Curious about where Saucers pull up a bar stool after hours? This week we’ll let you in on a little secret. The Scottish Arms is a regular imbibing spot among the Sauce editorial staff, and when lead bartender Jenny Kreider sees us walk through the door, she knows exactly what we want: an Arms Nighean Donn.
The cocktail, an off-the-menu, original recipe created by Kreider’s colleague behind the stick Corey McGraw, is a combination of Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, Triple Sec, lime juice and sour mix. As its Celtic name (meaning “brown-haired girl”) implies, the Arms Nighean Donn is a comely amber-colored drink topped with a thin layer of white froth attributable to a hard shake. The tipple may be called a lassie, but with 4.5 ounces of booze, this one’s hardly froufrou – tart at the front end with a round, fruity finish. Think you aren’t a whiskey drinker? Neither were we until we wrapped our arms around this baby.
Arms Nighean Donn Courtesy of The Scottish Arms’ Corey McGraw
2 oz. Irish whiskey, preferably Jameson
1.5 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. lime juice
Splash sour mix
• Hard shake all ingredients.
• Strain into martini glass.
• Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
This article appears in January 2011.