raw green veggies, so they work on more refreshing drinks like a Paper Plane, Smash, or even to embellish a Julep,” Teta says.

Gem Marigolds—Vibrantly orange, yellow, or red, gem marigolds have a spicy, bitter, citrusy taste. Try them on bourbon Boulevardiers in place of the orange twist to add more depth and spice, Teta suggests.

Nasturtiums—These peppery flowers come in red, orange, yellow, and pink. We recommend using them to give our Lambay Malt drinks a little kick, enhance the earthy notes on a Tipperary, or add a spicy complexity to an Old Fashioned. Blooming from April – October, this little flower is packed with iron and vitamin C.

Dianthus – A delicate flower that blooms from April to October, is packed full of potassium and has a very spicy floral and clove-like taste,

Our recommended Lambay Whiskey Spring cocktail recipe is:

Lambay Elderflower Selkie

Inspired by legends of swan-maidens, mythological creatures found in Irish, Scottish and Faroese culture, this cocktail transforms from one flavour to another, while keeping its original aroma.

Ingredients:

40ml Lambay Small Batch Blend

20ml Elderflower Liqueur

20ml Lemon Juice

10ml Sugar Syrup

5ml Egg White

3 Dashes Lavender Bitters

Edible Flowers to garnish.

How to make: Fill a coupe glass with ice to chill. Add all ingredients into a shaker without ice. Once all ingredients are added, dry shake for 10 seconds without Ice to aerate the cocktail. Open the shaker and add ice, shake hard again for 15 seconds. Empty the ice out of the coupe then double strain the cocktail using a Hawthorne strainer and fine strainer. Garnish with an edible flower.

Like to cook something with your Lambay Whiskey Spring Cocktail ? Click here for Lambay Whiskey food pairing ideas.