The Great Outdoors: Foraging in Ireland

Some of us rarely need much urging to get happy hour started. But a locally-harvested fall forage, on a brisk afternoon, is a delightful way to inspire a liquored pick-me-up. All you need is a penchant for outdoor adventure, a good wicker basket, and a nice bottle waiting—in this case, Jameson Black Barrel whiskey, which has a little extra char over the warm smolder of the spirit.

The fine folks at Jameson were our guides in the lush green hills of Wicklow, an hour outside of Dublin, steering us to the charming BrookLodge in Macreddin Village. The property shares the Irish whiskey company’s embrace of the local, of being close to the land and attentive to its seasonal offerings. On a scavenge for regional autumnal bounty, the gardens proffered elderberries, yellow and red raspberries, rhubarb, and beautifully lavender-hued borage (a terrible name for a gorgeous flower and herb—it’s also known as starflower, which sounds more suitable).

Trekking through the untamed wilds beyond the garden, the sprawling landscape is full of Hawthorn trees and “fairy hills” (a rather folkloric name for what are in fact uneven rock formations). The paths are lined with bushes of rosehip (which can be boiled down to yield tart-tasting cranberry-esque syrup) and sloe (a teensy plum that in fact looks like a large blueberry. First frost is sweetest pick). Sloe is too bitter to be eaten raw, but has a lot of rich tannin for a great mouthfeel to accompany a spirit. Sloes are normally used for gin, but are in fact very effectively infused with whiskey to elevate its grain taste. Sloe whiskey becomes like a strong liqueur; its bitterness can be sweetened with sugar or honey.

Jameson Black Barrel, which has a little extra char over the warm smolder of the spirit, pairs perfectly with such fruits for an autumn sipper. And indeed what could honor Ireland’s heritage more faithfully than fruit from its own soil mixed with some national whiskey? Answer: nothing. (That is to say: Rud ar bith, in Irish Gaelic.) SARAH MOROZ

*Check back later this week for cocktail recipes using this foraged bounty and Jameson.