Hopefully you will be feeling the luck of the Irish this weekend. If you are still looking for a tasty green cocktail to enjoy consider mixing one of these up for your St. Paddy’s Day holiday merriment. A few selections were sent for editorial consideration.
Emerald Crush
2 oz Blue Ice Organic Wheat Vodka
1/2 organic kiwi, peeled
1/2 organic lime, cut into quarters
1 teaspoon organic sugar
Directions: Muddle fruit and sugar in a mixing glass until well crushed and juicy. Add ice and vodka and shake vigorously. Pour all contents over ice into a tall tumbler and drink with straws.
Lucky Leprechaun
1 oz. MIDORI® Melon Liqueur
2 oz. Dry Ginger Ale
Juice from 2 Lime Wedges
Directions: Pour over ice and serve in a low ball glass.
Irish Spring
1 part SAGE or your favorite gin
1 part cucumber-mint simple syrup*
2 parts club soda
Add syrup and spirit to a shaker with ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and top with club soda, garnish with a mint leaf and a slice of cucumber.
*make the syrup by adding equal parts water and sugar to a small sauce pot over low heat and stir until the sugar has melted into the water to create a syrup. Add 10 mint leaves to a medium sized glass jar and muddle slightly to help release the natural oils. Using a microplane grate 1/3 of an English cucumber into the jar then pour in the syrup, while still slightly hot. Let the syrup infuse for at least 15 minutes, up to 2 hours then strain and reserve the syrup for cocktails. Can be made with fresh basil leaves as well.
Pot of Gold
2 oz Ty Ku Coconut Sake
2 oz fresh pineapple juice
3-4 mint leaves
Directions: Muddle mint in the bottom of a rocks glass. Add ice, sake and pineapple and stir. Garnish with a slice of pineapple.
Irish Castaway
1 ounce Shellback Spiced Rum
1 ounce Tullamore Dew or other Irish Whiskey
1/4 ounce Vanilla Liqueur
1/4 ounce Lemon Juice
Bar spoon of Brown Sugar
2 ounces Brut Champagne
Directions: Combine brown sugar and liquids except champagne in cocktail shaker, no ice. Stir to dissolve brown sugar. Add ice. Shake to blend. Strain into highball glass over fresh ice. Top with Champagne.
