Tomorrow marks the annual day in which people flock to their local Irish pub to partake in a celebratory pint – usually greenish in color. St. Patrick’s Day is observed the world-over, and strangely seems to be a bigger deal outside of Ireland. I guess everyone has a bit ’o the Irish spirit in them. Or, it’s just a good excuse to misbehave on a weeknight.

Whether you’re of Irish decent or you just love any reason to host a festive gathering, here’s three tried and tested (by the Luvo team!) cocktail recipes featuring a key Irish ingredient – whiskey.

Honey Rye

Ingredients:
• 5 tablespoons rye whiskey
• 3 tablespoons honey liqueur (such as Bärenjäger)
• 1/4 teaspoon orange bitters
• Ginger ale
• 2 orange twists

Preparation:
Fill 2 Old Fashioned glasses with ice. Divide rye, honey liqueur, and bitters between glasses. Stir for 5 seconds. Top with a splash of ginger ale. Garnish with orange twists. Makes 2 cocktails. Source: bonappetit.com

Whiskey Sour

Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
• 2/3 cup simple syrup
• Garnish with a raspberry

Preparation:
Combine the whiskey, lemon juice, lime juice and syrup. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and fill two-thirds full with the cocktail mixture. Shake for 30 seconds and pour into glasses. Add a raspberry and serve ice cold. Makes 4 cocktails. Source foodnetwork.com

Blarney Stone

Ingredients:
• 2 ounces Irish whiskey
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, from about two limes
• Ginger beer, chilled
• Garnish with a lime twist

Preparation:
Add whiskey and lime juice to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake until well chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lime twist. Source seriouseats.com

Whiskey pairs really well with beef dishes, so if the cocktail prep has eaten up your cooking time, how about serving your guests Red Wine Braised Beef & Polenta ready in under 8 minutes? Fire up a few of Luvo’s Nine Grain Pilafs as well – perfect as a side dish and for sharing.

What’s your favorite St. Patrick’s Day tradition? Have a whiskey cocktail recipe to share? Let us know in the comments below!