Any St. Patrick's Day celebration just wouldn't be complete without raising your glass and making a toast to good health and good friends. The question is, what should you put in the glass? The most authentic drinks are a pint of stout beer (Guinness™) or a glass of Irish whiskey, but beyond those, there are all manner of delightful Irish, Irish-inspired, or just plain festive beverages to serve on this holiday. This year, try your hand at creating some celebratory sippers for your get-together.
Authentically Irish
If you'd like to drink as the Irish do, here are some suggestions: Irish kids love blackcurrant juice. It comes in cans or pouches, and the concentrated syrup comes in bottles. The most common brand is Ribena™, available at most import stores. For adults, try creating that pub favorite, the "Black and Tan." The Black and Tan is simply a pint glass with two different beers--ale and stout--layered in it.
- The ale goes in first; fill the glass just slightly less than half full with your favorite chilled Irish ale.
- Float the stout on top of the ale, rather than mixing the two layers. To do this, place a spoon over the glass, convex side up, and slowly pour the stout over the back of the spoon so it drizzles into the glass as gently as possible. Allow the stout to settle, and then make a toast and drink up!
You can also have fun with an Irish version of the Boilermaker. You'll need stout beer plus your favorite Irish whiskey and/or Irish cream liqueur. Fill a pint glass about 2/3 full with stout; fill a shot glass with either whiskey, Irish cream, or a combination of the two. Drop the shot glass into the pint glass, enjoying the bubbling and frothing effect it creates, and drink it in one gulp. Sláinte!
The Drinking o' the Green
Admit it: drinking green stuff is fun, no matter how old or young you are. If you're not concerned with authenticity and just want to be festive, there are all kinds of green drinks you can serve to kids and adults, from fizzy punch with floating islands of lime sherbet to cocktails with a little crème de menthe shaken into them. Here's a handy list of ingredients that will give your drinks that delightful emerald hue you're looking for:
- Crème de menthe liqueur
- Melon liqueur
- Green Chartreuse liqueur
- Green food coloring
- Crushed mint leaves
- Lime sherbet
- Pistachio ice cream
- Mint chocolate chip ice cream
- Lime-flavored gelatin
- Lime-flavored drink powder
- Limeade
For green garnishes, there are mint leaves, lime slices and twists of lime zest, slices of kiwi, green olives, slices of cucumber, celery stalks, or even ice cubes made from green punch.
Find more Irish recipes in our
St. Patrick's Day collection!