These 35 St. Patrick's Day Drinks Will Leave Ya Feeling Lucky, Irish or Not
March 17th can't come fast enough.
Whether you have Irish blood or simply love a reason to get festive, St. Patrick's Day has long been a fab excuse to hang out and clink glasses with all of your friends. (While shaking your shamrocks, obv.) And perhaps the most exciting part of the holiday (which, btw, is March 17 this year and every year)? Mixing up fun, themed cocktails with some green (and even gold!) liquids that are often overlooked throughout the rest of the year. Sour apple liqueurs? You betcha. Pear syrup? Grab it! That bottle of green Chartreuse that's been sitting at the back of your bar cart? Dust it off, baby! Let's give them their one special day in the sun, shall we?
The 35 Irish-inspired cocktails you see before you (scroll down, you'll see 'em) will surely set the tone for your Paddy's celebration, promise. You might be hanging at home watching Luck of the Irish (same) or having a rager—either way, you're probably going to want to have one of these St. Patrick's Day drinks in hand. (Oh, and if you're on a sober curious journey, I gotchu with some mocktails, too.)
Cheers and stay lucky, my friends 🍀! See you on the other side of the rainbow.
Jameson Green Tea Shot
Put ice cubes in a cocktail shaker, then add ½ oz. peach schnapps liqueur, ½ oz. Jameson Irish whiskey, and ½ oz. sweet and sour mix. Shake well and then pour into shot glasses. Top with lemon-lime soda and garnish with lime.
Recipe from Sweet Tea and Thyme
Nutty Irishman
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl with a hand mixer, whisk together 1 cup whipped cream and 1 tbsp. powdered sugar. Whip on high until stiff peaks form, then slowly add ¼ cup Irish cream (such as Baileys). Transfer cream into a piping bag or plastic bag with a corner snipped off, and chill.
In a shaker, add 1½ oz. Irish cream and 1½ oz. hazelnut liqueur (such as Frangelico), then fill with ice. Shake until the shaker is frosty, then strain the drink into a coupe. Pipe the Irish whipped cream that you made previously on top, and garnish with crushed hazelnuts.
Recipe from Delish
Lime Sherbert Punch (A Mocktail!)
Add 2¼ oz. packages Kool-Aid lemon-lime powdered drink mix, 1 46 oz. can pineapple juice (chilled), 2 quarts cold water, and 2 2-liter bottles ginger ale (chilled) in a large punch bowl (or split the recipe into two large pitchers). Stir to combine. Add scoops of lime sherbet directly to the punch bowl or to each individual glass when ready to serve.
Recipe from The Cookie Rookie
Irish Espresso Martini
Add 1⅓ parts espresso, 1½ parts Jameson Stout Edition, ½ parts Kahlua, and ⅓ parts sugar syrup to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg.
Recipe from Jameson
World Class Winter Hot Toddy
Start by placing a bar spoon with runny honey in a latte glass. Add 2½ oz. of hot water. Then add ¾ oz. of lemon juice and stir. Add 1½ oz. of Johnnie Walker Gold Label and stir once more. Garnish with a clove-studded lemon wedge and cinnamon stick.
Recipe from Johnnie Walker
The Irish Swan
Stir 2 parts Sipsmith London Dry Gin, 2 parts whiskey, 1 part Sipsmith Sloe Gin, 1 part sweet vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters over ice. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime twist.
Recipe from Sipsmith
Irish Pear & Elderflower Mojito
Over crushed ice, combine 1¾ oz. Gunpowder Irish Gin, ¼ oz. elderflower liquor, 1¼ oz. pear syrup, 1 oz. lime juice, and a handful of mint. Garnish the cocktail with dried pear and a mint sprig.
Recipe from Jackdaw NYC
Green, White & Gold
Combine 1 part The Sexton Irish Whiskey, ¾ parts mint syrup, and 1 part lime juice. Strain into a Collins glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a pinch of fresh mint.
Recipe from The Sexton
Sugar Snap Pea Mojito (A Mocktail!)
