The Gibney Cocktail was created by BAR 1661 in Dublin, Ireland. Comprised of Redbreast 12, rum, pineapple, black cardamom, aromatized wine, and oloroso, you’ll find this cocktail delightfully spicy with some woodsy Irish whiskey notes to balance.
While the original recipe wasn’t disclosed, the ingredients were experimented with a proportioned until a fairly balanced version was discovered. Feel free to play around and let me know in the comments what you discover!
Cardamom is one of the most intriguing and versatile spices out there, with two distinct varieties might be familiar with: green cardamom and black cardamom. Although they share a name, these two spices have quite different flavor profiles and culinary applications.
Green cardamom, also known as true cardamom, comes from the Elettaria cardamomum plant. It’s prized for its delicate, sweet, and floral notes, with a hint of eucalyptus. Green cardamom shines in both sweet and savory dishes. It’s a key ingredient in traditional Indian sweets like kheer and gulab jamun, as well as a staple in spice blends such as garam masala and curry powders. In Scandinavian cuisine, green cardamom lends its unique aroma to cardamom buns and other baked goods. And let’s not forget its starring role in chai tea, where it imparts a lovely warmth and complexity.
And then there is black cardamom. This spice comes from a different plant, Amomum subulatum, and boasts a bolder, more robust character. Its smoky, earthy, and somewhat camphor-like flavor comes from a unique drying process that involves open flames. Black cardamom is mostly used in savory dishes, particularly in Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese cuisines. You’ll find it in hearty meat and rice dishes, where it adds depth and a touch of smokiness. It’s also a component of some masala chai blends, contributing an extra layer of warmth and intensity.
While both cardamom varieties have their unique characteristics, they’re not typically interchangeable in recipes. Green cardamom’s subtle, fragrant notes might be lost in a dish calling for the more assertive black cardamom, and vice versa.
This cocktail was part of a research project to discover craft cocktails based around Irish Whiskey, made in some of the nicest bars in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and recreated in the United States. I wanted to get away from the usual lineup you find here and try some Irish culture in celebration of St Patrick’s Day.
I found Navy Strength rum to provide a really nice balance. I had trouble sourcing a decent aromatized wine and tried this re decadence chocolatier to play off the Redbreast and Black Cardamom. You may need to do your own experimentation based on product availability.
Gibney Cocktail
Ingredients
Method
- Remove seeds from cardamom pods and lightly toast in a saute pan. Grind with a mortar and pestle until seeds are finely ground.
- Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously.
- Strain into a Grande style wine glass, or brandy sniffer, and serve.
