6 St. Patrick's Day cocktail recipes to try instead of green beer

This Lucky Leprechaun drink is courtesy of Smirnoff and uses not only their Ice Green Apple malt beverage but also vodka and ginger ale. And yup, it is seriously green.
Ingredients:

• 4 ounces Smirnoff Ice Green Apple
• 4 ounces Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
• 4 ounces ginger ale

Makes four.Directions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, Ice Green Apple and vodka. Shake.
2. Strain into a martini glass and top with ginger ale.

2. Luck O’ The Irish Apple Sipper

You’re going to want to sip this Luck O’ The Irish drink from Barefoot, as it calls for Moscato Spumante Bubbly and Irish whiskey. You’ll also need apple juice and an apple slice for garnish.
Ingredients:

• 3 ounces Barefoot Moscato Spumante Bubbly
• 1 ounce Irish whiskey
• 1 ounce apple juice
• Apple slice for garnish

Instructions:

1. Combine whiskey and apple juice in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill.
2. Strain into champagne flute.
3. Top with Moscato Spumante. Garnish with apple slice.

3. Kiwi Cooler

While Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween might be the holidays most associated with candy, I see no reason St. Patrick’s Day can’t join in on the fun — especially when you’re mixing it with alcohol. This recipe from Hi-Chew uses their kiwi candy , which you dissolve in a mixture of lime and lemon juices. It can also be made without alcohol so kids can join in on the fun as well.
Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Hi-Chew kiwi-infused lemon and lime juice
• 2 ounces orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 cucumber wheels
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 1.5 ounce Pimm’s liqueur (optional)

Instructions:

1. Make the lemon-lime-candy juice. Combine 1/2 ounce of lime juice and 1/2 ounce of lemon juice, then cut one piece of candy into pieces and soak until it dissolves.
2. In a cocktail shaker, gently muddle the sugar, cucumber and mint, just until the sugar dissolves.
3. Measure in both the lemon/lime juice and the orange juice and Pimm’s (if using). Shake with ice.
4. Strain over crushed ice in a glass and garnish with fresh mint and a cucumber wheel.

4. Pinch Me Prosecco

Perhaps the most adorably-named drink on the list, this Pinch Me Prosecco also comes from Barefoot and sounds like the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day if you like things a little bubbly.
Ingredients:

• 3 ounces Barefoot Bubbly Prosecco , chilled
• ¾ ounce lime juice
• ¾ ounce simple syrup
• Lime wheel

Instructions:

1. Combine lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to chill.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and top with Barefoot Bubbly Prosecco.

5. Irish Whiskey Margarita

This recipe comes from Yard House and is inspired their Jamison Margarita recipe you can order at the restaurant. It features Irish whiskey, orange liquor and, of course, margarita mix.
Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces Irish whiskey
• ½ ounces orange liquor
• 1 ½ ounces sweet-and-sour or margarita mix

Directions:

1. Shake all ingredients together and pour over a salted rim glass.
2. Garnish with a lime wedge or wheel.

6. Shamrock Pinch

This Shamrock Pinch recipe from Barefoot will definitely pep you up as it not only has Moscato and whiskey but also ginger beer, lime and orange juice. Because of the OJ, I’m also going to say it counts as St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, but, hey, that’s just me.
Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Barefoot Moscato
• 1/2 ounce Irish whiskey
• 1-1/2 ounces orange juice
• 1-1/2 ounces ginger beer
• 1/8 fresh lime

Instructions:

1. Place ice in a tall glass.
2. Add moscato, whiskey and orange juice.
3. Top with ginger beer.
4. Squeeze fresh lime into drink and drop the rind into the glass.

If shots are more your thing — or you just want to start partying quickly — you might also want to check out these Lucky Leprechaun shots that have only four ingredients — whiskey, corn syrup, green apple schnapps and edible gold dust.

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