Make a quick simple syrup by heating ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup water in a small pot on the stove until the edges just begin to bubble and the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat, transfer to a jar, and chill completely.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Prepare a medium bowl with an ice water bath and set it near the stove. When the water is boiling, drop in 10 oz. sugar snap peas and blanch them for 1½ to 2 minutes. Use a fine mesh sieve to quickly transfer the peas to the ice bath to shock them and cool them completely.
Add the blanched and shocked peas to a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the chilled simple syrup and ½ cup fresh lime juice. Blend until completely smooth. Press the purée through a fine mesh sieve and chill until ready to use.
To make each mocktail, muddle 6 mint leaves with 1 tbsp. of sugar snap pea syrup. Add remaining 2 tbsp. of syrup and fill the glass with ice. Top with ¼ cup sparkling water.
Recipe from Snixy Kitchen
Jalapeño Margarita
Combine 1½ oz. Cazadores Blanco, ½ oz. premium orange liqueur, ½ oz. light agave nectar, 1 oz. fresh lime juice, and 1 slice jalapeño in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a salted glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Recipe from Cazadores
The Rory McIlroy
Combine 2 oz. of Hardshore Original Gin, 1½ oz. of fresh lemon juice, 1 oz. of pear syrup, and 1½ oz. of double-strong Irish black tea. Top with a mint sprig for good luck.
Recipe from Hardshore Gin
Matcha Shamrock Shake (A Mocktail! That's Also Vegan!)
Add 2 cups vegan ice cream, 1 cup vegan milk, 1 tbsp. matcha powder, and 1 tsp. peppermint extract to a blender. Blend until smooth and serve immediately.
Recipe from The Nut-Free Vegan
The Daisy
Combine 2 oz. whiskey, 1 oz. pineapple juice, 1 oz. lime juice, and ½ oz. agave syrup. Shake well and serve in a glass rimmed with chili salt.
Recipe from Bushmills Irish Whiskey
Green River
In a mixing glass, add 2 parts tequila with ⅔ parts Green Chartreuse liqueur, and 1 part fresh lime juice. Shake, strain, and garnish with a lime twist.
Recipe from Hornitos Tequila
El Chapulín
Combine 1 oz. of Ilegal Mezcal Joven, 1 oz. of crème de menthe, 1 oz. of cream, and 1 oz. of crème de cacao, and shake until blended. Dust with Mexican chocolate.
Recipe from Illegal Mezcal
Pineapple Mango Mint Mule (A Mocktail!)
Place 4-5 mint leaves in the palm of your hand and slap them to release the oils. Add the mint and 1 oz. lime juice to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add 3 oz. pineapple juice, 3 oz. mango nectar or juice, and ice to the shaker. Shake for 10 seconds, until cold. Pour into a cup and top with ginger beer (about 1-2 oz.).
Recipe from The Cocktail Snob
River Boyne Fizz
Combine 1 oz. of Slane Irish Whiskey, 1 oz. of lemon juice, a dash of orange bitters, and 1 tbsp. of honey. Top it all off with tonic water, and garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon wedge.
Recipe from Slane Irish Whiskey
St. Patrick's Day Shake
Add 1½ oz. of Bailey’s Original Irish Cream and 3 oz. of milk to a blender along with two scoops of your favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream. Blend until smooth.
Recipe from Baileys
Cucumber Fizz
Mix 1½ oz. of Grey Goose La Poire vodka, ½ oz. of St-Germain elderflower liqueur, 2 oz. of cucumber juice, ½ oz. of lemon juice, and ½ oz. of simple syrup. Top it off with soda water.
Recipe from Grey Goose
A Proper Coffee
Combine 2 oz. Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, 1½ oz. Boston Harbor coffee liqueur, 1 oz. Mandarine Napoleon, and ½ oz. of Benedictine in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with whipped cream and coffee beans.
Recipe from Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, created by Sonny Verdini, Bar Manager at TRADE (Boston, MA)
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