What to Drink for St. Patrick’s Day
When it comes to drinks for St. Patrick’s Day, you have two main options: something green or something Irish. Both options are good, and not as restrictive as they might seem at first glance. Drinking cool green beer all night is fine if you’re young and able to recover from a hangover within 24 hours, but most people over 30 need to be a little choosy with their drinks. And while it seems like we are nearing the end of this particular health crisis, now is not the time to drink in bars, even if they are technically open. Luckily, I have many offerings of St. Patrick’s drinks, all of which are either green or made with Irish whiskey.
Something green
Pairing an adult drink with a shamrock tee is a favorite St. Patrick’s Day tradition, but that doesn’t mean you have to gobble up glass after glass of green food coloring. Fresh and vibrant basil can be blended to create an invigorating lemonade , Green Chartreuse is sung with either spiced ginger beer or tropical pineapple , both of which add a sophisticated green hue through plants. If you want to eat some food coloring (but not beer), you can always make Devgarita (for energy) or Grasshopper (for dessert).
Something Irish
Irish whiskey is another popular staple of this holiday, which is great news because Irish whiskey is so much fun to drink. It just so happens to be present in two of my favorite three-ingredient cocktails – Geoffrey Morgenthaler’s Irish Goodbye (which contains woody Cynar and Lillet Blanc) and in a classic 1930s-style harsh cocktail called Brainstorm . You can also use Irish whiskey to make Irish cream , which is very simple and delicious and the taste is fantastic with a bit of fern .
Something with coffee
Then there is Irish coffee, which, as the name suggests, is made with Irish whiskey and coffee. Properly brewed hot Irish coffee is prepared with care and attention , making it the perfect drink to start your evening before things get messy. If you’re looking for something smarter – or just don’t want to drink hot alcohol – you can make a shaken chilled version of a cold drink concentrate and sweetened condensed milk. (Both are good, and I like having options.)