Today is St. Patrick’s Day, and whether you’re Irish or just Irish for the day, there’s no better time to raise a glass. But did you know that how you pour, clink, and even stir your drink could make or break your luck? Today we’re exploring five Irish drinking superstitions and the spirits that pair perfectly with each one.
Who better to help us than our favourite drinks expert Natalie MacLean, editor Canada’s largest wine review site at nataliemaclean.com.
Welcome, Natalie.
Great to be back with you! Ireland is likely the birthplace of whiskey. The first written record of whiskey anywhere in the world comes from Ireland in 1405. My grandmothers were both Irish, Bryden and Brophy, so these superstitions and drinks are essentially my family history in a glass.
Let’s start with the first superstition. What is the story behind Make It Ring?
Superstition #1: Make Your Toast Clink
This first superstition goes back centuries in Irish pub culture. If two glasses touch but make no sound during a toast, you’ve invited seven years of bad luck. Or, worse, seven disappointing drinks, which in Ireland might be the greater tragedy. The clink is the sound of the official start of the evening.
And the perfect whiskey to ring in the toast? Jameson Triple Triple Irish Whiskey.
Feel free to try Jameson Triple Triple.
Jameson Triple Triple Irish Whiskey
County Dublin / County Cork, Ireland
Jameson was founded in 1780 by John Jameson, a Scottish lawyer who moved to Ireland, married Margaret Haig, and they raised 16 children together. In their spare time, they built one of Dublin’s most storied distilleries. The family motto, sine metu, means without fear, and was earned in part through encounters with pirates, so it still is on every bottle today. If your brand story includes preserving through pirates, you’ve got my attention.
What makes Jameson Triple Triple stand out is its maturation in French chestnut casks. It’s the only whiskey in Canada finished this way. Chestnut imparts toasted nutty, dark chocolate notes that weave beautifully in with Jameson’s signature smoothness. Jameson Triple Triple won a Silver at the World Whiskies Awards 2025. And if you need further proof that Ireland has always known how to make people happy, look no further than the 10 million cases produced of the Jameson Triple Triple. It makes me so happy I want to add another Triple in there!
In the glass, you get rich aromas of toffee, vanilla, and chestnut-driven dark chocolate, with yellow pear, green apple, through the nose. On the palate it is creamy and lush, with a gentle nuttiness, layered wood spice, and orchard fruit. The finish lingers with fruit and spice in a beautifully balanced fade.
I’m showing it here neat and, on the rocks, but it’s also great in a cocktail – very versatile.
More Pairings
- Sine Metu dark chocolate almond brittle, shards of bittersweet chocolate flecked with toasted almonds, their crunch warm and fragrant from a hot oven, the bitter snap of cocoa pulling every dark chocolate and toasted almond note right out of the Jameson Triple Triple and onto your tongue.
- Without fear shortbread fingers dusted with fleur de sel, buttery and yielding at the centre with just the faintest crumble at the edges, their caramel sweetness an echo of the toffee fudge on the nose and the creamy, lush finish of the whiskey.
- Bow Street charcuterie built around aged Irish cheddar, golden honeycomb, and spiced walnuts arranged on a board, the nutty salt of the cheddar cutting cleanly through the whiskey’s sweetness while the honey coaxes out its green apple and orchard-fruit heart.
- Seven years lucky slow-roasted pork belly with a maple and apple glaze, the fat rendered silky beneath crackling skin, the sweetness of the apple and maple locking in step with Jameson’s green apple nose and toasted wood finish on every bite.Ring of gold butterscotch pudding served warm in a deep bowl with a ribbon of dark caramel and a scattering of toasted almonds, every glossy spoonful a mirror image of the fudge, vanilla, and nutty toffee already waiting in the glass.
And what about the superstition against crossing arms while you toast?
Superstition #2: Don’t Cross Arms to Toast
Superstition #2: Crossing your arms with someone else while clinking glasses entwines your luck and your love life with them. So be careful! The toast should be direct and face-to-face, with full eye contact unless your goal is entanglement. But this isn’t a square dance or the Irish jig, though that was my favourite dance in competition.
Our drink pairing is Shanky’s Whip, a full-flavoured Irish whiskey liqueur that is as spirited as its namesake.
