Tastemakers: Corned beef & cabbage/Irish Whiskey

March 8, 2009

Corned Beef
and Cabbage

Depending on who you ask, corned beef and cabbage is about as Irish as pepperoni pizza. But each year millions of Americans, primarily Irish-Americans, consume lots of corned beef and cabbage in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Folklore has it that corned beef and cabbage is actually an Irish-American custom developed in the 1800s by Irish immigrants who substituted corned beef for bacon. Still, others believe that the Irish immigrants adopted this boiled dinner concept as their own from New Englanders who made pot roast dinners and even boiled dinners.
This sort of debate is best left over a glass of Irish whiskey. What is important here is that corned beef and cabbage taste great, but as with everything there is a trick in preparing it correctly.
It all starts with the corned beef. Do not be fooled into being told that all corned beef is the same. It is not. In Northern Michigan, we are fortunate because some of the best corned beef in the country is made right here at Louie’s Meats on Cass Street in TC. It is packaged under the name of O’Brien Corned Beef. Ask for it at your favorite meat market and accept no substitutes.
Preparing a corned beef and cabbage dinner is easy. Just throw redskins, cabbage, carrots (onions or leeks are great too) along with O’Brien Corned Beef in a crock pot, head off to work and come home and dinner is ready. The final ingredient is Guinness Stout served in a wine glass as the perfect pairing for this dinner.
As for leftovers, corned beef hash for breakfast and Rueben sandwiches for lunch. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Irish Whiskey


While Irish Guinness Stout garners much of the publicity as the beverage of choice during these High Holy Days (St. Patrick’s Day), Irish whiskies should not be overlooked this time of the year, or for that matter, anytime of the year. First of all, is it whiskey or whisky? Both spellings are correct but in the United States and Ireland, it is spelled whiskey, the “e” was added in the late 1800s to differentiate the higher quality American and Irish whiskies from the lesser quality Scotch whiskies being produced in Scotland.
Over the years, however, Scotch whisky regained its glory and was often viewed as superior to Irish whiskey. For years Irish whiskey was viewed as a mixer, with coffee or a poor man’s drink “to drown ones sorrows. But all that has changed as connoisseurs have developed an appreciation for both styles. While there are similarities between Irish whiskey and Scotch whiskey the primary difference is that “peat” is used in the malting process in Scotch to give it a smoky, earthy characteristic.
So as you look to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year seek out a good bottle of Irish whiskey. Here are a few recommendations:
Knappogue Castle 1951 sells for about $1,000 a bottle and some years for as much as $1,500. Distilled in 1951 in Tullamore this whiskey was aged in sherry casks for 36 years and bottled in 1987. Each year 300 bottles are released, although word on the street is that there are less than 1,000 bottles left to release. A bar in New York sells a half shot for $51 if you would like to taste before buying.
Okay so $1,000 in these economic times is probably too steep for most, so here are some alternatives: Certainly Jameson and Bushmills are the most famous everyday Irish whiskeys, but the best might be Powers in this $20 range. If you are just starting out, consider Tullymore Dew; it is among the least expensive and smoothest Irish whiskeys. (Although it’s not a true representation of what Irish whiskey can be as some critics say this is a “gateway whiskey.”)
If you are looking to step it up a notch, consider Red Breast 12 Year Old. It took a Double Gold at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition and it is a 100 percent pot still whiskey.
As with all good Irish whiskey one should sip from a nice whiskey glass with just a few ice cubes added, or sip as is. For the bold and rebel types, try an Irish Car Bomb, take a shot glass of Michael Collins Irish Whiskey and drop it in a pint of Guinness Stout and chug it down.
There are several quality Irish whiskies available in Northern Michigan. Visit your local seller of fine spirits to find and learn more. Cheers.