Vintage Irish coffee mug for St. Patrick’s Day

Photo: Getty

St. Patrick’s Day is here and the parties, bar crawls, and other festivities will be in full swing all week. We’ve put together a nice collection of clever cocktails that fit the theme of St. Patrick’s Day as best we could connect.

Breaking the fourth wall here: St. Patrick’s Day isn’t something I grew up celebrating, nor do I have a ton of Irish friends. I do, however, have plenty of pals who like to have a good beverage or two, and this weekend is a prime time for such activity.

SPD began as a celebration in Ireland to honor St. Patrick, a patron saint of the nation. Irish immigrants to the Unnited States brought SPD to our shores, and the holiday became less about St. Patrck and more about raucous celebrations at homes and local watering holes.

As I did last year, I’ll share Britanica‘s explanation of what SPD is instead of my ham-handed attempt:

It was emigrants, particularly to the United States, who transformed St. Patrick’s Day into a largely secular holiday of revelry and celebration of things Irish. Cities with large numbers of Irish immigrants, who often wielded political power, staged the most extensive celebrations, which included elaborate parades. Boston held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1737, followed by New York City in 1762. Since 1962 Chicago has coloured its river green to mark the holiday. (Although blue was the colour traditionally associated with St. Patrick, green is now commonly connected with the day.) Irish and non-Irish alike commonly participate in the “wearing of the green”—sporting an item of green clothing or a shamrock, the Irish national plant, in the lapel.

I know I’ll be having a few Irish coffees over the weekend, a drink I never get enough of and crave around this time of year. I’m also keen to try out some of the green-tinged numbers we’ve amassed below. As always, if you plan to indulge, do so safely and surely, and please have a great St. Patrick’s Day.

1. Belle Bulle (Belle de Brillet)

Belle Bulle (Belle de Brillet)

Source: Belle de Brillet

Ingredients:
1.75 oz Belle de Brillet
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
3.5 oz Soda Water
2 green olives as a garnish and a pinch of salt to release the flavors

Instructions:
In a large wine glass, filled with ice cubes, pour the ingredients and mix.

2. Cookies & Creamy Shamrock Shake

Cookies & Creamy Shamrock Shake

Source: Baileys

Directions:
1.5 oz Baileys Cookies & Creamy Non-Dairy Oat Milk Liqueur
½ an Avocado
1 scoop Vegan Cookies & Cream Ice CreamTop Layer:
1 bunch Fresh Mint
1 tsp Matcha Powder
½ oz Maple Syrup
1 oz Water

Method: Blend smoothie ingredients until thick. Blend together the top layer until smooth. Layer on top of the shake mix, garnish and enjoy.
Garnish: Fresh Mint
Glassware: Tall Boy Glass

3. D.E.W. & A Brew

D.E.W. & A Brew

Source: Tullamore D.E.W.Created by Clodagh Mai O’Callaghan, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey East Coast Ambassador

Ingredients:
1 part Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey
1 part beer of your choice

Method: Combine all ingredients. Stir and pour

4. Fizz Cucumber and Basil (Cointreau)

Fizz Cucumber and Basil (Cointreau)Source: Cointreau

Ingredients:
4 Basil leaves
2 oz Cointreau
3 slices of Fresh Cucumber
0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients apart from soda water in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled wine glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with a Cucumber slice and basil leaf.

5. Green Machine Gin & Juice

Green Machine Gin & Juice

Source: Tanqueray

Ingredients:
1.25 oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin
3 oz Green Juice

Glassware: Rocks Glass

Garnish: Mint Sprig

Preparation: Build 1.25 oz of Tanqueray London Dry Gin and 3 oz fresh Green Juice over ice in a rocks glass. Stir and garnish with a mint sprig.

6. Green Tea Shots (Proper No Twelve Irish Whiskey)

Green Tea Shots (Proper No Twelve Irish Whiskey)Source: Proper No Twelve Irish Whiskey

Ingredients:
3 oz Proper No Twelve Irish Whiskey
3 oz Peach Schnapps
3 oz Sour Mix
Splash of Lemon Lime soda

Directions: Pour all ingredients into a Boston Shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into 4 shot glasses.

