Downtown Manhattan’s cocktail pub, the Dead Rabbit, a repeat winner of numerous global and domestic “Best Bar” awards, has a new trick up its sleeve: its very own Irish whiskey.
Also named the Dead Rabbit (for one of the most notorious New York gangs of yesteryear), the whiskey is produced in Dublin by master distiller Darryl McNally, resulting in a unique dram that marries American bloodlines with Gaelic tradition.
A blend of Irish malt and grain whiskey, the resulting distiller’s beer is aged in two types of barrels. First it lays up in seasoned bourbon casks, giving it a slight American inflection. Then it goes into half-sized, virgin American oak barrels to finish, allowing for greater exposure to wood.
Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey sees a total of five years aging, with a persistent presence of bourbon-y vanilla and a long vanilla finish in its character, which at its heart stays true to what an Irish whiskey should taste like.
Although this is not the first time we’ve seen a North American Irish bar attempt its own Irish-American whiskey of sorts, Dead Rabbits’ timing is characteristically impeccable. Irish whiskey is currently one of the fastest growing categories in booze sales. Even Conor McGregor and Netflix have announced their own releases. And clearly, the bar’s commitment to production and quality already shows.
And with Saint Patrick’s Day about to rear its green head, count on hearing more about the veritable explosion in Irish whiskey brands both here and in other, lesser publications.
For now, you can find Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey at a variety of New York bars and liquor stores.