This weekend starts off St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in many regions of the country, Chicagoland included. Irish immigrants were fundamental in transforming Chicago from a frontier town into a major metropolis in the 1830s. The Irish dominated the labor force on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, the railroads, and the stockyards. By 1860, Chicago had become the fourth-largest Irish city in America.
Celebrating Irish culture and heritage leading up to St. Patrick’s Day began in 1843, when the first Irish parade was held in the city. The dyeing of the Chicago River started in 1962 and is one of Chicago’s most famous and unique events to celebrate the holiday. It happens yearly on the last Saturday before March 17th. That’s tomorrow!
The tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day did not have anything to do with St. Pat’s Day celebrations in the very beginning. The initial dyeing was an attempt to discover the source of sewage being found in the river. In 1955, Chicago’s mayor had the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union pump green dye through the sewage pipes to see which ones were leaking into the river. Half a dozen years later, a member of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local who happened to also be the chairman of the St. Patrick’s Day parade, noticed a coworker wearing coveralls that had been stained green after a day of pouring green dye into the pipes looking for leaks. That gave the chairman the idea to turn the whole river green by pouring dye directly into the river. In March of the following year, a hundred pounds of the dye were dumped into the Chicago River, turning it green for an entire week. Within a few years, the amount of dye was cut back to a quarter of what it once was and the formula was, changed to a vegetable-based dye to make the process more environmentally friendly. Currently, the Chicago River is green for about 5 hours after the dye is added.
We’ll be celebrating our Irish heritage and starting off the weekend with a cocktail. Ginger liqueur adds a spicy kick to this Irish whiskey-based twist on a whiskey sour. This ginger forward libation is perfect for all the St. Patrick’s Day festivities!
Ginger Gold Rush Cocktail
Ginger Gold Rush Cocktail (adapted from saveur.com)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1 – 2 Luxardo cherries
- 2-1/4 ounces ginger liqueur
- 1-1/2 ounces Irish Whiskey
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- garnish with a lemon twist, if desired
Directions:
Add the cherry to a coupe or martini glass. To a cocktail shaker halfway filled with ice, add the ginger liqueur, Irish Whiskey, and lemon juice.
Add the cherry to the glass and the liquids to the cocktail shaker.
Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain the cocktail into the glass.
Strain the cocktail into the glass.
Garnish the drink with a lemon twist, if desired.
Serve & enjoy!
We’re kicking off St. Patrick’s Day weekend with Irish Whiskey! ~Linda
Ginger Gold Rush Cocktail (adapted from saveur.com) Prep Time: 5 minutes, Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1 – 2 Luxardo cherries
- 2-1/4 ounces ginger liqueur
- 1-1/2 ounces Irish Whiskey
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- garnish with a lemon twist, if desired
Directions:
Add the cherry to a coupe or martini glass. To a cocktail shaker halfway filled with ice, add the ginger liqueur, Irish Whiskey, and lemon juice. Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish the drink with a lemon twist, if desired.