Booze Clues: 6 Fun St. Patrick's Day Drinks

To Glasses of Good Cheer and Pots of Gold

Whether you're Irish or not, chances are you'll find yourself at a bar this evening, toasting to St. Patrick and hoping to get lucky (ya know, in the pot of gold way, hehe). Hopefully you're beyond your green beer days, but if you're not sure what to drink beyond that initial shot of Jamo (Jameson), See below. From skinny margaritas to smoky scotch drinks and full-bodied bourbon sippers, we've got you covered (and not all of them are green!).

Strong, Spicy and Refreshing

Knob Creek Mint Ginger Old Fashioned- Created by Celebrity Chef Michael Symon

Ingredients
1 ½ Parts Knob Creek Rye Whiskey
Ginger Beer
½ Part Lemon Juice
¼ Part Green Chartreuse
6-8 Mint Leaves

Method

Combine all ingredients (except ginger beer) in a bar tin with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled Collins glass, top off with ginger beer and garnish with a single mint leaf.

Sweet, Effervescent and a Little Spicy

Basil Hayden’s Lucky Ginger- Created by Zachary Brian Taylor (San Francisco, CA)

Ingredients
1 1/2 parts Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
3/4 parts Lemon Juice
1/2 part Brown Sugar Syrup*
1 spring of Rosemary
Ginger Beer

Method
Combine Basil Hayden’s Bourbon, lemon juice and brown sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker.
Remove rosemary needles from the bottom 3/4 of the spring and add to the shaker. Save the top of the spring for use as a garnish.
Add ice to shaker and shake.
Double strain into a Collins glass filled with ice.
Top with ginger beer.
Garnish with the remaining rosemary spring.

*Brown Sugar Syrup
1 part Water
1 part Brown Sugar

Hearty

Cruzan Strapped Stout

Ingredients
1 ½ parts Cruzan Black Strap Rum
1 bottle of Chocolate or coffee stout beer

Method

Combine ingredients in a pint glass. Stir gently.

Lighty & Spicy

Luck of the Irish

Ingredients

2 ¼ slices jalapeño chile, seeds removed (use more slices if you like it spicy)

3 parts Skinnygirl Margarita

Chili powder or Mexican chili seasoning mixed with coarse salt

Lime peel for garnish

Method 

Muddle the jalapeño slices in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Pour Skinnygirl Margarita over the jalapeños. Add ice and shake well. Rim a rocks glass with the chili powder mixture and pour in the margarita. Garnish with a lime peel.

Smoky and Earthy- for Badasses Only

Luck of Laphroaig- Created by Tyson Buhler (New York, NY)

Ingredients
1 1/2 parts Laphroaig Select
1/4 part Sarsaparilla Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Orange twist

Method 
Combine ingredients in a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with orange twist.

Stout and Simple

The Perfect Pint of Guinness Draught 

We learned the 7-step process to pouring the perfect pint of Guinness yesterday at a special lunch tasting. Make sure your bartender knows the method. It involves precision and a brief pause for settling, so be patient. After your first sip, post a pic on Instagram with your stout-stache. Because you're bae AF, right?

Oh and if you want to leave a lucky-looking lip print on your glass, green lipstick is the way to go.



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3 St Paddy's Day Drinks that Kick Green Beer's Butt

Beannachtam na Femle Padraig ("Happy St. Patrick's Day!")

Let's start this with an Irish toast: 

May those that love us, love us

And those that don’t love us.

May God turn their hearts.

And if he doesn’t turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles

So we’ll know them by their limping

Now, for the drinks. Green beer is cool if you're under the age of 25, but after that point, it's time to get a bit more refined. Guiness is always an option, and so is straight Irish whisky. However, if you'd like something a little sweeter, here are some options (and not all of them contain whisky): 

2 Gingers "Big Ginger"

Ingredients: 

2 parts 2 GINGERS® Irish Whiskey

Ginger Ale
Lemon Wedge
Lime Wedge

Method: 

Pour the 2 GINGERS® Irish Whiskey into a pint glass with ice. Top with ginger ale, followed by a wedge of a lemon and lime.

Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Manhattan

Ingredients:

50ml Tullamore D.E.W. Original

15ml sweet vermouth
5 ml Luxardo maraschino liqueur
Dash Angostura bitters
Dash Orange bitters
Orange zest
Maraschino cherry

Method:

Stir the ingredients together quickly over ice. Pour into a chilled coupette glass. Zest orange twist over surface of drink, spiral and drop into the glass.

Milagro "Cool as a Cucumber Margarita"

Ingredients: 

2 parts Milagro Silver

1 part Fresh Lime Juice

3 Cucumber Slices

1 Lime wheel

1 Cucumber Stick

Garnish: course ground sea salt and black peppercorn mix

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender without ice. Blend and pour over fresh ice into a rocks glass prepared with a half salted rim. Garnish with a cucumber spear and lime wheel (optional).

