Lucky you! Celebrate with 4 St. Patrick’s Day cocktail recipes

By Lesley Kennedy

Are you kinda over the whole green beer thing this St. Patrick’s Day? Yeah, we had our fill of the stuff back in college. Now? Our totally mature palates call for a more sophisticated cocktail. (OK, OK, after a green beer or two. We’d hate to turn down beer — green or otherwise.)

Whether you’re hosting a big bash, hitting a bar or just planning to sip a drink or two at home while you watch The Commitments for the 47th time and listen to a little Van Morrison in honor of the day, here are three recipes to toast the holiday with a twist. Sláinte!

For the fashionista
Skinnygirl Irish Eyes Are Smiling

• 1 ½ parts Skinnygirl Cucumber vodka
• 6 parts green tea (water steeped with tea bags or diet green tea)
• Cucumber wheel for garnish

Pour ingredients over ice. Garnish with a cucumber wheel.

For the single ladies
Pucker Sultry Irish Kiss

• 1 1⁄2 parts Pucker Citrus Squeeze vodka
• 3 slices of cucumber
• Juice of half a lime
• 2 parts ginger ale

Add cucumber and lime juice to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add a scoop of ice and vodka; shake vigorously. Add ginger ale and pour into a Collins glass.

For the traditionalist
Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned

• 1-1/2 parts Maker’s Mark bourbon
• 1/2 part club soda
• 2 orange slices
• 2 maraschino cherries
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Muddle 1 orange slice, 1 maraschino cherry and the sugar in an Old Fashioned glass. Fill glass 3/4 full of ice. Add Maker’s Mark and splash of club soda. Garnish with additional orange slice and maraschino cherry.

For the wine lover
St. Paddy’s Pinot Green-io

• 1 peeled kiwi2 tablespoons mango chutney (may substitute with 2 oz. mango juice)
• 1 tablespoon sweet basil
• 2 oz. Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio

Muddle kiwi. Add mango chutney, sweet basil and Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio. Pour into a shaker and shake vigorously. Pour into a highball glass and garnish with a kiwi slice.

About Lesley Kennedy

Lesley Kennedy is Senior Managing Editor at ShopAtHome.com and an online shopping expert. She has worked as a writer and editor for websites including iVillage.com, MORE.com, Recipe.com, AOL/Huffington Post, YouBeauty.com and others. She also served as the Deputy Features Editor and Fashion Editor at the Rocky Mountain News. Lesley lives in Denver with her husband and two daughters. Email her at lkennedy@shopathome.com.