whisky

While downing green drinks or beer cocktails is a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, sipping a fine, Irish whiskey is a low-key way to mark the occasion. Like wine, there is a special technique to enjoy the potent caramel-colored spirit.

Here's how:

1. Make sure the whiskey is at room temperature. Pour into a clear glass with a narrow mouth and wide bottom.
2. Examine the color of the liquid. The darker the whiskey, the longer it has been aged.
3. Warm the glass with your hands and smell the whiskey's aroma. Note any fruit, spice, or other flavors, like butterscotch.
4. Before tasting, add a tiny bit of water to dilute the concentrated spirit. You will be able to better taste the whiskey without a harsh burn from the strong alcohol.
5. Finally, sip the whiskey like you would a wine, and be aware of its body and flavor.

Do you enjoy whiskey? Have you ever been to a whiskey tasting?

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Times are changing and Irish whiskey is demanding that you pay attention to it. It's been "well known" that serious whiskey drinkers drink scotch for drinking and use blended Irish whiskey for drowning their sorrows. However Irish whiskey companies, such as Jameson and Bushmills, are expanding their ranges to include deluxe creations ranging from pot stills, aged blends and their own brand of single malts.

"The top Irish whiskeys are just as good as many single-malt scotches. It's too bad more people aren't aware of how complex some of these whiskeys have become."

John Hansell [editor and publisher of Malt Advocate magazine] says Irish distillers are simply--and astutely--responding to consumer demand.

"People are drinking less, but smarter," he says. "They don't just want whiskey, they want the best whiskey. And they'll pay for it."

And so, just in time for St. Patrick's day, Forbes has compiled a list of the ten "must-drink" Irish whiskeys. To discover what's on the list, read more