One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join us as we take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves that you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, The Three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

Last year, we saw an explosion of Baileys-a-like cream liqueurs but none of them had the class and finesse of this white Irish cream by Coole Swan. Named after an epic romantic poem by W.B. Yeats entitled ‘Wild Swans at Coole’, this modern version of an Irish cream took 231 attempts to get right.

Made with fine, white Belgian chocolate, Irish cream and Irish whiskey in Country Cavan, Ireland, You can totally sip this chilled alone but to change things up occasionally, here are three wonderfully different ways to serve it.

Nine & Fifty

Nine and fifty coole swan cocktail — **Nine & Fifty**

***25ml Coole Swan Irish Cream***
***35ml Grand Marnier orange liqueur***
***15ml Tequila Blanco (100% Agave)***
***Pinch of edible glitter (you chose the colour!)***
***Edible flower for garnish***
***Glass: Small coup***

The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty swans.

When I first tried this cocktail using Coole Swan Irish cream liqueur and Tequila, it blew my mind. Why? Well on paper, it doesn't feel like it should work but wow, it does. A twist on Coole Swan ’s ‘Cool Blue’ recipe and named after a line in ’Wild Swans at Coole’, this cocktail blends the freshness of a Grand Margarita with the creamy, chocolatey tones of Coole Swan’s legendary white, Irish cream liqueur. I’ve added a pinch of edible glitter to add a splash of pink colour, which when combined with an edible flower, makes for a delicious drink that becomes a piece of art.

Method: Super simple to make, just add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice until combined and chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with your flower. If making a few, you can also change up the colour with the glitter every time.

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Mint Choc Chip Martini

Mint and white chocolate is a gloriously decadent, retro mix and Coole Swan lends itself to a mint choc chip cocktail perfectly. Think of it like a drinkable After Eight! Note: if you can’t find Crème de Cacao Blanc, you can simply use 50ml of Coole Swan instead of 35ml. Also, Giffard and Monin do great Crème de Menthe.

Method: Another very simple recipe, simply combine the wet ingredients into a mixing glass with large cubes of ice and stir. Strain into a coup glass, add a squirt of cream and grate the dark chocolate over the top.

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Coole Black Magic

For something a little darker with an elegant twist, try this spiced blackberry scented, creamy delight. Another super simple creamy cocktail that has the wow factor. And if you want to add an extra touch of magic, include a pinch of purple, edible glitter.

Method: Combine the Coole Swan, rum and blackberries into a blender and blend until as smooth as possible. Strain into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 30 seconds to chill. Strain agin into a vintage glass and garnish with a blackberry or two on a cocktail pin.

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Like this? Check our our other One Drink, Three Ways pieces: Brown Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora, Mar de Frades Albariño.

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We all know the big brands from Ireland, for beer there is Guinness, the quintessential Irish stout, for whiskey there is no brand bigger than Jameson, and for a reason, Jameson is a fabulous whiskey, in the world of liqueurs there is Bailey’s Irish Cream, known the world over, and in the world of Cider, we know Bulmers, which is Magners to those of us outside of Ireland. But what of the brands we don’t know so well? Here I compile a short list of the smaller producers of drinks in Ireland that should be on your list to try.

Ballykeefe Irish Gin

There are lots of gin brands popping up all over the place, at the last count in the UK alone there were over 400 different brands, in Ireland there are two brands to really look out for. The fist on this list is from the Republic of Ireland and is Ballykeefe. This gin is not trying to be different; it is simply trying to be good, and it succeeds. It is made in a classic style, but rather than using wheat it is made from potatoes which gives it a slightly earthy flavour. Great for a gin and tonic and excellent in a traditional martini, this is a great crisp yet flavoursome gin for all occations.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £39.95

The Legendary Silkie Irish Whiskey

Named after the legendary Silkie water spirits of legend which shapeshifted into irresistible beings, this whiskey is made in Donegal is on the North West coast if Ireland, it is about as far away from the capital Dublin as you can go. Here lies the Sliabbliag distillery, which is relatively new, and is tiny by comparison to most other whiskey distilleries, but the liquid it produces is wonderful. It is typically Irish being very fruity and very well balanced. Easy to drink and smooth enough to have by itself yet has enough character to go well with mixers. If you’d like to try something fairly unknown but tastes great, I’d give this a go.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £29.95

