Pot of Gold

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Cocktail History

The Pot of Gold is a St. Patrick’s Day cocktail that was first published by Liquor.com. The recipe is a play on the Whiskey Sour template that is similar to the Penicillin in flavor profile. What sets it apart, however, is its inclusion of Irish whiskey and egg white that is shaken with honey and ginger syrup, lemon, and Islay Scotch, served up, and topped with gold flakes as a nod to the treasure found at the end of a rainbow in Irish tales.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Irish Whiskey: This is a spirit made in Ireland with malted or unmalted barley and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in wooden barrels to develop a smooth, oaky flavor.

Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Ginger Syrup: This is a sweetener made with ginger root, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a spicy, aromatic flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Egg White: This is the clear portion of an egg that’s separated from the yolk and used to add frothy texture to cocktails.

Islay Scotch: This is a type of whisky made on the island of Islay in Scotland with malted barley or grains and yeast, which are distilled and then dried with peat fires and aged in oak barrels to develop a smoky, peaty flavor.

Gold Flakes: This is gold that has been hammered into small, thin sheets.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tweezers: This is used to place the garnish on the drink. I used one from the Stainless Steel Food Tweezers Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright golden yellow color

• Aroma: Strong, smoky Scotch

• Taste: Sweet honey and spicy ginger flavor balanced by sour lemon

• Finish: Malted whiskey spice

Kendall’s Take: “If you want to enjoy a Penicillin but your palate hasn’t developed enough to handle the prominent Scotch flavor yet, this variation made with similar ingredients is your answer. I absolutely loved this cocktail; it’s bright and has a delicious ginger spice that’s rounded out with whiskey notes. That said, I can’t imagine the Pot of Gold being made in an actual bar with the edible gold garnish unless they have connections to the underground gold trade that I don’t. It was fun but expensive and a bit of a bother to arrange on top of the foam. It would be just as tasty without it.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the publication Liquor.com.