Nutty Irishman

The Nutty Irishman is a great cocktail to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! A delicious pairing of nutty and creamy!

Although there are many variations of the Nutty Irishman, two common ingredients can be found in all of them; Frangelico and Irish cream. Frangelico has a smooth, rich, roasted hazelnut flavor that comes from hazelnuts from Italy. In addition, there is a caramel-like sweetness with underlying notes of cocoa, vanilla and coffee. Although there are many other nut-flavored liqueurs, Frangelico is the most popular.

Irish cream has a thick, rich, and creamy consistency. It tastes sweet with notes of vanilla, chocolate and nut flavor. Bailey’s is the most popular Irish cream, although you could try St. Brendan’s, Molly’s or Carolans. In addition, RumChata is also a great cream liqueur.

The combination of Frangelico (from Italy), and Irish Cream (from Ireland) makes this drink perfect to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with. After all, St. Patrick was actually Italian!

Story of St. Patrick

There’s a lot of different stories out there about St. Patrick. According to Irishcentral.com, St. Patrick was actually Italian! Patrick was the son of a Roman diplomat living in England. According to History.com, at age 16, Patrick was captured in an attack on his family’s estate and taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders. They took him to Ireland, where he spent six years as a prisoner. Isolated and afraid, he turned to religion and subsequently became a devout Christian. 

After 6 years in captivity, Patrick escaped and according to his writings, he believed he heard God telling him it was time to leave Ireland. After walking nearly 200 miles, he came upon the Irish coast. At this time, he heard a second voice, telling him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick believed that he was being called to the religious ministry and began his religious training that lasted more than 15 years. 

After years of studying, he was finally ordained a Catholic priest. He was sent to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to convert the rest of the Irish to Christianity. Thus, St. Patrick was credited as the being the founder of Christianity. In addition, St. Patrick became known as the patron saint of Ireland although he was never officially canonized by the Catholic Church.

Why is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated on March 17th?

In honor of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th, his supposed date of death. In Ireland, March 17th is also a holy day of obligation. In addition to the Irish, Americans also celebrate St. Patrick’s Day associating pretty much everything with the color green. Green clothing, green beer, green food, and Chicago goes as far as dying its river green! Don’t forget, we also love Irish themed drinks like this Nutty Irishman!

Different versions of the Nutty Irishman

• Simple shot: Shake the liqueurs together and strain into a shot glass.
• Dessert cocktail: Shake and pour the liqueurs together, top off with whipped cream and nuts.
• Simple cocktail: Shake and pour the liqueurs together in a glass filled with ice.
• Whiskey cocktail: Shake Frangelico, Irish cream and whiskey and serve it on the rocks.
• Hot cocktail: Shake and pour Frangelico and Irish cream into an Irish coffee mug. Add hot coffee.

Nutty Irishman-Ingredients

Irish Whipped Cream

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 oz Irish Crean Bailey’s

Nutty Irishman Cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz Irish Cream Bailey’s
• 1 1/2 oz hazelnut liqueur Frangelico
• crushed hazelnuts or graham crackers crushed for the top

Instructions

Irish Whipped Cream

• Add heavy whipping cream to a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form.
• Add powdered sugar and beat until combined.
• Pour in Irish cream and mix until combined.
• Place Irish whipped cream in a small plastic bag. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill. Once chilled and ready to use, snip off the corner of the bag.

Nutty Irishman Cocktail

• In a shaker filled with ice add the Bailey’s and Frangelico. Let sit for about 1-2 minutes. Shake thoroughly, until the shaker is frosty.
• Strain into a coup glass or martini glass.
• Pipe Irish whipped cream over the top and garnish with crushed hazelnuts or graham crackers.
• Serve and enjoy!

For other great Holiday Drinks/Cocktails try:

Simple Butterball Cocktail

Andes Mint Hot Chata

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Martini

Fireball Apple Slushies

Pumpkin Spice Martini

Poisoned Apple Cider Martini