Celebrating St. Patrick's Day doesn't need to be left at drinks and shots with green food coloring added in. It can be celebrated with gorgeously colored green cocktails that are equally tasty as they are colorful. So when you're getting ready to celebrate, consider some green cocktails instead of beer.
Appletini
Already an alluringly green drink, give it a try and enjoy this lip-puckering cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1¼ ounces vodka
- ¾ ounce sour apple schnapps
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- Ice
- Apple slice for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, sour apple schnapps, and orange liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with apple slice.
Green Sparkler
Sparkling wine isn't just for January. Add some fizz to your green cocktails.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Midori
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Champagne or prosecco to top off
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Champagne flute.
- In chilled glass, add Midori and lemon juice.
- Top off with Champagne.
- Garnish with orange peel.
Green Apple Sour
A spin on the whiskey sour, this green apple flavor is richer thanks to the egg white. If you want a sweeter cocktail, add additional simple syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce green apple schnapps
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 1 egg white
- Ice
- Bitters for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add bourbon, lemon juice, apple schnapps, simple syrup, and egg white.
- Dry shake for approximately 45 seconds to mix ingredients and create a froth.
- Add ice to shaker.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with bitters, creating a design by carefully dragging toothpick through drops.
Pisco Shake-Up
This riff on the Pisco sour ups the green color by using lime juice instead of lemon, and just a hint of green chartreuse.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces pisco
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- ¼ ounce green chartreuse
- 1 egg white
- Ice
- Lime wedge and bitters for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, green chartreuse, and egg white.
- Dry shake for approximately 45 seconds to mix ingredients and create a froth.
- Add ice to shaker.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lime wedge and 2 to 3 drops of bitters.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces creme de menthe
- 1 ounce creme de cacao
- ¾ ounce heavy creme
- ¼ ounce orange liqueur
- Ice
- Chocolate shavings for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, creme de menthe, creme de cacao, heavy cream, and orange liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with chocolate shavings.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce orange liqueur
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 4 lime wedges
- Ice
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, thoroughly muddle lime wedges and simple syrup.
- Add vodka, orange liqueur, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Do not strain, and pour into rocks glass.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Green Pineappletini
The color in this recipe relies on green food coloring, but you'll already have some on hand for the green beer.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vanilla vodka
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 1 to 2 drops green food coloring
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vanilla vodka, pineapple juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and green food coloring.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with orange peel.
Going Green
When you're pouring a beer and decide to start shaking up cocktails to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, don't put away the green food coloring. Green cocktails are a savvy and fun way to add some color to your celebration. Try adding a pop of color to clear spirits or adding more to already green cocktails. Either way, it's fun going green.
