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Irish Margarita

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Irish Margarita or a Shamrock Margarita is exactly what you need for a fun St. Patrick’s Day drink! Made with Jameson Irish Whiskey, it’s a spin on the classic margarita with a vibrant green color, perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or any occasion that calls for a green festive drink.

Irish Margarita in a margarita glass on white background with mint and lime wheel for garnish.

Top of the morning to you! Are you looking to shake things up with a new cocktail recipe? Why not try making an Irish Margarita?

This unique twist on the classic margarita features the tangy flavor of lime juice mixed with the smooth and slightly sweet taste of Irish whiskey. Instead of drinking green beer for St. Patrick’s Day, serve up this delicious twist on a typical margarita!

Oh, if you need a cocktail for brunch or breakfast, be sure to check out these tasty Green Mimosas too!

Why You’ll Love this Irish Margarita

  • It’s a fun take on the traditional margarita.
  • This green margarita recipe has a vibrant color that makes it a lot of fun for a St. Patrick’s Day drink.
  • Features the tangy flavor of lime juice mixed with the smooth and slightly sweet taste of Irish whiskey.

For a great after dinner celebration, you’ll love these Boozy Shamrock Shakes.

Margarita glass filled with Irish Margarita mixture with garnishes.

More Delicious St. Patrick’s Recipes

Mermaid Water Drink

Refreshing Irish Lemonade

Irish Hot Chocolate

Bailey’s White Russian

Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage

Jameson Whiskey Sour

What is Irish Whiskey?

To be considered a true Irish whiskey, it must be distilled and aged in Ireland for a minimum of three years in wooden casks, typically made of oak.

Plus, it must have a minimum alcohol volume requirement of 40%

The most common here in the United States is Jameson Irish Whiskey, which is the brand I’m using for this recipe. Feel free to use your favorite Irish whiskey!

Kitchen Equipment

  • Cocktail Shaker
  • Margarita Glass
  • Shallow plate or saucer, for salting the rim

Ingredients

MARGARITA SALT: For the rim.

FRESH LIME: Adds the fresh flavor of lime as well as a bit of tart flavor. Then use a lime slice for garnish.

JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY: Traditional Irish whiskey with a slightly sweet flavor.

ORANGE LIQUEUR: Use Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. Grand Marnier is the best choice as it’s more complex and smoother than Triple Sec, but either will work.

AGAVE SYRUP or SIMPLE SYRUP: Adds a little sweetness to mix with the tart.

LIMEADE or SWEET AND SOUR MIX: Honestly, I’ve become such a fan of using Limeade over a Sweet and Sour mix for margaritas. It tastes fresher to me, but if you have a love for a Sweet and Sour Margarita mix, use that.

GREEN FOOD COLORING: Just one drop is all you need to make it a vibrant color.

MINT (optional): For garnish. It really heightens the sense when you smell that fresh mint each time you take a sip!

 

How to Make an Irish Margarita

Grab your cocktail shaker and let’s get to mixing! One Shamrock Margarita coming up!

STEP 1: Dress your glass by rubbing the rim with a slice of lime, then dip the rim into the salt.

STEP 2: Pour all liquid ingredients (Irish Whiskey, Lime Juice, Orange Liqueur, Agave Syrup, Green Food Coloring) into a shaker with a cup of ice.

STEP 3: Shake your cocktail shaker until the outside is frosty.

STEP 4: Add ice to your rimmed margarita glass.

STEP 5: Strain margarita mixture into your glass.

STEP 6: Garnish with a lime wedge or a lime wheel plus a sprig of mint.

Upclose photo of the garnishes on an Irish Margarita.

 

Can I Make it a Frozen Irish Margarita?

Sure! Feel free to shake things up and turn it into a frozen cocktail.

To make a frozen Irish Margarita, toss all the ingredients into a blender with 1-2 cups of ice. Keep adding more ingredients equally until you’ve got the perfect taste and texture. If you don’t have a fantastic cocktail blender, get a Ninja Blender, this thing crushes ice like a boss and it even has a setting to make frozen drinks!

Plus it’s perfect for a million other uses (food processor, smoothie maker, etc…)

Variations

  • Everyone’s taste buds are different and some people like a more tart margarita while others like it sweeter. Feel free to increase or reduce any of the ingredients to make it how you like it!
  • Another common change up is to use Pineapple Juice instead of Limemade / Sweet and Sour Mix. This makes it a fruitier tropical flavor.
  • If you go the pineapple juice route, substitute the salt for a brown sugar or sanding sugar rim. This will taste better with the sweet fruit juice.

How to Make a Large Pitcher

Are you hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party and need to serve an Irish Margarita for all your friends and family? Simply multiply the ingredients by 5 in a large pitcher and stir well.

Place it in your refrigerator until it’s time to serve. Then rim your margarita glasses, add ice and pour in the Irish Margarita mixture.

As I mentioned above, everyone has different ideas of how sweet or sour a margarita should be, so I suggest creating a single serve cocktail first so you can adjust the flavor to your likeness. Then make your pitcher using the mixture you love most.

 

So raise a glass, toast to good times, and enjoy this unique and delicious drink that combines the best of both worlds. Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or just looking for a delicious twist on the classic margarita, the Irish Margarita is the perfect cocktail to try. With its smooth and slightly sweet taste, it’s sure to become a new favorite.

Cheers to the luck of the Irish!

Yield: 1

Irish Margarita (St. Patrick's Day Drink)

Irish Margarita in a margarita glass on white background with mint and lime wheel for garnish.

Irish Margarita is exactly what you need for a fun St. Patrick's Day drink! Made with Jameson Irish Whiskey, it's a spin on the classic margarita with a vibrant green color, perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day or any occasion that calls for a green festive drink.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • Margarita Salt
  • 2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
  • 1/2 oz Orange Liqueur, Grand Marnier preferred
  • 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Agave Syrup or Simple Syrup
  • 2 oz Limeade (or Sweet and Sour Mix) OR Pineapple Juice for a fruity Irish Margarita
  • 1 drop Green Food Coloring

Instructions

  1. Dress your glass by rubbing the rim with a slice of lime, then dip the rim into Margarita salt.
  2. Pour all liquid ingredients (Irish Whiskey, Lime Juice, Orange Liqueur, Agave Syrup, Green Food Coloring) into a shaker with a cup of ice.
  3. Shake your cocktail shaker until the outside is frosty.
  4. Add ice to your rimmed margarita glass.
  5. Strain margarita mixture into your glass.
  6. Garnish with a lime wedge or a lime wheel plus a sprig of mint.

Notes

See recipe post for variations or large pitcher recipe. Please drink responsibly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 430Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 191gProtein: 0g

Nutritional values are estimates and not exact.

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I love easy recipes and delicious desserts and happy to share with you my favorite recipes. My favorite places are tropical, family always comes first and I'm a cocktail enthusiast for sure!
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