By Nora Heston Tarte
Green hued beverages are all the rage on St. Patrick’s Day. From apple tinis to Midori sours, you can count on colorful cocktails to keep you seeing green March 17. Stop in to your local watering hole and flash your I.D. for one of these bright concoctions.
At Finnegan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, the green beer (Coors Light with food coloring) will be flowing as patrons pile in to get plowed off kegs of the dyed beverage, but beer isn’t the only option for those who want to sip in style. Tokyo tea (on the menu year round) is an alternative to the more popular Long Island ice tea. It packs the same punch with just a few small tweaks to the recipe. Vodka, gin, rum, and triple sec create the base, but lemon, lime, and melon liqueur give this drink its green glow. Served over ice and finished with a lime. 6002 Pacific Ave., Stockton (209) 951-4782
It’s perfectly appropriate to down a Guinness (or two) at Ollie’s Pub, especially on St. Patrick’s Day, but that’s not the only drink that fits the holiday bill. The golfer is served at bars across America, and each location has its own variation. At Ollie’s this green-tinged beverage is made with vodka and 7-Up and finished with a splash of tonic and sweet and sour. Your bar mates will be green with envy. 22 N. School St., Lodi (209) 333-9933, OlliesPubLodi.com
More than just Irish pubs will be frequented on March 17. The bartenders at French 25, which serves French Quarter-inspired cuisine, know how to mix-up a mean green cocktail, too. The Decatur gator is a pale green potion created with Three Olives citrus vodka, Dekuyper Island blue pucker, crème de banana, passion fruit puree, and alligator-green liqueur. Finished with fresh fruit and an umbrella for a tropical feel. Watch out, it bites! 110 N. El Dorado St., Stockton (209) 451-0617, French-25.com
It’s easy to envision the milky-green tinge of Midgley’s Public House’s grasshopper cocktail. The dessert in a glass tastes like an after-dinner mint, offering a sweet treat perfect for grown-up enjoyment, and the recipe is simple: green and white crème de menthe with a splash of cream. While the chocolate-mint cocktail goes down smooth, keep in mind it still boasts an alcoholic content you can feel (albeit it’s about half of the average cocktail). 296 Lincoln Cntr., Stockton (209) 474-7700, MidgleysPublicHouse.com