Drink of the Week: Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey
Sponsored by: Roe & Co
Irish whiskey has been making huge strides over the past decade. This boom isn’t only bringing a rising tide of whiskey to the world—it’s giving distillers and blenders a fresh opportunity to flex their creative muscles, as Imbibe editor Paul Clarke notes in our March/April 2025 issue, which dives deep into the category of Irish whiskey.
In the spectrum of Irish whiskey styles, blends can be the widest and most accessible entry point to the category, and among the blended Irish whiskey standouts is Roe & Co. Launched in 2017 by Diageo, Roe & Co is named after the 19th-century Dublin distiller George Roe. Overseen by master distiller Lora Hemy, Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey is a blend of grain and malt whiskies aged in bourbon casks. It’s a smooth whiskey with a balance of fruitiness from the malt and creaminess from the grain whiskies, plus lingering layers of spice and vanilla.
Roe & Co collaborated with Dublin bartenders to create a blend that would stand up in cocktails, and it’s versatile enough to work in everything from stirred sippers to the iconic Irish Coffee and its many spin-offs, like this Irish Gold Brew, a perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Washed with Irish butter, the whiskey develops an even more luxurious texture, enhancing its natural vanilla, spice, and toffee notes. Cold-brew coffee amplifies the whiskey’s dark fruit and chocolate undertones, while banana liqueur adds a touch of ripe sweetness and sea salt makes it all pop.
Head to roeandcoewhiskey.com to find a bottle near you.
Irish Gold Brew
Finished with vanilla cold foam and shaved chocolate, this cocktail is a rich, perfectly balanced sip that brings out Roe & Co’s signature warmth and complexity.
2 oz. brown butter-washed Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey
3/4 oz. banana liqueur
1 1/4 oz. cold-brew coffee
3 drops saline solution (20%) or a pinch of sea salt
2 drops mole bitters
Vanilla cold foam
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: Irish Coffee mug
Garnish: shaved chocolate
Add the butter-washed whiskey, cold brew, saline or salt, and bitters into a mixing glass with ice. Stir to shill, then and strain into a mug and top with the vanilla cold foam. Top with shaved chocolate.
Brown Butter-Washed Roe & CoMelt 5 oz. of butter in a pan over medium heat until browned (5-10 min). Remove from the heat and combine with 750 ml. of Roe & Co in a sealed container. Shake gently every 10 minutes for 1 hour. Freeze until the butter solidifies, then strain through cheesecloth to remove the solids.
Vanilla Cold FoamWhip 3 Tbsp. of heavy cream with 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.
2 oz. brown butter-washed Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey
3/4 oz. banana liqueur
1 1/4 oz. cold-brew coffee
3 drops saline solution (20%) or a pinch of sea salt
2 drops mole bitters
Vanilla cold foam
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: Irish Coffee mug
Garnish: shaved chocolate
Add the butter-washed whiskey, cold brew, saline or salt, and bitters into a mixing glass with ice. Stir to shill, then and strain into a mug and top with the vanilla cold foam. Top with shaved chocolate.
Brown Butter-Washed Roe & CoMelt 5 oz. of butter in a pan over medium heat until browned (5-10 min). Remove from the heat and combine with 750 ml. of Roe & Co in a sealed container. Shake gently every 10 minutes for 1 hour. Freeze until the butter solidifies, then strain through cheesecloth to remove the solids.
Vanilla Cold FoamWhip 3 Tbsp. of heavy cream with 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.