10 Genius Green Cocktails

One of my favorite green cocktails is the Midori Sour. The glowing green color comes from Midori, a Japanese melon-flavored liqueur. My recipe is a refreshed version of the 1980's classic with real lemon and lime, making for a beautiful sweet-tart flavor.

Ingredients: Midori, lime juice, lemon juice, soda water

Here's a green drink that's mint green, rich and creamy, and delightfully mint chocolaty. This classic Grasshopper cocktail dates back to 1918, an after-dinner drink that stars creme de menthe, a green mint-flavored liqueur.

Ingredients: Creme de menthe, creme de cacao, heavy cream

There’s nothing quite like the Apple Martini, aka Appletini, with its liquid sour candy flavor and 1990’s charm! This sweet tart vodka martini is charming and fun, with a bright green color from sour apple schnapps.

Ingredients: Vodka, sour apple schnapps (like Sour Apple Pucker), Triple Sec, lemon juice, simple syrup

Another neon green drink is this spin on the Long Island Iced Tea: Tokyo Tea. It's made with Midori, a honeydew melon-flavored Japanese liqueur. It tastes refreshing and zingy, with hints of lemon, orange liqueur, and bright melon.

Ingredients: Vodka, tequila, white rum, gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, simple syrup, Midori, soda water

Absinthe is another way to make pale green cocktails! The iridescent green Death in the Afternoon cocktail stars the combination of absinthe and sparkling wine, and the flavor is delightfully intriguing! Invented by writer Ernest Hemingway, it’s a unique drink to pull out to impress guests.

Important note: most good quality absinthe is very light green in color: don't expect this one to be vibrant green.

Ingredients: Absinthe, champagne

This pale green gin sour is a classic cocktail that was all but lost to history, but is back in style today. The secret to the color? Green chartreuse. It’s equal parts sharp, sweet, and sour: full of intrigue and nuance.

Ingredients: Gin, Maraschino liqueur, Chartreuse liqueur, lime juice

Another bright green cocktail is the Japanese Slipper! It’s perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, with notes of melon and citrus. Don’t let the electric green color fool you: it’s not overly sweet or artificial tasting.

Ingredients: Midori, lemon juice, Cointreau

Another way to make green cocktails is to muddle in bright green herbs like basil! Here peppery basil pairs nicely with the botanical essence of gin in a basil gimlet, a drink made of lime juice, gin and muddled basil.

Ingredients: Gin, lime juice, fresh basil, simple syrup

Another naturally green cocktail is the Cucumber Martini! This one is a cool, crisp take on the classic martini starring cucumber, vodka, and the floral notes of St Germain. It's fresh, dry, and floral, with just the right scent of cucumber.

Ingredients: Cucumber, vodka, dry white vermouth, St Germain

Last up in my favorite naturally green cocktails: the Frozen Mojito recipe! It’s minty, icy, and outrageously refreshing: like someone amped up the dial on the mint volume. It’s the perfect refreshing frozen drink with a bright green color from the fresh herbs.

Ingredients: Mint, white rum, lime juice, simple syrup