Drunken Leprechaun

The Drunken Leprechaun is only made with 3 ingredients! It’s the vibrant green drink you need for Sunday brunch or your own St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Fun drink recipes are great for parties and just hanging out! If you are looking for more drink recipes, try this Baby Yoda Cocktail, a green kiwi martini that looks just like Grogu. Or make these Water Moccasin Shots, made with peach and orange liqueurs.

I have got you covered for your holiday festivities with this drunken leprechaun cocktail. Its bright green color makes it the perfect beverage for celebrating and it only needs 3 ingredients(and very little prep work)!

But, who wants to gatekeep this beverage for just St. Patricks Day? Share this yummy sipping cocktail with all of your friends by making it for weekend brunch or any get together.

It’s also the perfect drink to make for St Patrick’s day parties because it can be made into a pitcher size, too. Serve this alongside some Guinness beer, traditional Irish fare, and great music, then you will have yourself a real céilí, that’s an Irish social gathering.

You need to try this St. Patrick’s Day cocktail, or this luck of the Irish cocktail, whether you are Irish or not!

What is a Drunken Leprechaun Drink?

It is definitely not a little man in a green suit stumbling around drunk trying to keep you from his pot of gold.

This drink is almost identical to a screwdriver, which is a highball drink made with vodka and orange juice. But, in this cocktail recipe, we substitute the vodka for whiskey.

If ordering in a bar, this drink may also be known as a drunk leprechaun or an Irish Screwdriver.

What is the best Whiskey to use?

Since this is an Irish drink, we want to use Irish Whiskey.

Whiskey here is spelled with an “e” because the liquor comes from Ireland, but if it’s made in Scotland, Japan, or Canada it spelled “whisky” without the “e.”

A safe and reliable whiskey is Jameson Irish whiskey (no, this is not sponsored!). It is very versatile, smooth, and is a solid choice. You want to use a good quality brand that is at least mid-shelf. We usually have Dead Rabbit Irish whiskey or Teeling whiskey in our liquor cabinet, but you can use your favorite!

What does a Drunk Leprechaun Drink Taste Like?

It basically tastes like green orange juice with alcohol added, lol. The whiskey does stand out, so it is pretty strong drink. If you want to make it weaker, add more orange juice 5-6 ounces and cut the whiskey down to 1 – 1 1/2 ounces instead.

Drunken Leprechaun Recipe Ingredients

Only three ingredients are needed to make this drunken leprechaun cocktail. You typically want a ratio of 1 part whiskey with 2 parts orange juice, but you can make it stronger if you desire. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the amounts.

• Blue Curacao: An orange flavored liqueur that is dyed blue. This is a must have ingredient to get the color you are trying to achieve.
• Whiskey: Like I said, it is best to use Irish whiskey, but it is not absolutely necessary.
• Orange Juice: Use your favorite bottled orange juice, no pulp or low pulp is the best option.
• Garnish: The garnish is optional. You can add an orange wedge or orange slice and a maraschino cherry.

How to Make Drunken Leprechaun

It’s easy to make this Irish whiskey cocktail. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full instructions.

• Add blue curaçao to a highball glass filled with ice.
• Pour in the orange juice and then whiskey. Stir really well to get that green color.
• If desired, garnish the glass with an orange slice and cherry.

Tools Needed

Glass: You will need a tall glass like a collins glass, highball glass, pint glass, but if all you have is a lowball glass or even a mason jar that will work, also. We aren’t judgmental here!

Jigger: This is what you will use to measure out the alcohol. You could also use a shot glass if that is what you have. A small shot glass is around 30 ml or 1 ounce.

When to Make it?

This is a session drink which means it’s made for sipping. Enjoy it on warm spring day or whenever you want! Keep in mind that this is a pretty strong beverage.

• For St. Patty’s Day
• With breakfast or brunch
• On a summer afternoon on the patio
• In the evenings on your front porch
• Happy hour
• Bachelor party
• Bachelorette party
• Bridal shower
• Anytime you want a great drink
• It’s 5 o’clock somewhere

Tips for Success

• Freshly squeezed juice. Use fresh orange juice that you hand squeeze yourself instead of carton orange juice. It will give you an extra fresh drink.
• Use good whiskey. It doesn’t have to be top shelf whiskey, but use a good one that you love.

Recipe Variations

• Tropical drinks. Replace half of the orange juice with pineapple juice for a tropical twist.
• Use tequila instead. Swap out the whiskey for tequila for a tequila screwdriver.
• Make it bubbly. Add a splash of sparkling water or tonic water to make it a fizzy drink.
• Make it in a cocktail shaker. If you want everything mixed up before hand, you could pour all of the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice cubes. Then pour right into the ice filled glass and garnish. Then you don’t have to stir it.
• Make it sweeter. Add a splash of honey syrup or simple syrup to make it a sweeter drink.
• Make it stronger. Add more whiskey to make it a stronger drink.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a cocktail shaker? Nope, no cocktail shaker is needed to make this drink.

How to make more for a party?

• To make 48 ounces (6 drinks) of pitcher sized green drunken leprechaun, you need:
  • 9 ounces of blue curaçao
  • 12 ounces of whiskey (this is about half of a standard bottle of whiskey, 750ml or 25.4 ounces)
  • 24 ounces of orange juice
• To make 96 ounces (12 drinks), you will need:
  • 18 ounces of blue curacao
  • 24 ounces of whiskey (A whole 750ml or 25.4oz bottle of whiskey)
  • 48 ounces of orange juice

How to Store Leftovers

Put any leftovers without ice in an airtight container and store in the fridge. It will be best if consumed within 24 hours but should be good up to 3 days.

Try these other festive recipes!

• Irish Trash Can
• Green Baby Yoda Cocktail
• Simple Irish Potato Soup
• Lucky Charms Bars
• Garlic Roasted Cabbage Steaks
• Pistachio Pudding Cookies

If you’ve tried this drunken leprechaun drink recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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