The Green Giant Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 07/11/21
Prairie Organic Vodka's Green Giant Cocktail Recipe
Pawel Zoneff/EyeEm/Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

When the warm sun of those first spring days hit, our thoughts turn to fresh drinks. This Green Giant Cocktail is a fabulous place to start.

The recipe is one of those great fresh-from-the-garden cocktails. It features a great organic vodka with vermouth, then honey to sweeten things up. It is, however, the fresh tarragon and sugar snap peas that make the Green Giant an extraordinary cocktail!

That's right, for this drink you will be mixing peas! If you have yet to try it, you're missing out. It is certainly not the most unusual cocktail ingredient out there.

Have you ever enjoyed the freshness of a snap or sugar pea right off the vine? It's like that, only in a liquid form and with a little booze to make it even better.

If you are enamored with the idea of a pea cocktail, there is a second recipe below to try as well. Both are a perfect way to bring in spring.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Muddle 4 sugar snap peas, 10 to 12 tarragon leaves, and honey in a cocktail shaker.

  3. Add vodka, dry vermouth, and lemon juice. Fill the shaker with ice, and shake well.

  4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over crushed ice.

  5. Garnish with two sugar snap peas. Serve and enjoy.

A Note About Prairie Organic Vodka

This recipe is courtesy of Prairie Organic Vodka, and it is one of the top picks for organic vodka. It is corn-based and produced in Minnesota, with the grain sourced from a co-op of local organic farmers. Since the brand's launch in 2008, they've introduced a gin and cucumber vodka as well.

Though Prairie Organic's original intention was that it's clear vodka be used, this cocktail is just a little bit more enjoyable with their cucumber vodka. The switch adds just a little more freshness to the drink and the flavor of the two garden ingredients in tandem is simply wonderful, a true fix for spring fever!

Choosing the Best Peas

The freshness of your sugar snap peas is going to be key in making a great Green Giant cocktail. Look for peas that have a saturated pale green color and try snapping one. They should easily snap in half, not bend.

Storing Peas

Store the peas in a sealed plastic bag. They should be good for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

Unless you grow them yourself, sugar snap peas have a very short season. You can prolong your enjoyment of the Green Giant by blanching and freezing the peas. The process is quick and though it won't be exactly like fresh peas from the vine, they will retain enough of their fresh flavor to create a good drink.

I wouldn't go longer than a month in the freezer because they do loose their flavor. Use older peas for food dishes and remember this recipe for next spring.

How Strong Is the Green Giant?

The Green Giant is the strength of the average cocktail. If we use a 15 percent ABV vermouth, then we can estimate it to be right around 18 percent ABV (36 proof). It's slightly stronger than the average glass of wine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
230 Calories
0g Fat
22g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 230
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 11mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 11mg 56%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 123mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)