Waterford

Waterford distillery are producing its first bottle of whiskey this year, and it is going to be amazing whiskey, I have been to the distillery and tasted many of the samples. The distillery takes it’s grain for over 80 farms around Ireland and distils these grains separately. At Waterford they believe the flavour from different types of Barley and Barley from different farms tastes different. They distil all the grain in the same way and mature them in separate casks, and then take all these different whiskies to make a blend of giving a super smooth and flavoursome whiskey. In the future they are going to be creating single farm whiskies showing how different they can be and showing how the land effects the grain which in turn effects the flavour of their whiskies. Intriguing stuff!

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Kilbeggan

This little distillery is owned by one of the largest whiskey companies in the world, Beam Suntory, and they know a thing or two about making good whiskey. However, the distillery has had a licence to distil since 1757, so Beam Suntory are continuing in a long tradition of whiskey being made in County Westmeath, the distillery closed between 1957 and 2007 because of the downturn in Irish whiskey. Kilbeggan is typically Irish by having a fruity, tropical Flavour profile. Double-distilled, the whiskey is produced from a mash of malt, barley, and about 30% rye, said to reflect the traditional practice of using rye, which was common at 19th century Irish distilleries, but has since virtually died out. So for a fruity whiskey with a peppery edge, give Kilbeggan a try.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £26.99

Coole Swan Irish Liqueur

Coole Swan is the only Irish Cream Liqueur that combines single malt Irish whiskey, Belgian white chocolate and fresh Irish cream to deliver a distinctive, balanced, subtly sweet taste and a smooth mouthfeel throughout.Gluten free,100% natural and a low ABV - Coole Swan explores a new side of Irish cream liqueurs. Serve Coole Swan neat or over ice, but always chilled. You can also add Coole Swan to you baking, your coffee and, notably, your cocktails - the possibilities are endless with Coole Swan. The bottle, based on the design of old Victorian milk bottles, is slimline and fits easily in the fridge. Unopened Coole Swan lasts 2 years on the shelf. However, once opened place in the fridge where Coole Swan lasts for 6 months. For a very tasty, but lower alcohol Irish liqueur, Coole Swan is my strong recommendation.

ABV: 16%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £24

Jawbox

Jawbox Gin comes to us from the Ards Peninsula, on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland. This small batch gin is made with a combination of 11 botanicals, including juniper, lemon, cubeb, angelica, coriander, cassia, orris root, grains of paradise, cardamom, liquorice root and Black Mountain heather. The distillers recommend trying this with ginger ale and a squeeze of lime. If you like gin with a peppery kick up front and soft spices on the palate, this also makes a good martini.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £27.99

Glendalough

Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey is a single grain Irish whiskey, initially matured in American bourbon barrels before enjoying a finishing period of six months in Spanish Oloroso Sherry casks. This comes bottled at 42% ABV, brought down to this strength by Wicklow mountain water. A rather tasty release presented by Glendalough, rich in vanilla, caramel, Christmas spices and dried fruit notes. Founded in 2011, Glendalough produces whiskey and gin from a distillery in Newtownmountkennedy. It is the third-biggest premium gin brand in the country and recently signed a deal with Coca-Cola HBC Ireland to distribute its products, so we’ll be seeing more of this gin in the years to come.

ABV: 42%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £33.45

Micil Poitín

This wouldn’t be a good list of the best of Irish drinks if we didn’t include a Poitín, and this is a brilliant example. The botanicals used in Micil Irish Gin are pot distilled rather than added after distillation, and include bog myrtle, hawberry, heather, and the very same locally-picked Connemara bogbean used in Micil Irish Poitín. If you like white spirits which are complex and herbal in nature, then this is going to be right up your street.

ABV: 44%
SIZE: 700ML
Buy it now for £29.95

If you would like to learn a little more about Irish whisey, then this article on Waterford may give you a fascinating insight into modern Irish distilling.

One Drink, Three Ways: Coole Swan Irish Cream