Eight Green Drinks to Surprise Your Customers on St. Patrick’s Day

Add a little green to your beverage offerings, with these out-of-the-ordinary drink recipes ranging from cocktails to milkshakes.

Citrus Moonarita
(Photo: Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine/Randy Yarbrough)

From: Tyler Lott, Asador, Renaissance Hotel Dallas.

Yield: 1 serving.

1 ½ oz. Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine corn whiskey

½ oz. Cointreau

1 orange

½lemon                                                                                                                                                                                                          

¼ oz. agave nectar

Hand-squeeze the orange, then mix juice with other ingredients in a shaker.  Shake and pour over fresh ice in a glass. Rim with citrus salt rim (fine grain sea salt and dehydrated orange rinds).

Basil Gimlet Cocktail
(Photo: Davio's Philadelphia)
From: Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, Philadelphia.

This healthy spring cocktail blends healthful ingredients and great taste.

Yield: 1 serving.

2 oz. VeeV Acai Spirit

splash of simple syrup

splash of lime juice

4-5 basil leaves, cut in half

Combine ingredients in a shaker full of ice.  Shake until basil flavors are released, strain into martini glass, garnish with basil leaf and serve.

Icevine Cocktail
(Photo: California Table Grape Commission)

From: Paul Murphy, Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago.

Yield: 1 serving.

.75 oz. Inniskillin “Pearl” Icewine

1.5 oz. Ciroc Vodka

15 green seedless California Grapes

½  scoop ice (½ cup)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend for 15 seconds. When pouring into glass, pour slowly to keep all excess skin from grapes in the bottom of blender. Garnish with two frozen grapes.

Edamame Martini
(Photo: The Soyfoods Council)

From: Chef Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, Dean, The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, Chicago, and Brian Wilson, evening bartender at The Dining Room, Kendall College.

Yield: 1 serving.

1½ oz. Soy 3 vodka

1½ oz. cucumber juice*

½ oz. simple syrup

¼ oz. yuzu juice (or slightly less lemon juice)

several drops lemon juice

toothpick threaded with the following:

4 to 6 shelled edamame

1 small cube extra firm pressed tofu wrapped in a slice of pickled ginger

Combine all ingredients except threaded toothpick in shaker with ice. Shake briefly. Pour into a martini glass. Garnish with threaded toothpick and serve.

*For cucumber juice: Juice whole, unpeeled seedless cucumbers, using a juicer. Depending on the juicer, it may be necessary to strain juice through a cheesecloth if the juice is not smooth.

Kiwi Smash
(Photo: Cascal Crisp White)

Yield: 1 serving.

1.5 oz. vodka

half a kiwifruit

3 white grapes

dash of Cointreau

2 oz. Cascal Crisp White Fermented Natural Soda

Muddle kiwi and grapes in bottom of mixing glass. Add ice. Pour in vodka and Cointreau and shake hard. Fine-strain into a highball glass over ice and top with Cascal Crisp White.  Garnish with 3 white grapes in a highball glass. 

Kale and Pear Smoothie

(Photo: Vita Mix)

Yield: 4 cups

1 cup green grapes

1 orange, peeled

½ Bartlett pear

1 banana, fresh or frozen

1 cup kale

½ cup water

2 cups ice cubes

Place all ingredients into a container and secure the lid. Select variable speed #10 on a Vita-Mix blender, then to high for 1 ½ minutes. Turn machine off and serve drink immediately.

California Avocado Milkshake
(Photo: California Avocado Commission)

Yield: 4 servings.

2 ripe fresh California Avocados

2 cups vanilla ice cream

2 cups milk

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. lemon extract

In a blender, puree the ingredients. Large avocados are recommended for this recipe (about 8 oz.). If using smaller or larger avocados, adjust quantity accordingly.

Green Garden Smoothie
(Photo: Dole Food Co.)

Yield: 1 10-oz. serving.

¾ oz. Dole Pineapple Juice

½ oz. fresh lime juice

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

1¼ oz. agave nectar

1 Tbsp. basil, freshly chopped

¼ cup kale, freshly chopped

1 cup Dole Chef-Ready Cut Diced Apples

as needed for garnish, fresh basil sprigs

Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a 10-oz. serving glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil and serve.