Irish Gold Cocktail

An easy Irish Whiskey cocktail that also adds Peach Schnapps, Orange Juice, and Ginger Ale, this drink is still pretty Whiskey forward and has some booze to it so it's lots of fun. The combination of ingredients also gives this cocktail a great golden colour (hence the name), so it's wonderful to look at.

Keep in mind as well that you can add the Ginger Ale "to taste" so if you want it to taste a bit more like Whiskey, all you need to do is add a little less Ginger Ale. Alternatively, if you want a slightly weaker drink, just add more Ginger Ale. That's what's fun about long cocktails like this. Enjoy them the way you like.

Total Time 3

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

60 mL Irish Whiskey Feel free to try other Whiskeys
15 mL Peach Schnapps
splash Orange Juice
150 mL Ginger Ale
Garnish with a slice of Lime

Instructions

Build this drink in a tall glass with ice by adding Whiskey, Schnapps, and Orange Juice.
Top up with Ginger Ale and stir gently.
Garnish and enjoy.

Notes

Although Irish themed things are more often associated with the colour green, keep in mind that leprechauns also have a pot of gold with them! Garnished with a bit of (green) lime, this is actual a very Irish cocktail indeed. Try whipping some of these up at your next St. Patrick's Day gathering.

More Thoughts on the Irish Gold Cocktail

Irish Whiskey and Peach Schnapps?! Yeah, that may sound a little weird, but it actually works. Whiskeys like Bourbon and Rye are often paired with fruit juices, especially citrus like Lemon Juice (like the Whiskey Sour, which most people know about). So putting Irish Whiskey with something like Orange Juice isn’t too unusual if you think about it. It just seems unusual because it’s Irish Whiskey. However, the Peach Schnapps makes the Irish Gold Cocktail seem a little bit stranger. But if other fruit flavours work, why not Peach? All in all, this recipe balances out well with the typical formula of base spirit (Irish Whiskey), sweetness (Peach Schnapps and Ginger Ale), and sour (Orange Juice). Yes, the Orange Juice isn’t extremely sour, but it’s lending enough here to do the job. If you’re looking for a cocktail that’s more on the dry or sour side of things, perhaps the Irish Gold isn’t for you. But if you like a drink that’s on the sweeter side, but not extremely sweet, perhaps you’ll like the Irish Gold!

Is it possible to make a few Irish Gold cocktails at once?

To make more than one cocktail at once, all you need to do is increase the amount of each ingredient. Since this cocktail is made in a glass, you’ll need to move this recipe to a mixing glass or jug. Feel free to mix everything without ice then pour each individual cocktail into a glass with ice.

Is making this cocktail in advance OK?

It’s fine if you want to make the Irish Gold Cocktail early and serve it later. Just make it all in a mixing glass or jug and keep in in the fridge. However, wait until you’re ready to serve it before you add the Ginger Ale as you want to make sure it still has plenty of bubbles in it.

Is there a preferred time to have an Irish Gold Cocktail?

As mentioned, although gold isn’t the first colour you think of when you think Irish, it actually does just a well as green! We reckon there’s enough Irish-ness in this cocktail to include it in a selection of drinks for a St. Patrick’s Day party. While you need to have the Guinness flowing for your St. Patrick’s Day party, you’ll also likely have some Irish Whiskey on hand. So take a break from the heavy stuff from time to time with a nice Irish themed cocktail guests are sure to enjoy.

Alternatively, try one of these cocktails as an after dinner treat. As mentioned, it’s not an extremely sweet cocktail, but it definitely leans sweeter than it does dry. It won’t be the sweetest dessert you ever have, but it will be more than welcome!

How strong is the Irish Gold Cocktail?

It’s actually a fairly average strength cocktail, maybe a bit higher than average thanks to the Peach Schnapps. Is it stronger than a Guinness? Of course it is, it’s a cocktail! Is it stronger than other cocktails? Nope! It’s about the same. Be careful though because the Irish Gold is a pretty easy drinker. If your friends are all drinking Guinness and you’re having one of these, be sure to drink yours a fair bit slower than those on the beers. It’s easy to get carried away!

What sort of music would you put with an Irish Gold Cocktail?

While we want to stay Irish here, we don’t think that this cocktail is so traditional that it warrants something like traditional Irish Folk tunes. We still want something quintessentially Irish, but more modern and closer to the world we live in today. Because of this we’d suggest general Irish popular music. Generally the type of popular music that’s been coming out of Ireland for the last 40 or so years. Think bands and artists like U2, the Cranberries, or even Sinead O’Connor! Ireland has produced some wonderful popular music. Like this cocktail it has an Irish feel to it, but it’s not completely pushing the Irish-ness. It takes the roots and expands further.

And if you’re after a few more cocktail recipes… here they are!

Below we’ve linked to some areas of the site we think you’ll be interested in. We’ve tried to arrange things in a sensible manner with lists of cocktail recipes we think you’ll like. If we’ve missed the mark, why not try our cocktail recipe builder, which let’s you find recipes based on the ingredients you have. Otherwise, browse away!

All Irish Whiskey cocktail recipes: we’re going to assume that you’re into Irish Whiskey, since you’re here looking at a cocktail recipe that includes Irish Whiskey. Take a look at our other recipes that include this spirit.

Top 10 Whiskey cocktail recipes: or if you just want to check out Whiskey cocktails in general, take a look at our list of some of the best Whiskey cocktails out there.

All Whiskey cocktail recipes: if all of that isn’t enough choice for you, just take a look at all the Whiskey cocktails we have to offer. There’s a fair few!