If you’re like us, you know the unspoken rule of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations: Festive drinks are a must! Thankfully, there’s no shortage of recipes out there for green drinks, shamrock shots, and Irish-themed cocktails.

The hard part? Knowing which are worth serving at your St. Patrick’s Day party! To take out the guesswork, we went on a hunt for the 5 best cocktails for St. Patrick’s Day. From shooters to breakfast shots, our list of St. Patrick’s Day drinks has something for everyone!

1. Irish Breakfast Shot

They say breakfast is the most important meal, and on St. Patrick’s Day, we can only assume this still holds true! In any case, this list of the best Irish themed cocktails starts off with our recipe for Irish Breakfast Shots. Whether you’re a bacon buff or an orange juice aficionado, this drinkable tribute to brunch has all the best elements of a hardy first meal o’ the day.

SERVING SIZE: Makes 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS:

1 oz Irish Whiskey
0.5 oz Butterscotch Liqueur
1 tsp Honey
2 tsp Water
Glass of Pulp Free Orange Juice
1 Strip of Bacon
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
Dash of Brown Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brush bacon with maple syrup and sprinkle with brown sugar. Transfer to an oven-safe cooling rack and place the rack in an oven preheated to 375° F. Underneath the rack, position a foil-lined baking sheet to minimize mess.

2. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until bacon is fully cooked (cooking time will vary based on the bacon you are using).

3. Remove bacon from oven and let cool.

4. In a mixing glass, add 1 tsp honey to 2 tsp water and stir until completely homogenized. Depending on the type of honey you’re using, you may need to use warm water for this (if so, let cool before proceeding to the following step).

5. Next, add in your whiskey and butterscotch liqueur and stir thoroughly (about 10 seconds). Transfer to a shooter created using ZOKU’s Shooter Ice Molds and let sit for a few seconds while the cocktail chills. 

6. To chase the shot, pour pulp free orange juice into a glass and place a candied bacon strip across the diameter of the glass. After shooting the shot, chase with the orange juice and bite into the sweet-and-salty bacon for a deliciously well-rounded breakfast experience!

2. Green Shamrock Shot

Next on our list of St. Patrick’s Day drinks is our Green Shamrock Shot recipe. We especially love this festive green cocktail because, similar to the Irish Breakfast recipe, it doesn’t require shot glasses — instead, you’ll again use ZOKU’s Shooter Ice Molds to create glasses out of ice.

SERVING SIZE: Makes 2 shots

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz Crème de Menthe
2 oz dark Crème de Cocoa
2 oz Baileys Irish Cream
2 oz Half and Half 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker (do not add ice) shake until combined (about 20 seconds).

2. Pour equally into 2 ice shot glasses created using ZOKU’s Shooter Ice Molds.

3. Melon Ball Party Shooters

 Photo by The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

The third St. Patrick’s Day–inspired cocktail on our list is The Spruce Eats’ fruity and fun recipe for Melon Ball Party Shooters! We modified the recipe slightly and used ice from ZOKU’s Ice Ball Molds as a playful nod to the green shots’ namesake.

SERVING SIZE: Makes 3-4 shots

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 ounce melon liqueur
1/4 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 ounce vodka

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour the melon liqueur, pineapple juice, and vodka over an ice ball from ZOKU’s Ice Ball Mold placed in a mixing glass.

2. Stir until mixture is chilled (about 20 seconds).

3. Strain into shot glasses.

4. Dublin Kiss (St. Patrick's Day Shot)

Photo by fabeveryday.com

No St. Patrick’s Day celebration is complete without a little romance! This next recipe comes from Fab Everyday, but we modified the directions slightly to include our own notes from testing. With just 3 ingredients, these Irish-themed drinks are as easy to make as they are tasty!

SERVING SIZE: Makes 2 shots

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz. Irish Whiskey (such as Jameson)
1 oz. Irish Cream Liqueur (such as Bailey's Irish Cream)
Splash Crème de Menthe

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with 2-3 cubes from ZOKU’s Jumbo Ice Tray.

2. Shake until mixture is chilled (about 10 seconds).

3. Strain into shot glasses.

5. Original Irish Iced Coffee

Photo by The Spruce

The best way to cap off a St. Patrick’s Day celebration? Irish Coffee, of course! This final recipe comes from The Spruce Eats, but we converted it into Irish Iced Coffee using ZOKU’s Iced Coffee Maker (because who doesn’t love iced coffee!).

SERVING SIZE: Makes 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS:

1 to 2 teaspoons ​brown sugar (to taste)
4 ounces coffee (strong, rich, hot)
1 1/2 ounces ​Irish whiskey
1 ounce heavy cream (lightly whipped)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine brown sugar, hot coffee, and Irish whiskey in a heatproof glass; stir until sugar is completely dissolved (about 45 seconds).

2. Add the hot liquid to ZOKU’s Iced Coffee Maker. Cover with the lid and wait until thoroughly chilled (about 7-8 minutes).

3. Fill a large Irish coffee glass with 1-2 ice cubes from ZOKU’s Jumbo Ice Tray and pour the chilled mixture over the ice.

4. Top with lightly whipped heavy cream.