10 Genius Green Cocktails

These green cocktails make ideal signature drinks! From neon to pale green, they use liqueurs or natural ingredients for color.

Need a green signature drink? Whatever the occasion, these delicious green cocktails deliver! They range from classic cocktails to modern spins, each using a different ingredient to achieve it bright color.

As a cocktail expert, I’ve made over 300 cocktail recipes and I’ve found green drinks that fit into three main categories. Here are the most popular ways to make green cocktails:

Green liqueurs like Midori, absinthe, Chartreuse, or creme de menthe
Green herbs like mint and basil
Green vegetables or fruits like cucumber or jalapeno pepper

My top green cocktails to try

Midori Sour

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

Grasshopper

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

Appletini (Apple Martini)

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

Tokyo Tea

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

Death in the Afternoon Cocktail

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

Last Word Cocktail

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

Japanese Slipper

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

Basil Gimlet Recipe

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

Cucumber Martini

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

Frozen Mojito

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

Want Irish cocktails for St Patrick’s day? Go to Irish Whiskey Cocktails or Irish Cream Cocktails.

Tips for making green cocktails

When working with green liqueurs, remember that a little goes a long way. Start with the recipe amounts and adjust to taste: these liqueurs can be quite sweet and intense.

For naturally green cocktails using herbs, always muddle gently: press and twist gently to release the oils. Fresh ingredients make all the difference: I never make herb-based cocktails unless I have truly fresh herbs on hand!