8 Cocktails for St. Patrick’s Day

It’s nearly St. Patrick’s Day, which for many means corned beef and cabbage, green beer, Irish coffee and whiskey, music and plenty of conviviality. Festive green cocktails are also part of the picture, especially in the age of Instagram.

But you don’t always have to reach for the green cordials or food coloring to color your cocktails. Fresh herbs such as basil and dill, for instance, can offer fresh flavors and complexity with color.

Matcha green tea might even offer some health benefits, not that most guests are looking to be healthy on St. Paddy’s Day. Here are eight green cocktails to consider.

The Chaparrita

The Chaparrita
The Chaparrita

1 ½ oz. Gem & Bolt mezcal
1 oz. Damiana tea
Splash fresh pineapple juice
Splash lime bitters
Fresh basil

Combine ingredients and shake. Strain into rocks glass with ice and garnish with a fresh basil top.

The mixologists at Licha’s Cantina in Austin, TX, created this recipe.

 

Pepino Hasta la Tambor (shown atop)

2 oz. Ron Barceló Gran Añejo rum
1 oz. Citrus juice
1 oz. Fresh cucumber water
¾ oz. Sugar

Add all ingredients in shaker over rocks and shake vigorously. Line the glass inside with cucumber slices and strain the cocktail mix. Add a mint sprig garnish.

The mixologists at Ron Barceló created this recipe.

 

Cucumber Dill Collins
Cucumber Dill Collins

Cucumber Dill Collins

1 ½ oz. Dill-infused Tanqueray gin
½ oz. Fresh lime
½ oz. Organic sugar
2 oz. Organic cucumber juice

Shake gin, lime, sugar, cucumber juice then strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and top with a splash of sparkling water, garnish with a dill sprig and cucumber roll

The mixologists at QT Hotels and Resorts created this recipe.

 

Detox Retox
Detox Retox

Detox/Retox

1 ½ oz. Matcha-infused Beefeater gin
½ oz. Lime juice
1 oz. Honey syrup
2 drops Saline solution

Combine ingredients in a tin with ice and shake. Strain over fresh ice and garnish with fresh mint and cucumber.

The mixologists at Hank’s Oyster Bar in Washington, DC, created this recipe.

 

Basil Martini
Basil Martini

Basil Martini

3-5 Fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. Sugar
2 ½ oz. French vodka
1 ½ oz. House-made sweet-and-sour mix
½ oz. Lime juice

In cocktail shaker, muddle fresh basil and sugar. Add other ingredients and fill with ice. Shake and strain into martini glass and garnish with a single basil leaf.

The mixologists at Bleu Bohème in San Diego created this recipe.

 

Everything Zen

Everything Zen
Everything Zen

1 ½ oz. Keel vodka
1 oz. Pineapple
½ tsp. Matcha
¾ oz. Honey syrup
½ oz. Fresh lime

Build in a glass over ice, stir, and top with soda. Garnish with fresh cranberries and rosemary. Combine all ingredients, shake, and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

The mixologists at Keel created this recipe.

 

Irish Garden
Irish Garden

The Irish Garden

1 ½ oz. Irish gin
1 oz. Nasturtium, nettle and pressed apple cider
¾ oz. Nettle and barley cordial
¼ oz Bigallet China-China
½ oz. Honey
½ oz. Lime

Combine ingredients and shake. Strain over ice into rocks glass and garnish with a cucumber wheel and rosemary sprig.

The mixologists at Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant in San Diego created this recipe.

 

Shamrockin’ Rita

Shamrockin' Rita
Shamrockin’ Rita

1 oz. Milagro silver tequila
½ oz. Peach Schnapps
½ oz. Midori melon liqueur
4 oz. Pineapple juice
Splash Blue Curaçao

Combine ingredients and shake. Strain over ice into mason jar with a salt rim. Top off with a splash of blue curacao and splash of lime juice and garnish with a lime wheel.

The mixologists at La Comida in Las Vegas created this recipe.

Melissa Dowling is editor of our on-premise sister publication, Cheers magazine. Reach her at mdowling@epgmediallc.com. Read her recent piece On-premise Beverage Trends for 2019.

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