Irish Margarita

This Irish Margarita recipe is a festive green-colored twist on the classic margarita! This drink uses Irish whiskey for a smooth base, with the addition of Grand Marnier instead of Triple Sec. The green color comes from a combination of liqueurs (a little goes a long way!) and I added a little flair with some edible gold leaf for the garnish.

Did you know that "margarita" is Spanish for "daisy"? The Margarita is based off of the Daisy cocktail, so this could also be called an Irish Daisy! While this drink is great as a St. Patrick's Day cocktail alongside your green beer, it can also be a fun Halloween drink! 

Looking for more green drinks? Try out the vibrant green Shamrock Sour Irish Whiskey cocktail, or the delicious (and highly boozy) Tokyo Tea. The Hocus Pocus Drink is another fun one for Halloween! Or, the Last Word gin cocktail is another delicious classic that is naturally green.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need to have on hand to make this margarita recipe:

• Irish Whiskey - I used Jameson Irish whiskey here. Another good and not too expensive brand is Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey.
• Grand Marnier - Grand Marnier Liqueur is a Cognac-based orange liqueur that brings a rich flavor and a lot of sweetness to the drink.
• Lime juice - brings a tangy & fresh flavor! Use freshly squeezed if possible.
• Maple Syrup - the warm maple notes balance out the lime juice and go really well with the whiskey.
• Midori - for a touch of color and some sweet melon flavor.
• Blue Curacao - for color and a little orange-flavored sweetness.
• Optional Garnishes - edible gold leaf and salt for the rim of the glass, along with a slice of lime.

Substitutions

Here are some ways you can substitute the ingredients in this cocktail:

• Irish Whiskey - you can use bourbon or Canadian whiskey instead of Irish whiskey for a similar flavor. If you want a more traditional margarita flavor, though, definitely go for a reposado tequila.
• Grand Marnier - you can use another orange liqueur like Triple Sec or Cointreau, as you would in a classic margarita. If you don't have it, just omit it and use a little more syrup.
• Maple Syrup - you can use agave nectar or simple syrup instead.
• Midori and Blue Curacao - if you don't have these liqueurs, you can get a green color by just using green food coloring. Without these liqueurs, you may want to increase the amount of Grand Marnier you use by about ¼ of an ounce.
• Edible gold - instead of using real gold leaf, try mixing the salt with some Brew Glitter edible gold glitter. Or, you can use a gold-colored sanding sugar instead of salt.

Variations

Here are some variations on this recipe:

• Half whiskey, half tequila - this drink is really good as a split base cocktail, where you use smaller amounts of two types of liquor. Irish whiskey and reposado tequila work really well together here!
• Non-alcoholic version - if you're avoiding alcohol, try using Lyre's American Malt in place of the whiskey. You can use Lyre's Orange Sec instead of the Grand Marnier also, and just omit the other two liqueurs and use green food coloring instead.
• Sparkling water - if you want this drink to last a little longer, add it to a larger glass and top with sparkling water just before serving for a more refreshing drink.

Instructions

Start out making this drink by adding salt to the rim of your serving glass. You can wet the rim either with your cut lime, or with some water.

Add your gold leaf to the rim if you're using it, and set the glass aside while you mix up the cocktail.

Add in the lime juice, maple syrup, and Grand Marnier to your cocktail shaker.

Add the whiskey, and then use a bar spoon to add the Midori liqueur.

Then add the Blue Curacao, and fill the shaker with ice.

Give everything about 15-20 good shakes. Then fill your serving glass with ice.

Strain the drink into the serving glass.

Add your lime garnish to the edge of the glass, and serve. Cheers!

Hint: You can use a clean jigger to pour the Midori and Blue Curacao into first, because it's pretty hard to pour them directly into the spoon without spilling everywhere!

Top tip - Batching it up

To make a big batch of Irish Margaritas, you can multiply the ingredients by the number of cocktails you want to make. Mix everything together in a big pitcher with ice just before your party.

For the Midori and Blue Curacao, use ½ ounce (15 ml) of each for every 3 drinks (3 bar spoons is the same as 1 Tablespoon/½ ounce).