Feel free to try Shanky’s Whip in an espresso martini. It also works well as a shot, neat or on ice.
Shanky’s Whip Flavoured Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Ireland
Shanky was an Irish jockey with a rebellious streak. The story goes that after a falling out with racing officials, he decided to create his own kind of whip, not for horses, but for himself. Impressive! Not only did he stand up to people much taller than he was, but he also did it wearing super tight pants.
He blended Irish whiskey and spirits with caramel and vanilla, to create smooth, rich liqueur. I respect anyone who does a career pivot and brings caramel with them.
The finish is cozy and lingering, like a spirited hug. If a cable knit sweater could host a dinner party, this would be it.
Shanky’s is in a lovely spot between 100% whiskey and a cream liqueur, giving it a lighter texture and a versatile personality.
In the glass, Shanky’s opens with rich, creamy sweetness and inviting aromas of vanilla caramel and soft spice. On the palate it is smooth and easy-going, with warm toffee, vanilla, and a light kiss of Irish whiskey warmth that never overpowers.
More Pairings
- Rebel jockey salted caramel chocolate truffles, their bittersweet ganache centres trembling as you bite through a thin dark shell dusted with fine cocoa, the salt on the surface drawing the caramel warmth of Shanky’s up through every velvety mouthful.
- Uncrossed arms espresso martini made with Shanky’s Whip, vodka, and a shot of fresh espresso shaken hard over ice and strained into a chilled coupe, the coffee bitter and cold against the vanilla sweetness of the liqueur, three dark coffee beans balanced on top.
- Racing circuit sticky toffee pudding, the sponge dark and dense with dates and slow-cooked caramel, served warm in its own glossy puddle of butterscotch sauce, the deep toffee sweetness of the dessert amplifying every note of caramel and vanilla in the glass.
- Shanky’s hot Irish coffee built by pouring a generous measure of Shanky’s Whip into a glass of strong hot coffee, topped with lightly whipped cream and a fine dusting of cocoa, the rising steam carrying vanilla and warmth in equal measure.
- Lucky hand churros hot and crisp from the oil, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with a small warm pot of Shanky’s Whip as a dipping sauce, the spice of the cinnamon meeting the caramel sweetness of the liqueur in something playful and completely irresistible.
I will be watching my arm placement from now on. Tell us about the next superstition.
Superstition #3: Pour Palm Down
Superstition #3: Pouring with your palm facing upward, called the dead man’s pour, was a bad omen associated with your final drink. Pour palm facing down to signal openness, friendship and that you know how to hold a bottle without dropping it.
And the whiskey that deserves this respectful pour? Redbreast 12. It’s the gold standard; the kind of whiskey that makes you sink into a leather chair and discuss philosophy or the latest episode of Bad Sisters.
Feel free to try Redbreast 12 neat or in this simple but delicious cocktail called The Scent of Spring with bitters and soda water.
Redbreast 12-Year-Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
County Cork, Ireland
Redbreast was first bottled in 1912 by Dublin wine merchants W&A Gilbey, who had a clever solution for their emptied sherry casks: they sent them exclusively to the Jameson Distillery at Bow Street to be filled with pot still whiskey. It’s a great example of recycling, proving that the Irish were green long before it was a marketing trend. That sherry influence has been at the heart of Redbreast ever since.
The name came from the Managing Director of the time, who happened to be an avid birdwatcher. He named it after the beloved Robin Redbreast, a bird associated with warmth and the festive season, which turns out to be a perfect description for a whiskey this warming and celebratory. Naming a whiskey after a bird is brilliant but a good thing he wasn’t looking at a pigeon, or we’d be having a very different kind of drink.
Redbreast 12 is the world’s most awarded Single Pot Still whiskey, and it took Double Gold, a unanimous gold, at the San Francisco World Spirits Championship in 2023. It is also the official whiskey of the Toronto International Film Festival, which feels exactly right for a brand built on story, craft, and character. And apparently, it was the only celebrity at the festival that didn’t complain about its trailer or demand only green M&Ms.
In the glass, the nose is complex and inviting with red apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg. On the palate it is full-flavoured and silky smooth, with a beautiful balance of spice, fruit, sherry, and toasted notes. The finish is satisfyingly long and lingers with real complexity. This is a whiskey you savour, not rush.