7. Irish Coffee (The Busker)

Irish Coffee (The Busker)Source: Walking Eagle Photography

Ingredients:
35 ml The Busker Single Pot Still
20 ml Demerara Syrup (2:1)
120 ml Hot Coffee
Heavy Cream (lightly whipped)

Directions:
In a heated glass, combine Busker Single Pot Still Whiskey, Demerara Syrup, and Hot Coffee. Stir to combine and dissolve the syrup.Gently float lightly whipped cream on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon. Do not stir. Enjoy through the cream.

8. Irish Gin & Premium Tonic (Drumshanbo)

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin & Premium TonicSource: Drumshanbo

1.5 oz Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin
Top off with premium chilled tonic water
Garnish: Wedge of red grapefruit

Directions: Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add the gin and top off with premium chilled tonic water. Garnish with a thick wedge of red grapefruit.

9. Irish Gold Brew

Irish Gold BrewSource: Roe & Co Irish Whiskey

Ingredients:
2 oz Irish brown butter-washed Roe & Co Irish Whiskey
0.75 oz Giffard Banane
1.25 oz Cold Brew
3 drops Saline Solution (20%) or Pinch of Sea Salt
2 droppers Mole Bitters
Vanilla Milk or Coffee Creamer
Garnish: Shaved Chocolate
Brown Butter-Washed Roe & Co:
5 oz Brown Butter (Irish Butter)

Glassware: Irish Coffee Mug

Method:
Melt Irish butter in a pan over medium heat until browned (5-10 min). Remove from heat and combine with Roe & Co in a sealed container. Shake gently every 10 min for 1 hour. Freeze until butter solidifies, then strain through cheesecloth to remove solids. Add brown butter Roe & Co, Giffard Banane, cold brew, saline or pinch of salt, and bitters into a mixing glass. Stir and strain into a Glass Mug. Froth your favorite vanilla milk or creamer. Pour over the cocktail.

10. Irish Maid

Irish MaidSource: Teeling

Ingredients:
2 oz Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
¾ oz Simple Syrup
½ oz St. Germain
2 Cucumber Slices

Build:
Muddle cucumbers in tin, add all other ingredients. Shake and fine strain into a Rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice.
Glass: Rocks  |  Garnish: Cucumber

11. Lime Margarita (Cutwater)

Lime Margarita (Cutwater)

Source: Cutwater

Cutwater has become one of my go-to RTD brands, and while the Lime Margarita might not fit some ideas of a St. Paddy’s Day cocktail, we’re including it for reasons that should make sense to most.

Learn more here.

12. Lucky Azul

Lucky Azul

Source: Hpnotiq

Ingredients:
2 oz Hpnotiq
1 oz blanco tequila
1 oz pineapple juice

Directions: Shake with ice and strain into a margarita glass with ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

13. Luck be a Clover

Luck be a Clover

Source: Keeper’s Heart

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey
1.25 oz Midori
3/4 oz lemon juice
1 egg white (optional)
Garnish: Gold Powder

Directions: Shake ingredients, strain into coup, garnish with gold powder.

14. Matcha Martini

Matcha Martini

Source: 21Seeds

Ingredients:
1.5 oz 21Seeds Valencia Orange Infused Tequila
1.5 oz Matcha
1 oz White Chocolate Liquor
0.5 oz Simple Syrup

Directions:
Fill shaker with ingredients and shake for 30 seconds. Double strain and pour.

15. Mint Julep (Rémy Martin)

Mint Julep (Rémy Martin)Source: Rémy Martin
Ingredients:
2 oz Rémy Martin VSOP
Mint Sprigs
0.5 oz Sugar Syrup

Instructions:
Add eight mint sprigs and sugar syrup to a mixing glass. Add crushed ice and 2 oz of Rémy Martin VSOP

16. Paddy’s Pants

Paddy's Pants

Source: Pantalones

Ingredients:
2 oz Pantalones Organic Blanco Tequila
1 oz Orange Liqueur
1 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Agave Syrup
4 Fresh Mint Leaves
3 Jalapeño Slices
1 Avocado Slice
Mint Spring & Salt Rim (for Garnish)

Instructions:
First things first: rim your glass with a fresh lime and dip in coarse salt. Next, get your greens going: add mint, jalapeño, avocado, and lime juice into a shaker and muddle until the avocado is mashed. Toss in your Pantalones Organic Blanco Tequila, orange liqueur, agave syrup, and ice, and shake like you’re looking for gold. Pour your good luck cocktail into your salt rimmed glass and garnish with a mint sprig that can double as a four-leaf clover.

