Indulge in These Blueberry Drinks for St. Patrick’s Day

It may be the Lenten season, but St. Patrick’s Day is an official Feast Day, meaning indulging in libations is perfectly okay. St. Patrick’s Day has become synonymous with enjoying spirits, cordials, and brews—many of which are in green hues—so we’ve hand-picked a few cocktail recipes that taste so good they seem to have the ‘Luck of the Irish.’

Blueberry Drinks for St. Patrick’s Day

Blueberry White Wine Sangria

Sangria is made with wine and fruit. This sangria benefits from blueberries, and mint gives it the bit of green that’s traditional for the day.

Ingredients

• 2 bottles dry white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)
• 10 oz. sparkling water
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 bunch fresh mint

Instructions

1. Combine mint and white wine in a large pitcher or punch bowl.
2. Muddle the mint into the wine. Add blueberries and put in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.
3. When serving, pour sangria into glasses and top each serving with 1 oz. sparkling water.

Number of servings (yield): 10 servings

Bleau Mojito

The mojito also gets its green color from fresh mint; the blue-purple from the blueberries is a bonus.

Ingredients

• 14 mint leaves, divided
• 1 tablespoon Blueberry Compote, purchased or recipe below
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon simple syrup
• 1-1/2 ounces rum
• 1 ounce club soda
• 12 fresh blueberries
• Mint leaves for garnish

Blueberry Compote

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pound (3 cups) frozen blueberries, not thawed

Instructions

1. Place 8 of the mint leaves in a Tom Collins glass; with a muddler or a wooden spoon, crush the mint leaves until fragrant; set aside.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine Blueberry Compote, lime juice, simple syrup, remaining mint leaves and rum.
3. Add ice, cover and shake to mix.
4. To the Collins glass, add club soda. Fill glass with fresh blueberries and ice; strain shaker mixture into glass. Garnish with mint.

Number of servings (yield): 1 cocktail

Instructions

In medium saucepan, stir sugar and cornstarch together until blended; add frozen berries, toss until uniformly coated. Cover and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries thaw and the mixture starts to boil, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove lid, cook, stirring constantly, until boiling and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Number of servings (yield): about 2 cups

Blueberry Green Tea Smoothie

This blueberry green tea smoothie is a great option if you are a teetotaler, or if you need some vitamins and antioxidants the day after imbibing too much, this green smoothie is it.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons matcha powder
• handful blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon chlorella or spirulina powder (or both!)
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup almond or soy milk

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients together in blender until desired consistency
2. If you find the smoothie to be chalky, simply add more milk or water

Number of servings (yield): 1 smoothie

Preparation time: 5 minutes

All recipes and photos courtesy of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

Find more blueberry recipes on the BlueberriesFromFlorida.com recipes pages or the Blueberries from Florida Pinterest recipe boards

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