Nutty Zurka

Before we ever met Bruce Zurka we were introduced to the drink that bears his name. Back in our golfing days we spent over ten years as members at Chester Valley Golf Club in Malvern, PA. Early on in our time there we enjoyed this after dinner drink from Chris D, the club’s long time bartender. It is a take on a Nutty Irishman – Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) and Irish Cream (think Baileys) and sometimes Irish whiskey. For this mixture, it’s Nocello (walnut-hazelnut liqueur), Irish Cream and vodka.

I was going through some food and drink notes recently and realized that I had never paid tribute to this lovely after dinner drink. If you’re someone who prefers to drink their dessert then this is the perfect drink for you. 

We had a bottle of Nocello in our bar. I had actually ‘won’ this bottle in a spirited gift exchange at Chester Valley many years ago but we didn’t have any Irish Cream. When I went looking for Baileys I came across an alternative – Five Farms Irish Cream. It’s a single batch Irish Cream Liqueur made in County Cork in Ireland. I must admit that the bottle caught my eye as it is fashioned after milk bottles from over a century ago. But the taste is what sent us back to stock up on a few more bottles.

Forget all that you know about Baileys. Even if you are not a fan of Irish Cream, I recommend you give this a try (as part of this drink or on its own). It is made with the finest cream from cows from a 500-strong dairy cooperative in County Cork. Within 48 hours, the cream is mixed with triple-distilled Irish whiskey (also from County Cork). Each bottle contains 10% Irish whiskey whereas other Irish Creams only have a touch of whiskey and some sort of neutral grain spirit. The sweetness comes from the cream and a bit of Madagascar vanilla. Overall the taste has hints of coffee, butterscotch, vanilla and cream. Learn more about Five Farms and another American-made Irish Cream in VinePair’s Quality Whiskey and ‘Sexy-Quaint’ Design Are Giving Irish Cream a Craft Makeover.

Once you have procured the necessary ingredients, this drink is quite easy to make. Two parts Irish Cream to one part Nocello to one part vodka – shaken with ice and poured over ice. A perfect drink to sip and enjoy by the fire (inside or out). In case you were wondering, Bruce and his wife, Cathy, approve of using Five Farms in place of Baileys – they agree that it makes the drink even better.