Do you have any fun plans for St. Paddy's Day? What about a go-to drink?

Shoes Clues: St. Patrick’s Day Shoe Suggestions

 

Lucky Shoe

Whether you’re watching a parade, hunting for leprechauns, searching for a four leaf clover or enjoying a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl, you’ll be involved in some type of shenanigans today.  While others may don green sweaters, little shamrock pins or silly green hats to avoid getting pinched, you’d rather green shoes than green sleeves. Here are a few suggestions for whatever activity you’ve chosen tonight.

Q by Pasquale Sandal

Perhaps you’re attending a swank soiree tonight. In that case, this Q by Pasquale sandal, with its delicate murano glass accents, alluring ankle strap and perforated ruffle detail, will be all the green you need to keep Irish (and all other) eyes smiling your way. (More info available at the newly relaunched qbypasquale.com)

 

Steve Madden Karmena Pumps

If you’re partying tonight, a pair of kelly green patent platform pumps will be your best bet. The Karmena by Steve Madden’s 5.5 inch heel puts the foot at quite an incline, but the 1 inch platform adds the comfort you’ll need to dance the night away. (Available at SteveMadden.com for $99)

 

 

ASOS Pave the Way Pumps

If you and your crew have decided to keep it simple and guzzle Guiness at your favorite bar all night, you’ll want the extra support of a wedge heel to keep you stable. These green suede Pave the Way pumps by ASOS are casual but chic choice. (Doesn’t the raffia wedge screams Spring?) They have a heel height of almost 5 inches, so make sure you snag a bar stool. Oh, and make sure it’s a classy bar so no one spills their beer or steps on your green suede shoes. (Available at ASOS.com for $98.62)

 

Poetic License Summer Bloom Pumps

Pub crawls call for lower heels than other activities. That doesn’t mean you can’t still be cute. Go for a peep toe like the Summer Bloom by Poetic License. The 3.5 inch heel and .75 inch platform will make staggering from stop to stop more manageable. (Plus, it IS Almost There Thursday, anyway.) The pink flower accent will keep things pretty, too. (Available at zappos.com for $134)

 

Keds Champion Ox Sneakers

I don’t usually recommend sneakers here, but there really is no other appropriate footwear for a shamrock search. Besides, everyone needs a classic pair of Keds, and these green Champion Ox skippies are only $19.99 at dELias.com.

 

 

 

Bordello Teeze Glitter Pumps

Those of you hunting for leprechauns might want to consider something sparkly. That way you if you find one can hypnotize him into taking you to his pot o’ gold. And if you don’t find one, I’m sure you’ll find a guy willing to at least buy you a drink. These Teeze pumps by Bordello are sure to get you lucky no matter what you’re looking for tonight with their 5.75 inch heel and 1.75 inch platform. (Available at CSNstores.com for $73)

Technorati Tags: shoes,green shoes,St. Patrick's Day

Shoe News/ Wild Wednesday: Omelle's Andre & P.I.N.K. Leprechaun Martinis

After seeing them in ELLE Magazine, Lucky, Footwear News and some of our other go-to glossies, the Shoes & Booze team has been lusting for Omelle shoes for some time. We're happy to share the news that their website's virtual boutique is (finally) active! To celebrate, we're highlighting some of their shoe art for today's Wild Wednesday post.

Gone Fishing

The mercury's been doing a yo-yo move lately, and it's likely been causing you a bit of footwear frustration. Today's a day of fantasy. Pretend it's hot outside, and throw on a pair of super-chic sandals. OK, let's not go that far. Wear some pumps, but fantasize about these Andre sandals by Omelle (available at omelle.com). You may not be one for the outdoors, but this shoe's perch scale upper means you still appreciate its spoils. The 4 inch detailed heel, which we feel imitates both the fish bone structure and hunters' arrows, says you've got some strong instincts of your own. The actual design of the shoe is simultaneously simple and futuristic, so while you've got your eye on the prize, there's still something a bit practical about you. And then there's the neutral color of the shoe... it gives you almost limitles outfit options (except other animal prints).

Today's also St. Patrick's Day, so for we're doing something a little different. Since you probably can't wear the above shoe anyway (unless you're in the warmer parts of the country), we decided to give you a drink you can actually have. Irish drumroll please... It's the P.I.N.K. Leprechaun Martini (recipe & image courtesy of Drinkoftheweek.com)! This sweet, effervescent mixture of P.I.N.K Vodka, Bailey's Irish Cream and green creme de menthe (accented with chocolate syrup) will have Irish eyes smiling (and everyone else's too). Just remember that if you down too many, you'll need the luck o' the Irish to make it home without embarassing yourself in some way. Cheers!