Jameson Deserves Better Than a Shot Glass — Here’s How to Drink It

For a lot of drinkers, Jameson is the whiskey that comes out for a round of shots, especially on St. Patrick’s Day. It is also the world’s best-selling Irish whiskey, and in the year to June 2022, its sales passed 10 million cases for the first time. 

But Jameson has a lot more to offer than a quick shot at a bar. The brand’s own recommended way to drink it is a highball with ginger ale and lime, which Jameson calls its “signature serve.” 

So, today we are exploring how to drink Jameson, from making that highball well to choosing a bottle from the range that is worth sipping neat.

What Is Jameson Irish Whiskey?

John Jameson founded his distillery on Bow Street in Dublin in 1780, and the whiskey was made in the city until production moved to the Midleton Distillery in County Cork in 1975. 

Today Irish Distillers, which has been owned by Pernod Ricard since 1988, says Jameson is “distilled and matured at the world renowned Midleton Distillery in County Cork.”

Jameson is a blend of two kinds of whiskey. The first is single pot still whiskey, a traditional Irish style made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley. The second is grain whiskey, which is lighter in flavor. Both are triple distilled, and the whiskey is aged for a minimum of four years, mostly in ex-bourbon barrels with some ex-sherry casks. It is bottled at 40% ABV.

Jameson describes the flavor as “spicy, nutty, and vanilla notes with a hint of dried fruit.” A light, sweet, and spicy whiskey like this pairs well with ginger ale, which is one reason the brand’s signature serve works as well as it does.

The Classic Jameson Serve

Jameson, ginger ale, and lime is the drink the brand puts front and center. The official recipe uses 30ml (1oz) of Jameson Original and 90ml (3oz) of ginger ale, which Jameson describes as “Roughly 1 part Jameson to 3 parts ginger ale, all parts refreshing.”

To make it, fill a highball glass with ice, pour in the Jameson, top it with ginger ale and give it a brief stir. Then, squeeze a lime wedge over the glass and drop it in to finish. 

Bartenders who make a lot of these drinks pay attention to a few small details. Darron Foy, head bartender at The Flatiron Room in New York, told Whisky Advocate that “Too much of one ingredient can completely overshadow the wondrous interplay that this cocktail has when done right.” So, use restraint and keep sipping. Remember, you can always add more! 

Ginger beer is a fine swap if you have it on hand, and according to Jameson it “creates a bolder drink, while ginger ale keeps the serve lighter and more refreshing.”

Neat, On The Rocks, & Which Bottle To Choose

To sip Jameson’s flagship whiskey, serve it at room temperature and try it on its own before adding anything. After that, a few drops of water may help bring out more of the flavor. If you prefer it on the rocks, one or two cubes will do, because filling the glass with ice dulls the whiskey’s flavor.

Standard Jameson is easy to drink neat, but it’s at its best with a mixer, and Phil Dwyer found it can “become more than the sum of its parts in a cocktail or mixed drink.”

For sipping, the better choice is Jameson Black Barrel in my opinion. Part of its grain whiskey is matured in heavily charred ex-bourbon barrels, and it is blended with pot still whiskey aged in sherry and bourbon casks. It is rich and decadent with notes of toffee, vanilla, butterscotch, and toasted oak. It rewards careful contemplation more than the standard expression, for me. 

The step up doesn’t cost much. At the time of writing, Total Wine lists Jameson Original at $27.99 and Black Barrel at $35.99. In the UK, Tesco has Original at £26 and Black Barrel at £40.50, and Black Barrel has recently been on Clubcard offer for £28.

Other Mixers That Work

Ginger beer makes a spicier drink than ginger ale, and Jameson’s Irish Mule tops the whiskey with ginger beer along with ginger syrup and lime. For something lighter, try 50ml (1.7oz) of Jameson with about 120ml (4oz) of chilled soda water and a twist of lemon, which lets you taste more of the whiskey. Lemonade works well in summer, and cola is a popular mix too, although its sweetness covers up most of the whiskey’s flavor.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the classic Irish Coffee. Sean Muldoon, co-founder of The Dead Rabbit in New York, told Fortune that “The way to make Irish whiskey accessible to the masses is through simple drinks, like an Irish Coffee.” Both the standard Jameson and Black Barrel work well in an Irish Coffee. 

Occasions & Food Pairings

St. Patrick’s Day is the obvious time to pour Jameson, and a round of highballs makes for a longer, more relaxed evening than a round of shots. Jameson even launched its Ginger & Lime in a can in the US ahead of St. Patrick’s Day 2022. The same drink is a good fit for game days, barbecues and warm summer evenings, while an Irish Coffee suits the end of a meal, and a measure of Black Barrel is the one to pour when you want to sit and sip slowly.

When it comes to food, Jameson’s snack guide pairs the Ginger & Lime with creamy cheeses like brie or goat’s cheese, and also suggests smoked salmon with cream cheese, salted nuts and dark chocolate.

Final Thoughts

For most people, the best way to drink Jameson is in a highball with chilled ginger ale and a squeezed wedge of lime, made at around one part whiskey to three parts mixer. If you’d rather sip it neat, Black Barrel is worth the extra few dollars. For more on the brand, see our guides to every Jameson whiskey and which bottle to buy, Jameson vs Bushmills and our Black Barrel review.