How to Turn Any Drink Green for St. Patrick's Day (Easy Green Cocktail & Beer Recipes)

St. Patrick's Day in Richmond, VA means one thing: it's time to get festive with your drinks. Whether you're gearing up for Shamrock the Block, Shamrock and Roll, planning a big bash at home, or just having a few friends over for a casual celebration, there's no better way to embrace the holiday spirit than with a perfectly green beverage in hand.

But here's the thing: turning drinks green isn't just about dumping food coloring into your beer. 

At Small Batch Brewing, I've spent years perfecting the art of festive beverages. Whether you want traditional green beer made with food coloring or prefer to go the natural route with green juices and herbs, we've got you covered. The best part? We can supply the green beer for your celebration made exactly how you want it, with dye or naturally colored.

Whether you're going to Shamrock the Block or staying in with friends, this drink guide will ensure you're going green in style.

Why Everyone Loves a Good Green Drink

Let's be honest: there's something undeniably fun about raising a bright green beer on St. Patrick's Day. It's festive, it's Instagram-worthy, and it gets everyone in the spirit of the holiday.

But here's the catch: most traditional green beer recipes rely on artificial food coloring that can leave you with, well, some less-than-desirable side effects. Not everyone wants a green tongue or questionable ingredients ruining their celebration.

That's why we're sharing our favorite easy St. Patty's Day drinks from classic green cocktails to naturally colored brews that keep the party going without the downsides.

Two Ways to Go Green: Pick Your Style

When it comes to making green alcoholic drinks, you've got options! Some people love the classic approach with food coloring because it's quick, easy, and gives you that bright, festive color every time. Others prefer adding naturally green ingredients that bring flavor along with the color.

My take? Whatever makes you happy! We can do traditional green beer with food coloring, or we can create naturally tinted brews using herbs and juices. Both look great and taste amazing.

The Classic Route: Food Coloring

What you need:

• Green food coloring (available at any grocery store)

• 2-3 drops per drink for a festive tint

Why people love it:

• Quick and easy

• Consistent bright green color

• Works in any beverage

• Perfect for traditional green beer

The Natural Route: Green Liquids & Ingredients

What you can use:

Fresh Juices – Cucumber juice, kale juice, or green apple juice add natural color and fresh flavor.

Blue Curaçao – This vibrant blue liquor turns a drink to beautiful teal-green when mixed with yellow ingredients like pineapple juice or lemon.

Matcha Green Tea Powder – Perfect for cocktails and beers alike. It adds a subtle, sophisticated green color with a hint of earthiness. Beware of the caffeine content, treat it like an espresso martini.

Fresh Herbs – Blend basil, mint, or parsley into your cocktails for natural color and incredible fresh flavor.

Midori Melon Liqueur – A naturally green liqueur that adds sweetness and color to cocktails.

How to Make Green Beer (Dye vs Natural)

How to make green beer depends on your style and what you're starting with. Here's the breakdown:

Traditional Green Beer Recipe

What you need:

• 1 pint of your favorite light beer (pale ale, lager, or pilsner work best)

• 2-3 drops of green food coloring

How to make it:

1. Pour your beer slowly into a glass

2. Add your food coloring

3. Stir gently (nobody wants a flat beer)

4. Cheers!

Want it even easier? Small Batch Brewing can deliver kegs of green beer already colored and ready to pour either with traditional food coloring or naturally tinted. Just tell us your preference when you order!

Natural Green Beer Recipe

For a naturally colored approach, I recommend starting with beers that complement herbal or fruity flavors:

What you need:

• 1 pint of Small Batch Brewing's light lager or pale ale

• 1/2 tsp matcha powder OR 3-4 fresh mint leaves muddled OR 1 oz cucumber juice

How to make it:

1. If using matcha, mix it with 1 oz of warm water first to dissolve

2. Pour your beer into a glass

3. Add matcha mixture, muddled mint, or cucumber juice

4. Stir gently and enjoy

Tip: if using matcha powder be cautious as it has 40-70mg caffeine for every 1 TSP.

Green Cocktail Recipes for Your St. Patrick's Day Party

Ready to mix things up? These green cocktail recipes are crowd-pleasers that go way beyond basic beer.

Green Mimosa Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 oz champagne or prosecco

• 1.5 oz fresh orange juice

• 0.5 oz blue curaçao

• Orange slice or mint sprig for garnish

This green mimosa recipe is perfect for brunch celebrations or day-drinking before Shamrock the Block. The blue curaçao mixed with orange juice creates a beautiful green-teal color! We’ve nailed the perfect ratio.

Instructions:

1. Pour orange juice and blue curaçao into champagne flute

2. Top with bubbly

3. Stir gently to create that green color

4. Garnish with orange slice or mint

5. Toast to the morning!

Emerald Shandy

A shandy is beer mixed with something refreshing and it's one of our specialties at Small Batch Brewing.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz light lager

• 3 oz lemon-lime soda

• 3 oz fresh lime juice

• 2-3 drops green food coloring OR fresh basil leaves for natural color

• Lime wheel for garnish

Instructions:

1. Mix lime juice with your coloring choice (or muddle basil) in a glass

2. Add ice

3. Pour in beer and soda

4. Garnish and sip

Love this? We can create batch shandies for your entire party, just let us know how many guests you're expecting!