17. “Pot of Gold” Margarita

“Pot of Gold” Margarita

Source: DeLeon

Ingredients:
1.5 oz DELEÓN Blanco
0.5 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
3 Pineapple Chunks

Glassware: Rocks Glass

Garnish: Bruléed Pineapple Triangle and 2 Fronds

Method: Muddle pineapple chunks into the glass. In a shaker, combine DELEÓN Blanco, vanilla syrup and lime juice. Pour into a rocks glass, top with a sugar-coated pineapple triangle, and lightly torch before serving.

18. Scottish Coffee

Scottish Coffee

Source: Jameson

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label
1.5 oz Espresso or Cold Brew Coffee
0.75 oz Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
0.25 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Glassware: Coupe or Irish Coffee Mug

Garnish: Floated with Salted Sweet Coconut Cream, Shaved Cinnamon

Preparation: Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a chilled glass coupe or mug and garnish with shaved cinnamon using a microplane.

19. Shamrock & Roll Cocktail (Skrewball)

Shamrock & Roll Cocktail (Skrewball)Source: Walking Eagle Photography

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey  
.75 oz White Chocolate Liqueur
.75 oz Creme De Menthe
.5 oz Half and Half
Chocolate Syrup
Cocoa Powder

Directions: Garnish the rim of your glass with chocolate syrup and cocoa powder. Shake the rest of the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into your garnished glass.

20. Shamrock Sour

Shamrock Sour

Source: Hampton Water

Ingredients:
1 oz Tequila
2 oz Hampton Water Rosé (still)
0.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Agave (or Simple Syrup)
1 Egg White
2 oz Hampton Water Bubbly
Garnish: Lemon Peel, Angostura Bitters

Directions:
Add all ingredients except the Hampton Water Bubbly into a shaker tin with ice and shake. Strain into a highball glass with ice. Top with 2 oz of Hampton Water Bubbly.

Note: Cocktail should have a thicker egg cream texture that just begins to flow above the glass, but keeps shape. Garnish with lemon peel on top of glass or 3 dashes of angostura bitters in a pattern.

21. Spicy Verde (Casamigas)

Spicy Verde (Casamigas)Source: Casamigos

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila
.75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz. Simple Syrup
4 Basil Leaves
2 Cucumber Slices
1 Dash Scrappy’s Fire Tincture or 1 Jalapeño Slice
½ Thick Rim Equal Parts Salt/Sugar/Tajín® Mixture
Garnish Large Basil Leaf and Jalapeño Slice

Instructions:
Wet ½ rim of a small rocks glass with lime wheel or wedge then dip into salt mixture. Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker. (Muddle jalapeño and fine strain if using.) Add ice, shake vigorously and fine strain into rimmed rocks glass. Add fresh ice and garnish.

22. Spring Bud (St-Rémy)

Spring Bud (St-Rémy)

Source: St-Rémy

Ingredients:
1 oz St-Rémy Signature
4 oz Elderflower Syrup
0.7 oz Lemon Juice
0.7 oz Tonic
3 Cucumber Slices

Instructions:
Pour the St-Rémy Signature and the elderflower syrup in an ice-filled glass. Stir and top with tonic. Garnish with some cucumber slices and serve.

23. The Oldest Fashioned

The Oldest FashionedSource: Rose Bar

Ingredients:
1 part Bushmills 16 YO
Demerara Syrup
Apple bitters
Garnish Orange Peel and Brandied Cherry

24. The Perfect Muff & Tonic

The Perfect Muff & TonicSource: Muff Gin

Ingredients:
2 oz Muff Irish Gin
Top with premium Indian tonic
Garnish: Slice of orange and sprig of rosemary

Directions: Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add the gin and top off with premium chilled tonic water. Garnish with a slice of orange and sprig of rosemary.

25. Triple Triple Mint Sour

Triple Triple Mint Sour

Source: Jameson

 

Ingredients:
2 Parts Jameson Triple Triple
3/4 parts lemon juice
3/4 parts simple syrup
Mint leaves and lemon wedge for garnish

How to mix:
Pour everything into a shaker with ice. Shake, pour, garnished with lemon and mint and enjoy!

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