Enough with the Irish coffees and car bombs; there are a lot of delicious, less traditional ways to enjoy your Irish whiskey. This cocktail was created by Dale DeGroff, a noted American bartender—most famously the chief bartender at New York City’s Rainbow Room from 1987-1999—and author of two best-selling cocktail books: The Essential Cocktail and The Craft of the Cocktail. DeGroff is also the founding president of The Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans (hello, bucket list). 

Many Irish whiskey cocktails lean to strong liqueurs and sweet vermouths to darken them and make them more flavorful. This one uses orange curaçao and bitters to amplify the citrus notes that normally recede in swarthier serves, and the touch of salt from the Fino sherry hints at the breezes off the Irish sea. 

IRISH BLONDE 
2 oz Irish whiskey of choice
¾ oz Orange curaçao 
¼ oz Fino sherry
1 dash Orange bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled, then strain the drink into a chilled coupe or Martini glass. For garnish, flame a long swath of orange peel over the drink and lay it across the glass or curl it around a cocktail pick and drop it right in.