Ditch The Green Beer! Mix St. Patrick's Day Killer Cocktails

PHOTOS clockwise from left: Pot of Gold; Emerald Isle Cooler; Jameson Julep; Good Luck Grigio.

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Looking for some novel beverage ideas for your upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebrations? Patch has compiled three recipes -- and one how-to video -- for cocktails that go beyond the traditional green beer. Erin go Bragh!

• Also see: Winning CA Chef Shares St. Paddy's Recipes: 'Corned Beef With Kick' and 'Crowd-Pleasing Slaw'

Note: While the recipes call for specific brands of alcohol, any brands can be substituted.

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Pot of Gold

Glassware: 16 oz. miniature fish bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz. E&J Gallo® Brandy

• 3 oz. Viniq® Glow

• ¼ oz. fresh lemon juice

• 3 oz. sweet & sour mix

• 1 whole lime

Method:

• Peel half a lime & using a shamrock cookie cutter cut out a shamrock shape

• Place shamrock inside the glass & begin to fill with crushed ice until the shamrock is held in place

• Build ingredients in glass

Garnish Method:

• Use a 1 inch round cookie cutter to make circles on a peeled peach

• Slice peach circles to make 5-10 nickel sized coins

• Sprinkle peach coins with edible disco dust

• Using half of a lime remove all insides of the lime and use as a bowl for the peach coins

• Use 2-3 real shamrocks & place in with peach coins

• Edible disco dust available at your local craft store in the baking isle

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Woodbridge Emerald Isle Cooler

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

· 1 cup simple syrup (recipe below)

· 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, about 3 to 4 lemons

· ½ bottle Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Chardonnay

· 2 cups water

· 2 cups ice cubes

· ½ seedless cucumber

Directions:

· Pour the ginger-infused syrup into a larger pitcher

· Add the lemon juice, chardonnay and water, and stir, then add ice

· With a vegetable peeler, remove and discard a lengthwise strip of skin from one side of the half-cucumber. Shave 8 to 10 long, paper-thin ribbons of cucumber into the pitcher. Push them down into the ice and stir gently, so the cucumber unfolds to make an attractive visual garnish in the lemonade

· Chill for at least 10 minutes for the flavors to meld, or up to an hour. Serve well-iced in tall glasses

Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

· 1 cup sugar

· 1 cup water

· 3 to 10 thin slices fresh ginger

Directions:

· Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Add 3 to 10 slices of fresh ginger, with 3 giving the finished syrup a mild ginger flavor and 10 yielding a more assertive result

· Simmer the mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the vapors rising from the pot smell noticeably of ginger

· Cool the syrup to room temperature, then strain out the ginger

· Chill the syrup until you’re ready to assemble the lemonade

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Woodbridge Good Luck Grigio

Serves 1

Ingredients:

· Flesh of one peeled peach, as ripe as possible, or ¼ cup peach nectar

· 2 oz. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio

· 2 oz. club soda, chilled

· 1 sprig mint, for garnish

Directions:

· Add the peach flesh to a blender and puree until smooth

· Combine the Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio and the club soda in a wineglass

· Add the peach puree

· Stir, garnish with mint, and serve

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How to Make a Jameson Julep

Johnny Garlic’s bartender “JZ” shows you how to quickly concoct this Irish-themed libation so you have more time to celebrate with your guests.

The drink is centered around Jameson Irish Whiskey and finished off with fresh mint, lime, agave nectar (or sugar) and soda.

JZ told Patch, “It’s kind of like an Irish Mojito.”

Autumn Johnson contributed to this post; Photos courtesy of Johnson, Viniq and Woodbridge.