The Shamrock Spritz

Light, refreshing, and perfectly green this cocktail will keep you going all day.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka or gin

• 1 oz elderflower liqueur

• 3 oz cucumber juice (freshly juiced)

• 2 oz club soda

• Fresh basil leaves

• Cucumber slice for garnish

Instructions:

1. Muddle basil in a shaker

2. Add spirits, elderflower liqueur, and cucumber juice with ice

3. Shake well

4. Strain into a glass over ice

5. Top with club soda

6. Garnish with cucumber

Classic Green Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 oz tequila (silver or reposado)

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• 1 oz Cointreau or triple sec

• 0.5 oz blue curaçao (for green color)

• Salt for rim

• Lime wheel for garnish

You can't go wrong with a traditional margarita turned festive green! This is a crowd favorite at any St. Patrick's Day party.

Instructions:

1. Rim your glass with salt

2. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice

3. Shake vigorously

4. Strain into glass over fresh ice

5. Garnish with lime wheel

My tip: Want to go fully natural? Blend in fresh jalapeño or cilantro for a spicy, naturally tinted twist!

Green Wine Spritzer

Ingredients:

• 4 oz white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio work great)

• 2 oz Midori melon liqueur or green apple juice

• 1 oz club soda

• Fresh mint and apple slice for garnish

Green Hard Cider

Hard ciders are naturally easy to make green and taste incredible! Here's how:

Classic Approach:

• Pour your favorite hard cider into a glass

• Add 2-3 drops of green food coloring

• Stir and enjoy

Natural Approach:

• Mix hard cider with 1 oz of Midori melon liqueur

• Add fresh mint leaves

• Serve over ice with an apple slice

N/A Green Drinks for Everyone

Not everyone drinks alcohol, and that's totally cool. These non-alcoholic green drinks are just as festive:

Virgin Green Mojito

Ingredients:

• Fresh mint leaves (lots of them)

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• 1 tsp sugar or simple syrup

• Club soda

• Lime wheel

Instructions:

1. Muddle mint, lime juice, and sugar in a glass

2. Fill with ice

3. Top with club soda

4. Stir and garnish

Green Apple Sparkler

Ingredients:

• 4 oz green apple juice

• 2 oz ginger ale

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• Fresh basil or mint

• Apple slice for garnish

Instructions:

1. Combine apple juice and lime juice in a glass with ice

2. Top with ginger ale

3. Add herbs and garnish

Small Batch Brewing also offers craft sodas and non-alcoholic beer options that can easily be tinted green with natural ingredients for an inclusive celebration.

Getting Ready for Shamrock the Block

If you're heading to Richmond's famous Shamrock the Block event, you'll want to show up properly pregamed. This annual St. Patrick's Day block party brings thousands to the Bottom and Shockoe Slip for live music, food, and, you guessed it, plenty of drinking.

My tips for Shamrock the Block success:

• Start with something light. Try our easy St. Patty's day drinks like shandies or light lagers to pace yourself.

• Pre-party at home with fresh green beer. Small Batch Brewing can deliver kegs of green beer, made with food coloring or naturally tinted, so you and your friends can celebrate before heading downtown.

• Hydrate between drinks. Green beer is fun, but water is your friend when you're outdoors all day.

• Plan your transportation. Richmond takes St. Patrick's Day seriously, and so should your safety plan.

Easy Green Party Snacks to Pair with Your Drinks

Speaking of easy green party snacks, here are some quick bites that match your beverage theme:

• Guacamole with lime-dusted tortilla chips

• Cucumber hummus cups

• Green goddess dip with veggies

• Pesto pinwheels

• Pistachio-crusted goat cheese balls

• Spinach and artichoke dip

• Kale chips

• Green grape and cheese skewers

• Avocado toast bites

• Green deviled eggs (add herbs or a tiny drop of spirulina)

Planning Drinks for a Crowd? Use a Drink Calculator

Hosting your own St. Patrick's Day bash? Don't stress about quantities. A good drink calculator helps you estimate exactly what you need.

My rule of thumb: Plan for one drink per person per hour for the first three hours, then drop to half a drink per hour after that.

For batch brewing cocktails for a crowd, multiply your recipes by the number of guests and mix everything (except carbonation) in a large pitcher or dispenser ahead of time. Just add ice and bubbles when serving.

Small Batch Brewing's St. Patrick's Day Services

Want to take the stress out of party planning entirely? As a small batch brewer right here in Richmond, we can help with:

Custom Green Brews – I can create a special batch just for your event, whether that's a traditionally colored green beer with food coloring, a naturally tinted beer using herbs and juices, a festive shandy, or a custom seltzer. You choose the style!

Keg Delivery – Why deal with cases of bottles when we can deliver fresh, locally-brewed green beer on tap? It's better for the environment and keeps drinks cold all night. We'll make it with dye or natural ingredients, your call.

Non-Alcoholic Options – We offer n/a beverages so everyone at your party can participate in the fun.

As a true batch brewer, my approach is all about creating memorable drinks that bring people together. Whether you want classic bright green or a more natural approach, we've got you covered.

Cheers to a Great St. Patrick's Day

Whether you're crafting your own green cocktails at home, joining the crowds at Shamrock the Block, or ordering custom beverages from Small Batch Brewing, the most important thing is celebrating with people you care about.

Because great drinks aren't just about what's in the glass, they're about the memories you make along the way.

Ready to plan your St. Patrick's Day celebration?

Reach out to Small Batch Brewing today to discuss custom brews, keg delivery, or full bar service for your Richmond event. Taking orders until Friday, February 13th.

Let's make this St. Patrick's Day one to remember, naturally green and genuinely great.

Sláinte! 🍀