More Pairings
- Palm down baked apple strudel pulled from the oven, the pastry shatteringly crisp and golden at the edges, the filling fragrant with cinnamon, nutmeg, and soft caramelised apple, every warm bite echoing the spiced nose and apple character of Redbreast 12 as though they were made for each other.
- Robin’s perch aged Manchego in generous wedges drizzled with dark fig preserve and a scattering of toasted hazelnuts, the savoury nuttiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the fig drawing the sherry-driven, raisin-rich depth of Redbreast straight out of the glass and onto the board.
- Good manners beef and stout stew simmered low and slow in a cast iron pot, dark and fragrant with bay leaf, thyme, and caramelised onion, the deep roasted flavours of the stew finding their match in the toasted and spiced complexity of Redbreast 12.
- Proper pour Christmas pudding dense with figs, prunes, and raisins, flamed tableside with a blue halo of brandy and served with cool brandy butter that melts slowly into the crumb, the dried fruit at the heart of both the pudding and the sherry-cask whiskey singing together.
- Redbreast dark chocolate lava cake pulled from the oven at exactly the right moment, its firm exterior dusted with cocoa, its centre releasing a wave of molten bittersweet chocolate when the fork breaks through, the richness of the dessert a beautiful foil for the fruity, spiced complexity in the glass.
What is the next superstition about?
Superstition #4: Don’t Stir with a Knife
Superstition #4: Stir with a knife, stir up strife. Using a blade to mix drinks was believed to invite arguments to the table. Whether you are making an Irish coffee, a cocktail, or anything that needs a stir, always reach for a spoon or a glass stirrer. The butter knife is for butter not for mucking around with your destiny.
And the drink we’re pairing with this superstition is O’Casey’s Irish Cream Liqueur, because this is exactly the kind of drink you want to stir slowly and carefully. It’s the velvet tracksuit of beverages: fancy yet comfortable, smooth yet strong.
Feel free to try O’Casey’s Irish Cream Liqueur on its own or in this Irish coffee topped with whip cream and sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg.
O’Casey’s Irish Cream Liqueur
County Laois, Ireland
O’Casey’s comes from First Ireland Spirits, Ireland’s largest independent cream liqueur company, established in 1993 in the small village of Abbeyleix, County Laois. The company has its own purpose-built production facility on a seven-acre site and is available in 33 countries, making it the largest Irish-owned producer of Irish cream liqueur in the world. They have successfully turned deliciousness into a national export, right after lost poets and love songs.
First crafted in 1994, O’Casey’s uses only the highest quality Irish cream and Irish whisky blended with fine spices. It has won awards twice at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition in London and took home the Chairman’s Trophy at the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, one of the most respected spirits competitions in the world. It has more trophies than my entire high school athletics department, and it tastes much better than a participation ribbon.
In the glass, O’Casey’s opens with rich and decadent aromas of creamy vanilla with light hints of chocolate. On the palate, those notes carry through with delicate sweet flavours and a beautifully velvety texture that feels genuinely indulgent. It’s like drinking a cloud that went to a toffee finishing school.
More Pairings
- Lay down the knife dark chocolate brownies, dense and fudgy at the centre with a crinkled top pulled straight from a hot oven, the deep cocoa richness of the brownie meeting the vanilla creaminess of O’Casey’s in a pairing that feels like the best kind of indulgence on a cold evening.
- Spoon only Irish cream cheesecake, the filling silky and cloud-light, the base made from crushed digestive biscuits, the whole thing chilled and served with a fine dusting of cocoa powder and a small pour of O’Casey’s alongside it on the plate.
- No blades needed profiteroles piled on a wide plate and drizzled with warm dark chocolate sauce, the choux pastry golden and airy, the cream inside cold and fresh, the bittersweet chocolate pulling the vanilla and cocoa notes of O’Casey’s together beautifully.
- Gentle stir vanilla bean ice cream scooped generously into a chilled bowl, then a small measure of O’Casey’s poured slowly over the top, the cream liqueur pooling in the hollows of the ice cream and melting everything slowly into something deeply satisfying.
