St. Patrick’s Day is almost here – do you have your Irish-inspired cocktail lists ready? If you need some inspiration, check out these creative cocktail recipes that will bring you some luck and help you avoid a pinch this year!
Photo from A Couple Cooks
Gin & Basil Cocktail
The Gin & Basil Cocktail comes from A Couple Cooks and is delightful and refreshing. The light green hue comes from the first step of crafting this cocktail – muddling fresh basil! This is the best way to infuse basil’s peppery, slightly minty essence into any cocktail. You’ll want to avoid muddling the basil too much; only 3 or 4 mashes will be needed! The remaining ingredients artfully balance out the savory basil and create a unique, sweet yet tart drink!
When choosing a gin for this cocktail, we find the St. George Botanivore Gin from St. George Spirits is the ideal choice. The botanical constitution of this gin enhances the great flavors of basil, lemon, and lime with flavors of bay laurel, black peppercorn, cardamom, fennel seed, juniper berries, and much more!
- Fresh basil leaves
- 2 oz. St. George Botanivore
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. lime juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
Begin by muddling 3-5 basil leaves, but only 3 or 4 times to release the leaves oils but keep them mostly intact. Next, add the remaining ingredients to the muddled basil and shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a basil leaf.
Photo from The Good Hearted Woman
Emerald Sunrise
This fun twist on the classic tequila sunrise comes from The Good Hearted Woman. Where a typical tequila sunrise contains grenadine for the bright red bottom, this variation swaps it with blue Curaçao. This cocktail takes a little practice with layering but is quite simple and easy to learn.
Our choice of tequila to create this deliciously bold cocktail is Tequila Ocho Plata. This 100% pure agave tequila boasts floral and citrus notes with a crisp finish reminiscent of spearmint. With a sweet cocktail like this one, you want to ensure the tequila you use is clean and pure.
- 1 ½ oz. of Tequila Ocho Plata
- 1 ½ oz. of blue Curaçao
- 3 oz. of orange juice
- 1 orange slice
Add the Tequila Ocho Plata and orange to glass and give them a small stir. Slowly pour blue Curaçao along the edge of the glass or over the bottom side of a spoon. Gravity and the difference in density will pull the blue Curaçao to the bottom of the glass, creating a striking orange and blue cocktail that turns green when mixed together! Garnish with an orange slice.
Irish Mule
This festive twist on the beloved Moscow Mule is an excellent St. Patrick’s Day drink to celebrate with. Just take out the usual vodka used in Moscow Mules and sub in an Irish whiskey. Irish Mules are easy to make, only requiring three ingredients, but don’t let the simplicity fool you – they are bursting with the vibrant, energizing flavors of lime and ginger tied together with the warmth and spiciness of Irish whiskey drinkers know and love.
When crafting your Irish Mules, we suggest using Two Stacks Irish Whiskey – an expertly crafted whiskey that blends contemporary flavors with traditional distilling techniques. The complex notes of this Irish whiskey are sweet and spicy, matching the intensity of the ginger beer and lime sublimely.
- 2 oz. Two Stacks Irish Whiskey
- Ginger beer
- Half of a lime
Grab your copper mug and fill it to the top with ice. Pour in the Two Stacks Irish Whiskey and fill the rest of the mug with ginger beer. Squeeze the juice from half a lime on top and give it a good stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Photo from The Tipsy Bartender
Cucumber Mojito
Add a touch of tropical goodness to your St. Patrick’s day cocktail list with this luscious Cucumber Mojito from The Tipsy Bartender. Cucumber, lime, and mint are all tied together with bubbly club soda – a crisp and light refreshment that brings a perfect respite from the heavy beer and food you usually indulge in on St. Patrick’s Day.
The key to a perfect mojito is using a superior rum, of course! We highly recommend using Duckett Blue Rum – an unaged chill-filtered rum made from 100% cane sugar right here in Missouri! Thanks to its unadulterated flavor and smooth finish, it’s the perfect rum for any cocktail recipe.
- 2 oz. Duckett Blue Rum
- ½ oz. lime juice
- 2 oz. club soda
- A splash of simple syrup
- Cucumber slices
- Fresh mint leaves
- Lime wedges
Begin by muddling the cucumber, mint, and lime wedges with simple syrup. Next, add ice and Duckett Blue Rum and shake well. Strain over ice into a cocktail glass and top with the club soda. Garnish with a mint leaf and cucumber slice.
Photo from All That Jas
Melontini
Martini fans don’t have to miss out on the St. Patrick’s Day fun either! This vibrant Melontini Cocktail from All That Jas is an excellent alternative for those who want something besides green beer to celebrate with. And it’s incredibly quick and easy to make!
The bright green color comes from the melon liqueur, but if you aren’t a fan of melon, you can easily switch it out for a green apple liqueur instead! Besides that, all you need is vodka, and our choice is Tom’s Town Double Grain Vodka. This impressive vodka is a favorite among vodka enthusiasts worldwide; in fact, it won more awards than any other American vodka in 2016 and earned Tom’s Town the title of Best Vodka Distillery from USA Today.
- 3 ½ oz. Tom’s Town Double Grain Vodka
- 1 ½ oz. of melon liqueur
In a shaker, add Tom’s Town Double Grain Vodka, the melon liqueur, and ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. For an added touch, garnish with a honeydew melon ball!
