I’m raising my glass to the Box of the Celts with a wonderful Old Fashioned by a legendary barman. Joaquin Simo was studying English and religion at Boston University with thoughts of a career in academia. Working as a doorman, then barback, then bartender, led to other plans, and he joined the opening team at New York’s famous Death and Company, where he went on to gain fame and fortune. Named Best US Bartender in 2012 (Tales of the Cocktail), Simo is credited with many modern classics, including this one, which he created to celebrate the incredible Knappogue Castle Irish whiskey.

Named after a fifteenth century castle in western Ireland, the distillery is famed for offering the oldest and rarest Irish whiskey in the world, the Knappogue Castle 1951. Simo was commissioned to create a line of cocktails to celebrate the distillery’s twelve year aged expression, with notes of spice and citrus fruit. For his Emerald Old Fashioned, he envisioned a more refined drink to celebrate the Emerald Isle, adding green Chartreuse and Genepy des Alps, which he says lend “whispers of herbal complexity and lashes of floral honey.” A touch of wildflower honey syrup finishes the drink off sweetly for an elevated experience. It’s a truly delicious Old Fashioned. Sláinte!

Emerald Old Fashioned by Joaquin Simo

2 oz Irish whiskey (Knappogue Castle 12)

1 tsp green Chartreuse

1 tsp Genepy des Alps

1 tsp wildflower honey syrup (2:1)

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Mint garnish.