Naturally Green Drinks for St. Patrick’s Day

This St. Patrick’s Day, consider ditching the synthetic food dyes and opt instead for fresh, naturally green beverages.

Green-coloured beer has been a St. Patrick’s Day tradition for over a century. In North America, it’s often said to originate with Dr. Thomas Curtin, who at a party in 1914, added a bleaching agent to a glass of lager, turning the drink bright green. Nowadays, bartenders typically add blue food dye to light-coloured beers to create the same result. While arguably not as toxic as laundry whitener, most contemporary food dyes are derived from the fossil fuel petroleum. Research on the subject has been largely inconclusive, but a number of studies have linked artificial food dyes with cancer, anxiety, behavioural problems, and other serious health concerns.

A few drops of colour in a pint of beer aren’t likely to do much harm, but when you consider the fact that synthetic dyes are also found in products like yogurt, vitamins, and lip balms, the effects can add up. So whether you’re avoiding artificial additives altogether or you just want to keep things light this weekend, here are some naturally green cocktails to get you in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit.

Kicked-Up Avocado Margarita

Blended avocado makes this traditional drink extra creamy and extra green, while the sea salt and chili powder rim adds a layer of heat. This is a modified version of the recipe by Cookin Canuck.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tbsp sea salt

1/4 – 1/2 tsp ancho (or regular) chili powder

2 lime wedges

1 California avocado, chopped

1 1/2 cups crushed ice

3 oz. lime juice

2 tsp agave nectar

4 oz. tequila

2 oz. triple sec

DIRECTIONS

On a plate, mix the salt and chili pepper. Run a lime wedge around the rim of each margarita glass and turn each glass upside down, dipping into salt mixture. Spin the glass until rim is coated.

In a blender, combine the avocado, ice, agave, tequila and triple sec until smooth. Pour the mixture into the two prepared glasses and serve.

Matcha-Gin Cocktail

Matcha and mint pair together with gin, lime juice, and agave to create a bright, energy-boosting cocktail. Recipe adapted from Tasting Table.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup fresh mint

¾ ounce honey

1 ounce lime juice

1½ cups water

2 ounces gin

1 teaspoon matcha

Ice

DIRECTIONS

In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint with honey and lime. Add remaining ingredients and shake until chilled and matcha dissolves. Strain and divide between 2 ice-filled glasses.

Cucumber Wasabi Martini

Feeling adventurous? Try this fresh and spicy twist on a classic made with gin, lemon juice, cucumber, plus a hint of wasabi. Recipe is modified from The Spruce.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 ounces gin

3 slices fresh cucumber

1 pea-sized dollop of wasabi paste

1/2 ounce simple syrup

3/4 ounce lemon juice

Cucumber slice for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Muddle the cucumber slices, wasabi and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice before adding gin and lemon. Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cucumber.

Frozen Honeydew Daiquiris

This refreshing green cocktail is naturally sweet with honeydew melon. Blend it with your favourite white rum, some lime juice, and a handful of crushed ice to enjoy. This recipe is based off one by Salted Plains.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cubed honeydew melon

1/3 cup white rum

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons agave syrup

1 cup crushed ice

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients except ice into a blender. Mix until honeydew is pureed. Add crushed ice and blend until incorporated. Pour into glasses and add optional garnish with lime.

Kiwi Virgin Mojito

If you’d prefer to go alcohol-free this weekend, celebrate by sipping on a mix of kiwi, mint, and lemon. Simply crush these ingredients together, rim your glass, and top it off with a splash of soda water. Adapted recipe from Food Punch.

INGREDIENTS

3 ripe kiwis, peeled and roughly chopped

3 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 tsp simple syrup

10 mint leaves, plus some to serve

Ice cubes and crushed ice to serve

Lemon and kiwi slices to garish

1 tsp salt

1 tsp powdered sugar

400 ml soda water

DIRECTIONS

Roughly crush the mint leaves, kiwis and 8 cubes of ice and lemon juice together in a mixer. Keep mixture in the freezer while preparing the glasses.

Mix salt and sugar together on a plate. Line the rims of martini glasses with water and place upside down on the plate. Spin around until rim is coated.

To serve, add some ice and a few mint leaves to each glass, then fill half the glass with kiwi mix. Drizzle with some simple syrup and top up the glass with soda. Garnish with fruit.