Irish Pub Food at Finn McCool's

Choice of: $18 Worth of Food for Two or More $36 Worth of Food for Four or More Three Vouchers - Each Worth $8 Towards Food Sazerac or Splash of Soda? Choosing the Right Whiskey for Your Drink You’ll find several kinds of whiskey behind the bar at most establishments. Quaff from the cup of knowledge with Groupon’s suggestions for distinguishing between them. Bourbon: Smooth and sweet, this American whiskey is often served on the rocks, with soda water, or stirred into classic cocktails such as the old fashioned. The sugar comes from regulations requiring that it be at least 51% corn mash, and the smoothness partly from its alcohol content being capped at a sippable 160 proof. Popular across the United States since Prohibition, the bourbon category encompasses famous Tennessee whiskeys such as Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, and Maker’s Mark, as well as Wild Turkey, which is made in Kentucky. Rye: This whiskey derives its peppery, slightly bitter taste from a mash that’s at least 51% rye, the same grain used in sandwich bread and thrown at bakers’ weddings. Although it’s less common in the United States than bourbon—as recently as a decade ago, only about half a dozen brands graced stateside shelves—rye has recently made a comeback among specialty distillers such as Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek, and Buffalo Trace. With its alcohol content capped like bourbon’s at 160 proof, rye can be sipped straight but is more likely to show up in classic cocktails such as the manhattan and the sazerac. Where a less distinctive whiskey might sink into the background, rye’s strong flavor holds its own against vermouth, bitters, or absinthe. Scotch: A strong whiskey usually served with little more than a splash of water, scotch isn’t for the faint of heart. Many distillers treat their malt—usually made from 100% barley—with peat smoke to produce the distinctively smoky flavor and the exciting feeling of drinking in a bog that’s on fire. One of the most tightly regulated of all whiskeys, scotch must be made entirely in Scotland, be aged in oak casks for three years, and have an alcohol content less than 190 proof. Common brands include Johnnie Walker, Dewar’s, Chivas Regal, Cutty Sark, and Laphroaig. Irish Whiskey: One island over, the Irish take a lighter, smoother approach. Single malts—that is, whiskeys made from 100% malted (partly germinated) barley and sourced from a single distillery—are common in Ireland, too, but they don’t get the same peat-smoke treatment as their Scottish cousins. Their signature balance of smoothness, clarity, and flavor is achieved efficiently by using extra-large pot stills, which produce lighter spirits than small ones, and a triple-distillation process. Bushmills and Jameson are venerable and enormously popular Irish brands, and each makes blended and single-pot-still varieties to suit both cocktail enthusiasts and purists. Canadian Whiskey: Although often thought of as rye, Canadian whiskies such as Seagram’s VO, Canadian Club, and Crown Royal are in a class all by themselves. (Canadian regulations let distillers keep the grains they use under wraps, but corn likely figures in heavily.) Mild tasting and pale, Canadian whiskies usually clock in at about 80 proof. They’re often stirred into mixed drinks and are a common sight on the rail at bars.