St. Patrick’s Day certainly lets people celebrate Irish culture, but most partiers use the holiday as an excuse to knock back a few.
No problems there, but if you want to be truly festive you should shy away from the typical drinks you have on a standard weekend and go with something that better suits the holiday. St. Patrick’s Day drinks aren’t just tasty—they’re very easy to make. So check out the following festive beverage options for the day, and raise your glass to Saint Patrick.
Green Beer
You’ve probably seen folks toasting frothy mugs of green beer in celebration of St. Pat’s—the reason why this is really the holiday’s go-to drink is that it is especially easy to make. Start with a lightly colored beer. Of course the green hue won’t show up if you try to make it with a darker brew like Guinness or Bass. Pour yourself a pint (and keep in mind that, while the liquid has to be light in color, it doesn’t have to actually be a “light” beer—Stella Artois would do just fine), and just add a drop or two of green food coloring. If only catching a leprechaun was that easy, we’d all be running around with pots of gold!
Shamrock Martini
Midori is the liquor of choice for St. Pat’s, if only because it already comes with a green hue. You can add this melon-flavored liquor to pretty much any beverage, and call it a St. Patrick’s Day specialty cocktail. If you want to keep it simple, just do a standard gin martini and add a shot of Midori into the mix. Try 2.5 ounces of gin, .5 ounces of vermouth and 1 ounce of Midori. Dub it the “Shamrock Martini’ and you are good to go for the holiday. If you want to get a little more creative (and enjoy something not so boozy), try a Midori Rickey, which mixes equal parts seltzer and Midori along with some muddled lime. Light and fresh, you can call this beverage a “Leprechaun’s Fizz” to keep with the spirit of the holiday.
Non-Green Beverages
So, maybe the thought of a green cocktail is a little too obvious for you. There are plenty of other drinks you can make without relying on color gimmicks to celebrate. Ireland has two spirits that it’s really well known for: whiskey and Irish cream. Of course, you can grab a bottle of Jameson or Baileys and mix either (or both) into your coffee for the classic Irish after-dinner beverage. There are also ways to mix these into cocktails that don’t have to be served piping hot. Mix up an Irish cream martini: pour two ounces of Baileys into a cocktail shaker with ice and then pour in one ounce of Jameson and another ounce of Kahlua. Shake it up and then strain it into a martini glass. Or find a little adventure with an Irish Car Bomb cocktail (recipe below). A few sips, and your Irish eyes will certainly be smiling.
Advertise on Platefull