First of all, a good place to begin is in my collection of St. Patrick's Day cocktails, which is filled with green cocktails.
Use Green Liquor:
There are a few green-colored liquors that make easy cocktails. Some, like Midori or a sour apple schnapps, have a stronger green tint than ones such as green creme de menthe and will determine how green your drinks will be. As long as the other ingredients in the drink do not have a strong color of their own (i.e. blue curacao, Chambord) your drinks should have a beautiful green hue.
Here are some green spirits to check out...
- Absinthe - It is known as "the green fairy"... Profile and Recipe Collection
- Green Chartreuse - Profile and Recipe Collection
- Green Creme de Menthe - Profile and Recipe Collection
- Midori Melon Liqueur - Profile and Recipe Collection, More melon cocktails
- Sour Apple Schnapps - Hiram Walker, Dekuyper, and other schnapps producers make almost unnaturally green apple schnapps that are typically quite sour. Used in drinks like the Apple Martini, Washington Apple, Green Dublin Apple Cocktail.
- TY KU Liqueur - Profile and Recipe Collection
- UV Green Vodka - An apple-flavored vodka with a bright green color. Used in cocktails like the Caramel Appletini and an alternative for an Appletini when mixed like a Vodka Martini.
- Other Spirits - Every now and then liquor producers create green spirits and they will likely be the first things you see on the shelves of the liquor store. Examples: Voodoo Tiki Green Dragon Tequila
Use Green Herbs, Fruits and Vegetables:
Fresh ingredients are often your best option for creating green drinks though you will often find that these natural colorings will not give you that same deep green that the green spirits do. Ingredients that are commonly used in cocktails include fresh mint, lime, kiwi, cucumber, green apples, peppers, grapes, melon, and even avocado.
Here are a few cocktails...
- Mint Herb in Cocktails - Includes favorites like the Mint Julep and Mojito, which are filled with mint.
- Lime - While limes are most commonly used as a garnish they also give drinks a lime green color when muddled or blended. Cocktail examples include Caipirinha, Limey, and Frog in a Blender.
- Designated Appletini - green apples
- Flossy Aussie or Green Lemonade - kiwi (non-alcoholic)
- Green Grape Glacier - green grapes (non-alcoholic)
- Guacarita - avocado
- Jalapeno Margarita - jalapeno peppers
- Different Shade of Green - cucumber
- Tarra Christi - tarragon, cucumber
Use Artificial Coloring:
Food coloring is used to make green beer every St. Patrick's Day, though it is not common in cocktails. However, if you are desperate to transform that neutral colored drink into a stunning green one without altering the taste, a couple of drops of green food coloring will do the trick.