- Barkeep’s Irish coffee built the proper way with O’Casey’s in place of cream, the coffee hot and dark beneath, the sweet vanilla and cream of the liqueur floating above it, the warmth of both rising together in a single fragrant column of steam.
And what is the final superstition of the day?
Superstition #5: The Final Sip
In Irish tradition, the final sip of your whiskey reveals the year ahead. If it goes down smooth, the months ahead will too. If it burns, buck up buttercup. No pressure, but your destiny is in this glass.
And for a final sip worthy of that kind of attention, it has to be Yellow Spot Irish Whiskey.
Feel free to try Yellow Spot Irish Whiskey neat or in the classic Highball Cocktail.
Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
County Cork, Ireland
The story of Yellow Spot begins on Grafton Street in Dublin with the wine merchants Mitchell & Son. Like Redbreast, the Spot Range was born from a clever cask-reuse tradition. Mitchell & Son would fill their emptied imported wine casks with pot still whiskey, then mark the casks with coloured spots of paint to indicate age. Green for 10 years, yellow for 12, and so on.
Green Spot is still produced today and holds the distinction of being the longest continually produced pot still whiskey in the world. Yellow Spot had a different fate. It disappeared from shelves in the 1950s and was essentially forgotten. Then, after the successful revival of Green Spot in the 2000s, Mitchell & Son went back into their historic logbooks and found the original recipe. Working with the distillery, they rebuilt it from those notes and relaunched Yellow Spot in 2012 to immediate global acclaim. This is proof that something truly great does not ever vanish. It simply waits to be rediscovered.
What makes Yellow Spot truly unique is its triple cask maturation in Sherry, Bourbon, and sweet Malaga wine barrels. No other whiskey in the Spot family uses this combination. Yellow Spot earned 99 Points plus the Chairman’s Trophy at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2017, one of the highest scores ever awarded to an Irish whiskey. Ninety-nine points. That is the kind of score that makes every other whiskey on the shelf pause, look inward and reflect self-improvement.
In the glass, the nose opens with mown hay and cracked black pepper, red bell pepper, nutmeg, clove oil, and green tea, then the Malaga casks deliver a wave of sweet honey and fresh peaches. On the palate you get honey sweetness with pot still spice, alongside fresh coffee, creamy milk chocolate, creme brûlèe, red apples, and toasted oak. The finish is sophisticated, complex, and sweet, followed by notes of red grape and dry barley. If the year ahead tastes like this, this one promises a very good year or at least, one heck of an evening.
More Pairings
- Fortune’s veil baked Brie with honey and fresh thyme, the rind soft and yielding from a gentle oven, the interior a warm flowing pool of creamy cheese, the honey golden and fragrant on top, every bite echoing the honeyed peach and pot still warmth of Yellow Spot.
- Year ahead melon and prosciutto platter with cold, pale green honeydew wrapped in tissue-thin slices of prosciutto, the sweetness of the melon meeting the salt of the cured meat, the Malaga-cask honeyed fruitiness of Yellow Spot threading through every bite.
- Fortune’s promise pot still creme brulee, the amber glaze cracking cleanly under a cold spoon, the custard beneath trembling and perfumed with vanilla bean, the caramel sweetness and gentle bittersweet burn of the brulee moving in perfect step with the creme brulee notes already waiting in the glass.
- Lucky last dark chocolate pot de creme, intensely bitter and barely set, trembling in its chilled ramekin, the depth of the dark chocolate finding its exact mirror in the fresh coffee and milk chocolate mid-palate of Yellow Spot.
- The year ahead slow-roasted stone fruit, halved plums and peaches caramelised in a low oven until they slump and turn syrupy, served warm with a generous spoonful of creme fraiche and a small pour of Yellow Spot alongside, the stone fruit in the bowl and the Malaga-cask fruit in the glass amplifying each other beautifully.
Natalie, these suggestions are fantastic! Any final words of wisdom for our viewers?
Slainte! May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you are gone.
May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you’re going, and the insight to know when you’ve gone too far.
Thank you, Natalie! Where can we find you and these wines and whiskies online?
On Instagram, you can find me posting wine reviews and tips at:
Online, my website is nataliemaclean.com.
Posted with permission of CityTV’s Breakfast Television. Please drink responsibly.
