RAYS St. Paddy's Day Drinks - Better Green Beer and the Texan Pot O' Gold

This is a collaboration with RAYS. I was compensated for this post but all opinions are my own and I would never promote a product I didn't personally enjoy.

I grew up in Massachusetts and went to school in Boston and let me tell you, we were serious about our St. Patrick's Day. The event would last all weekend, capped off with a wild St. Paddy's Day parade. While the Boston one was pretty great, the one I grew up with was in Holyoke (both very big Irish populations). Upon turning 21, the fun deepened as I was able to enjoy all the fun libation that went along with the holiday--sometimes, admittedly, a bit too much.

Here in Texas, it's a bit different. Not only is St. Paddy's Day not as widely celebrated, but it stays mild all year round. So when St. Paddy's Day hits, we're not looking for something heavy. We like cooler, lighter flavors to compliment the warmer temps.

So when RAYS reached out to come up with some St. Patrick's Day cocktails, I was a bit stumped! Their delicious, all natural spirits are distilled from grapes and use real citrus to give a light, fresh flavor that's a bit tart. And they're native to Texas! Not what I was used to for the season.

Eventually, I decided to both update an old favorite, and make a Texas tribute to my ol' New England holiday. Let me know what you think!

Want to get some RAYS for yourself? You can now find them in HEB and Central Market!

Better Green Beer
Nobody REALLY likes green beer, but we drink it anyway. Kick it up with some RAYS and this is a St. Patrick's day staple you'll actually want to drink.

• 1 can of your favorite light beer
• 4 oz RAYS lime
• 3 drops green food coloring

In a frosty beer mug, carefully add the food coloring and RAYS. Slowly pour in the beer--the motion of the liquid should disperse the color--and serve!
*Add some cayenne salt from the recipe below for an extra kick!

Texan Pot o' Gold
Lure in a Leprechaun with this Texas gold and maybe he'll share a bit of his treasure with you... and if not, you still have a tasty drink!

• 2.5 oz RAYS lime
• 1 oz grapefruit juice
• 2 oz gold tequila
• splash of orange juice
• Cayenne pepper + salt, for rim

Rim a martini glass with the cayenne salt. In a shaker filled with ice, pour in the rest of the ingredients, shake well, then pour into the glass.
*I added a pinch of tumeric for color and it complimented the flavors nicely!