In Chicago, St. Patrick's Day is practically Christmas. Only instead of opening presents, you open every bottle of Jameson in the city. (Better than Christmas? Maybe.)
But, there are other options besides straight Irish-whiskey shots and beer with green food coloring. St. Paddy's is a great excuse to brush up on your mixology skills — and we've tracked down nine easy (yet impressive) cocktail recipes that let you do just that. So, here are your new St. Patrick's Day plans: Go see the Chicago River in all its green glory, and then invite the crowd back to your place, where you'll have a few key ingredients and a cocktail shaker waiting. Now, get mixing!