Irish Cream
Smooth and rich, Irish cream is a must on Saint Patrick’s Day. Enjoy it as a shot on its own, over ice or in an Irish Coffee. If you like the sound of this, here are some St. Patrick’s Day cocktails you’ll want to get your hands on, too.
Lucky Charms Pudding Shots
These Lucky Charms Pudding shots from Nicole of Culinary Cool might be the cutest St. Paddy’s Day shot we’ve ever seen. White chocolate pudding, Irish cream, milk and pulverized Lucky Charms marshmallows come together for a shot you’ll want to double-up on. It reminds us of these Saint Patrick’s Day desserts that are even better than a pot of gold.
Dublin Drop
This bomb shot (where a shot glass is dropped into a beer, cocktail or mixer) is a favorite for Saint Patrick’s Day parties in the US. To make it, pour ½ an ounce of Baileys into a shot glass and top it with ½ an ounce of Jameson. In a pint glass, pour half of a Guinness Draught and let it settle. Then, drop the filled shot glass into the Guinness and drink the mixture quickly. Time is of the essence with this shot as the acidity of the Guinness will cause the Baileys to curdle if left to sit for more than a few seconds.
Lucky Leprechaun Shots
Go fruity on St. Paddy’s Day with Toni Dash of Boulder Locavore’s Lucky Leprechaun shots. The sweet Midori, Malibu and pineapple juice shot makes for a change of pace flavor-wise but the green hue is definitely leprechaun-approved. Take a look at these other green foods for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Baby Guinness
If stout isn’t your favorite type of beer but you still want to feel festive, try a Baby Guinness. It involves filling a shot glass ¾ full of a coffee liqueur and topping it with Irish cream to resemble a tiny pint of stout.
To help the Irish cream float on top of the liqueur, grab a bar spoon and place it over the coffee liqueur, with the tip of the spoon slightly in the liqueur. Then pour the Irish cream very slowly on the spoon so it flows on top of the coffee liqueur.
Carrot Cake Shots
Have your cake and shoot it too, with this Carrot Cake shot from Meghan Yager of Cake ‘n Knife. Meghan mixes Irish cream, vodka, carrot juice, heavy cream and a dash of cinnamon for a spring shooter that doubles as a dessert for your Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. If this makes you want to real thing, bake up our favorite carrot cake recipe.
Mini Irish Coffee
The Mini Irish Coffee is the perfect scaled-down version of a traditional Irish Coffee, which is one of our favorite Irish cocktails. It’s made by filling a shot glass with half Irish whiskey, half coffee liqueur and topping with whipped cream. To take it to the next level, make your own homemade whipped cream.
After Eight
This coffee liqueur and Irish cream shooter from Elaine Benoit of Dishes Delish gets a cool and minty kick thanks to the addition of creme de menthe. Make sure you check out Elaine’s article on this After Eight shot for her tips on perfectly layering shots.
Pickleback
Though it’s an American shot, a pickleback can be given an Irish twist for Saint Patrick’s Day. Just serve a shot of Irish whiskey alongside a separate shot of pickle brine for this refreshing, vinegary shooter. These are our suggestions for the best Irish whiskeys, as picked by a whiskey pro.
Irish Flag shot
It wouldn’t be a proper Saint Patrick’s Day celebration without flying an Irish flag, and this Irish Flag shot from Mix That Drink does the trick. Carefully layer green creme de menthe, Baileys and Grand Marnier for a brightly colored shot that looks just like the Emerald Isle’s flag. Read up on these traditional Irish dishes you might not know about.
Nutty Irishman
As the name suggests, a Nutty Irishman shot uses hazelnut liqueur, like Frangelico, for a luscious, almost savory shooter. You can make it by combining equal parts hazelnut liqueur and Irish cream in a shot glass, or practice your floating skills and float the Irish cream on top of the liqueur. Did you know that Costco has their own Irish cream?