Forget the green beer! Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style with an Emerald Sunrise – a beautiful spin on a Tequila Sunrise.
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An original cocktail from Mr B
One day last spring, I was mixing myself up a Tequila Sunrise and decided to use Blue Curaçao in place of the traditional grenadine, which turned the whole drink a bright green. (Curaçao is a liqueur flavored with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, similar in flavor to an orange, and is grown on the island of Curaçao, hence the name.)
Anyway, all this happened just after St Patrick’s Day, which thanks to my wife is a very big deal around our house, and when I saw that tall glass of green, I had a flash of inspiration! I garnished it with a mandarin slice, and there I had the Irish flag! Renée even added a shamrock to make it official.
So here it is: my contribution to what my lovely wife calls the “perpetuation of negative cultural stereotypes” – and what I like to call my Emerald Sunrise. Enjoy!
Emerald Sunrise {Cocktail}
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
For each drink:
- 1 1/5 ounces 1800 Tequila
- 1 1/2 ounces Blue Curaçao
- 4-6 ounces Orange Juice
Instructions
- Fill an 8-10 ounce glass half full of ice. Add Blue Curaçao and tequila and mix. Stir in orange juice. Garnish with a mandarin orange slice and a shamrock. (A mint leaf or sorrel will work fine too.)
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Emerald Sunrise ☘️ Mocktail Version
No Alcohol for you? Mix up a kid-friendly St Pat’s Day beverage by combining three parts orange juice with one part lemon-lime soda, and then stir in a few drops of blue food coloring.
Are Shamrocks Edible?
First things first. YES! Shamrocks are edible, and they make a lovely garnish. (I just felt like we needed to get that out of the way.) So are false shamrocks, better known as sorrel.
Shamrocks have three leaves (not four) and were used by St Patrick to teach the concept of the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. Like the Irish people themselves, shamrocks are one of those plants that survive under very difficult circumstances, which is why there is a pot of them (shamrocks, not Irish people) thriving on my kitchen windowsill year-round.
Next, if you are going to perpetuate this St Patrick’s Day green beverage tradition, I do think Mr B’s Emerald Sunrise is a far better choice than green beer. Plus, I love the name. (If you know us, you’ll know that it’s a little nod to our birthstone too!)
Finally, if you are at all interested in an actual Irish person’s perspective on US traditions visa-vie St. Patrick’s Day, I encourage you to check out Surviving St. Patrick’s Day in America. Highlights include meeting Patrick’s forgotten sister Patty, and learning the proper response to the traditional Irish greeting, “Ciúnas bothar cailín bainne!”
THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to PIN and PRINT this recipe!
Yummy! Tequila Sunrises are my Favorite! I will DEFINATELY have to try this version!
Yummmm! I think I’ll bring this to my St. Patrick’s dinner, xo!
As a general rule, I stay away from cocktails that are a fluorescent hue. (Pretty sure that served me well in college.) But I’d make an exception for this! It’s gorgeous.
I’m with you, Catherine – I’m not usually a fan of artificially-colored anything, but this one made me smile. 🙂
What a beautiful cocktail this is!!! The color is just fabulous. I’ll take this over a green beer 100% of the time!
This looks gorgeous, 1000x better than green beer and love the name too!! Great invention Mr B!
Thanks, Pech. (Mr B did the mixing, but I thought of the name!)
I had to pin this. Love a good cocktail!
Wow! This cocktail is gorgeous! I would most definitely choose this delicious drink over green beer any day. Pinned and adding it to my Yummly collection!
From a master mixologist like you, that’s a great compliment! 🙂 Thanks so much, Marlynn!
Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! Yum!
So festive!! I also love that you could make this non-alcoholic! I wouldn’t have thought of doing that but that’s a great idea. Happy St Patrick’s Day, Renee!
I have a lot of friends (and readers!) who avoid alcohol, so offering them an option is something I always try to keep in mind.
I love it! Thank you for the mention!
You are most welcome, Amy. I love your post, and I’m looking forward to reading more from you!
I wonder how it would be with champagne? A spin-off of a mimosa? Anyone ever try?
Sounds like someone should check that out and let us know!