You’ve found a cool outfit to wear on St. Patrick’s day, readied your digits with the perfect mint mani, and now all you need is a Instagram-worthy cocktail to sip!
Every St. Pat’s Day, the bars fill up with green beer, making it harder to find a chic cocktail than it is to find a four-leaf clover.
This year, we rounded up five green and chic cocktails from hot spots in LA and New York City to help you on your quest. Each one is made with bright and fresh springtime ingredients like Japnese cucumbers, basil, lime, kiwi, and the very of-the-moment matcha powder. We’ll drink to that!RELATED: 5 Rockstar Cocktails Inspired by Beyoncé, Miley, and More
Pepino’s Revenge
(Pictured at top of article)
Recipe from Lee Hefter from Wolfgang Puck at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
Four 1/2-inch-thick slices of Japanese cucumber, plus thin cucumber slices for garnish
2 large basil leaves, plus small basil leaves for garnish
1 ½ oz silver tequila, such as Patron
½ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
Ice
Directions
1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the thick cucumber slices with the large basil leaves and muddle well with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the tequila, lime juice, simple syrup and ice and shake well.
3. Strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with a few small basil leaves and thin cucumber slices.
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Matcha Rickey
Recipe from Hinoki & the Bird in Los Angeles
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
2 oz gin
.75 oz matcha simple syrup (recipe below)
.75 oz lime juice
4 whole Thai basil leaves
For Matcha Simple Syrup:
2 tbsp. matcha powder ($25, amazon.
com)2 cups of water
2 cups of sugar
Directions
For Matcha Simple Syrup:
Bring water to a boil then add sugar. After the sugar dissolves, add in matcha powder. Let cool then transfer to a glass bottle and refrigerate until ready to use. Shelf life is 5 to 7 days.
For Cocktail:
In a shaker, add all ingredients over ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a Collins glass over ice. Garnish with a Thai basil leaf or lime wedge.
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The Mary Isa-Basil
Recipe from Justin August Fairweather from Evelyn Drinkery in New York City
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
2 oz. Brugal Extra Dry Rum
.75 oz. fresh lemon juice
.75 oz. simple syrup
3 torn basil leaves
2 kiwi slices
Cracked fresh pepper
Directions
1. Shake all ingredients with ice, double strain into a cocktail glass.
2. Garnish with freshly cracked pepper and a basil leaf.
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The Green Beast
Recipe from The Manderley Bar at The McKittrick Hotel in New York City
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
1 part Pernod Absinthe
1 part simple syrup
1 part of fleshly squeezed lime juice
4 parts water
Thinly sliced cucumber wheel
Directions
1. Build in a Collins glass over ice.
2. Garnish with cucumber slices.
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Roca-Bye-Baby
Recipe from Rosie Ruiz from Cole’s in Los Angeles
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
1 ½ oz Roca Patrón Silver
2 oz Leche Preparada
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
¼ oz Blue Curacao
¼ oz 2:1 agave syrup ($11 for 11.75 oz, amazon.com)
Grated fresh nutmeg, pineapple wedge, Luxardo Maraschino Cherry ($20 a jar, williams-sonoma.com), and mini umbrella ($6 for 144, amazon.com) (all optional, for garnishing)
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in tins, add ice and shake for 4-6 seconds.
2. Strain into a stout glass and top with crushed ice.
3. To garnish, grate fresh nutmeg, and add pineapple wedge with a cherry and mini umbrella on top.
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