A trend that seems practically made for St. Patrick’s Day is the Pickle Back — a shot of Irish whiskey followed with a shot of pickle juice. It may sound strange, but it’s a phenomenon that’s hitting New York hot spots like the Breslin and the Randolph and making national news and getting attention.

And you know what? It actually is pretty amazing! I tried it with some Jameson and Krugerman Frischgurkens … and the flavors really complimented each other.

So if you don’t see this at your favorite St. Paddy’s Day pub, you may want to try it at home.

Photo Credit: Washington Post

Looking for a green cocktail for St. Patrick’s Day? Beefeater 24 concocted this pretty and tasty treat to add a little flair to your St. Paddy’s day festivities.

Irish Sour

1 ½ oz. Beefeater 24 Gin
2/3 oz. Suze
2/3 oz. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
½ oz. Yellow Chartreuse
2 barspoons Monin Green Tea Syrup
1 whole fresh egg white

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Courtesy of Pernod Ricard

Seems like it isn’t St. Patrick’s Day without a little Irish whiskey. On second thought, make that a lot of Irish whiskey. If you’re looking for a way to mix it up instead of downing it straight, here are some tasty Paddy’s Day cocktails for you!

Irish Tea Party

4 parts Sweetened Green Tea (chilled)
1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey
½ part Pernod Absinthe
Rinse rocks glass with Pernod Absinthe. Add ice. Pour Jameson over the ice. Add Green tea and garnish with a lime slice.

Irish Apple

1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey
1½ parts Hiram Walker Sour Apple Schnapps
5 parts Ginger Ale

Jameson Whirlaway

2 parts Jameson Irish Whiskey
1 part Hiram Walker White Peach Schnapps
Dash Bitters
Splash of Club Soda

Mix all ingredients except Club Soda in a shaker with cracked ice. Pour into a tumbler and top with Club Soda.

Courtesy of Pernod Ricard

This St. Patrick’s Day we thought it was time for a green cocktail that’s a little different.

The little bit of celery juice  and mint add a fresh Spring flavor and scent. Use your best gin in this one, as the flavor really comes through and the other ingredients are a good compliment to that spirit.

We concocted this with our friend Savvy Housekeeping, inspired by a drink we had at The Alembic in San Francisco.

One of the most difficult parts about creating these new drinks is naming them. We had a good laugh with this one before coming up with Irish Spring. Here are a few of our outtakes:

Patty McCelery
The Celery VirGIN
Cell Block
Luck O’ The Celery
Celery McGinington

Slainte!
Irish Spring Cocktail

1 oz celery juice from 1-2 ribs of celery
1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
5-6 mint leaves

Grate the celery ribs into a bowl. Then put the celery in a sieve over the bowl and mash until you get all the juice out of the celery. Juice 2-3 limes for fresh lime juice. Muddle the mint, simple syrup, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add in the celery juice, gin, and ice. Shake thoroughly for about a minute. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with mint.

St. Patrick’s Day cocktails
How to pour a perfect Guinness pint

St. Patrick’s Day may be about drinking, but you still have to eat! Here’s a fun way to turn the classic corned beef and cabbage meal into a finger-food appetizer for your Irish festivities this year.

Erin go Bragh!

Corned Beef Cabbage Rolls

(Makes 12)
6 Savoy cabbage leaves
1/2 cup stone-ground mustard
2 slices dark rye bread
1/2 lb. corned beef

Trim off the white core at the bottom. Steam cabbage leaves for no more than 2 minutes.  Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Cut leaves in half length-wise.

Cut rye bread and corned beef into strips. Spread mustard onto the bread strips and place corned beef on top. Lay the bread/corned beef section on a half cabbage leaf and roll.

Ideas for optional dips or alterations:

• Dip idea: Mix equal parts mayonnaise and chopped dill
• Dip idea: Mix 1/4 cup sour cream with 3 tbs. prepared horseradish
• Alteration: Leave out the bread for a low-carb appetizer
• Alteration: Don’t steam the cabbage for a crispier treat

Other St. Patrick’s Day party recipes:

Irish Car Bomb cupcakes
Whisky cupcakes
St. Patrick’s Day cocktails
How to pour a perfect Guinness pint
Recipe inspired by The Food Network

With the New Orleans Saints winning Super Bowl XLIV, this years Mardi Gras Celebration aims to be one of the best ever. If you can’t be in NOLA, we’ve got a whole host of New Orleans Classics and Mardi Gras themed cocktails. We’ll start with these new drinks from Skyy Infusions.

Mardi Grape

2 oz. SKYY Infusions Grape

2 oz. Grapefruit Juice

2 oz. Grape Juice 

1/2 oz. Club Soda


Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice.
Garnish with green and red grapes on a toothpick.

Red Rooster

1 1/2 oz. SKYY Infusions Raspberry

2 oz. Cranberry Juice

1/2 oz. Orange Juice 



Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into rocks glass with fresh ice.
Garnish with cherry and orange slice.
(more…)

It’s President’s Day. Not all of out Commander and Chief’s have been drinker’s, but many have. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson even ran distilleries as part of their households. Distilling and brewing was quite common in those days.

Here’s a cocktails our commander and chief’s preferred.

Gerald Ford: Gin and Tonic
Herbert Hoover: Martini
Richard Nixon: Rum & Coke
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Scotch or Brandy
Harry Truman: Bourbon
Lyndon Johnson: Scotch and Soda
Warren Harding: Everything

FDR Portrait of a Drinking President from Modern Drunkard
Our Drunkest Presidents
Cigar Smoking President

see what the Queen of England drinks on Mental Floss…