It may be a ‘long way to Tipperary’ but the journey to craft a Tipperary cocktail is short and sweet. If you follow our easy Tipperary cocktail recipe, you’ll be sipping the potent classic cocktail in mere minutes.

A Tipperary is likely not be on the tip of your tongue when you order a stiff cocktail at your local watering hole. But maybe it should be.
Older than a century, this classic pre-prohibition cocktail has withstood the test of time. And, equally important to cocktail enthusiasts, it’s an international drink with an Irish heartbeat. Irish whiskey is its primary ingredient.
Outside of its Irish spirit core, liquor additions of sweet red vermouth and angostura bitters add elements similar to a Manhattan. The addition of green chartreuse adds herbaceous flavors and makes the Tipperary unique.
Discover more of our favorite Pre-Prohibition cocktails.
What Is a Tipperary Cocktail?

Many people have never heard of the Tipperary cocktail.
Despite its status as an official IBA (International Bartenders Association) cocktail, the Tipperary doesn’t appear on many modern cocktail lists. In fact, most people discover the classic cocktail while hunting for sophisticated sippers crafted with Irish whiskey. At least that’s how we discovered the Tipperary.

While researching the cocktail, we couldn’t stop humming the British marching song It’s a Long Way to Tipperary and singing the following lyrics again and again and again:
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
It’s a long way to go.
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know!
Tipperary Cocktail History

Our wee bit of research revealed that the Tipperary wasn’t actually invented in Dublin or another Irish city. Rather, its roots are across the pond in a New York City bar. However, we like to think that the original bartender was inspired by County Tipperary or at least the song that’s next to impossible to stop humming.
Check out Recipes for Mixed Drinks and ABC of Mixing Cocktails on Amazon if you want to follow early versions of the Tipperary cocktail recipe.
Tipperary Cocktail Ingredients

Staying true to the Tipperary’s history, we use the following ingredients in our Tipperary cocktail recipe:

Despite its reputation as an Irish cocktail, the Tipperary recipe is more international than its name implies. The classic cocktail’s liquors hail from four countries in two different continents.
- Irish Whiskey from Ireland
- Green Chartreuse from France
- Sweet Red Vermouth from Italy
- Angostura Bitters from Trinidad and Tobago
How To Craft a Tipperary Cocktail

You don’t need any special bar tools to craft a Tipperary cocktail at home. We use the following basic bar tools in our recipe:
You can improvise if you’re missing any or all of these basic bar tools. However, buying these tools is an inexpensive way to upgrade your home bar.
Discover 10 essential bar tools for home mixologists.
The first step is to measure the Irish whiskey, sweet red vermouth and green chartreuse. We use a Japanese Jigger in this and other cocktail recipes to avoid spillage and ensure accurate measurements.
Purchase a Japanese Jigger from Amazon if you don’t have a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.

You’ll want to pour each liquor directly into a mixing glass. You can use a large cup or shaker if you don’t have a mixing glass.
Purchase a mixing glass from Amazon if you’d like to add one to your mixology repertoire.

The second step is to add two dashes of angostura bitters directly into mixing glass.
Purchase angostura bitters from Amazon if you need a bottle of the versatile cocktail ingredient.

Next, add a handful of ice and stir until the liquids are thoroughly mixed and chilled.
We use a bar spoon to stir this and other cocktails.
Buy an inexpensive bar spoon from Amazon if you don’t already have one in your home bar.

Immediately strain the cocktail into a glass.
We like to use a small martini glass but a coupe glass would work well too.

The final step is to express the glass with orange peel and garnish with an orange twist.

Your Tipperary crafting journey is now complete. Hooray!
Tipperary Cocktail Alternatives

After you follow the not-so-long way to Tipperary, you can craft one of the the following similar cocktails if you’re feeling experimental or if you’re missing any of the Tipperary’s ingredients:
Tipperary Cocktail FAQs
The Tipperary is a boozy cocktail crafted with four different liquors – Irish Whiskey, Green Chartreuse, Sweet Red Vermouth and Angostura Bitters.
Despite its name, the Tipperary cocktail was invented in New York City.
Irish Whiskey, Green Chartreuse, Sweet Red Vermouth, Angostura Bitters, Ice (for stirring) and an Orange Twist (garnish)
Using Irish whiskey is the way to go when crafting a Tipperary cocktail. We like to use Jameson Irish Whiskey but you can use your favorite bottle.
The Tipperary is stirred, not shaken.
We use a small martini class when we craft this cocktail but you could use a coupe glass instead.
Tipperary Cocktail Recipe

Tipperary Cocktail
The Tipperary cocktail channels Ireland but its reach is truly international. Learn how to craft the stiff sipper at home in just five minutes.
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces Irish whiskey
- 1 ounce sweet red vermouth
- 1/2 ounce green chartreuse
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
- ice cubes
- orange twist
Instructions
- Pour Irish whiskey, green chartreuse and sweet red vermouth into a mixing glass.
- Add dashes of angostura bitters.
- Add a handful of ice cubes and stir until liquids are mixed and chilled.
- Strain into a glass of your choice.
- Express the glass with orange peel.
- Garnish with an orange twist.
Recommended Products
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Japanese Jigger - Premium Double Cocktail Jigger, 1oz/2oz made from Stainless Steel 304
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Hiware Professional 24 Oz Cocktail Mixing Glass, Thick Bottom Seamless Crystal Mixing Glass
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Angostura Aromatic Bitters 16.0 OZ(Pack of 4)
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Hiware LZS13B 12 Inches Stainless Steel Mixing Spoon, Spiral Pattern Bar Cocktail Shaker Spoon
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OXO SteeL Cocktail Strainer
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Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler 3-Pack Red/Green/Yellow
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About the Authors
Daryl & Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.
Original Publication Date: March 9, 2022