Tipperary cocktail in a chilled cocktail glass garnished with an orange slice

IBA

Tipperary – IBA

Name: Tipperary – IBA
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Irish whiskey — 50 ml (1 2/3 oz); Rosso vermouth — 25 ml (5/6 oz); Herbal liqueur (e.g., Green Chartreuse) — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Angostura aromatic bitters — 2 dashes

A bitter and herbal whiskey cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 28.8% ABV ∙

The Tipperary – IBA is a stirred cocktail of Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth and an herbal liqueur such as green Chartreuse, with two dashes of Angostura.

Ingredients

Servings

Garnish

Orange slice

Instructions for 1 serving

Pre-chill a glass
Stir: Irish whiskey 50 mlRosso vermouth 25 mlHerbal liqueur (e.g., Green Chartreuse) 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
Strain into the chilled martini cocktail glass
Garnish with an orange slice

Tips

Keep the herbal liqueur to 15 ml; it's intense, and any more swamps the whiskey and vermouth.

History

The Tipperary is a pre-Prohibition cocktail first documented in New York bartender Hugo R. Ensslin's book Recipes for Mixed Drinks, with sources giving its publication as either 1916 or 1917. Ensslin's original formula called for equal parts Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, and green Chartreuse. The name refers to the Irish town and county, popularized at the time by the World War I marching song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," and some tellings hold that a homesick patron humming the tune inspired a bartender to name the drink on the spot, though this origin story is not confirmed by period documentation.

The drink is generally considered a whiskey-based relative of the Bijou cocktail. Later published versions varied the proportions: Harry MacElhone's ABC of Mixing Cocktails, 1922, increased the whiskey and reduced the vermouth and Chartreuse, while Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930, returned to the original equal-parts formula and additionally listed a second, unrelated recipe also called Tipperary. The IBA recipe uses twice as much whiskey as vermouth, the least of the herbal liqueur, and adds Angostura.

FAQ

Is a Tipperary cocktail similar to a Manhattan?

Yes, it is close. Like a Manhattan, it is whiskey stirred with sweet vermouth and bitters. The Tipperary uses Irish whiskey instead of rye or bourbon and adds an herbal liqueur such as green Chartreuse, so it is more herbal, with a cooling bite.

What kind of glass is used for a Tipperary cocktail?

A chilled cocktail (martini) glass. The drink is served up, with no ice.