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It\’s almost time to celebrate St Patrick\’s Day in the Smoky Mountains!
We are looking forward to celebrating the holiday with you this upcoming week!
We wanted to share with you some things that will be going on around town that you can check out in between stops along the Rocky Top Wine Trail or for your journeys after!
March 13th:
- Our Annual Wine & Cheese Trail (Ticketed Event at Mountain Valley Vineyards, Mill Bridge Winery, and Hillside Winery)
- St. Patrick’s Day at The Island from 11 am – 6 pm (Decorations, Live Entertainment, Food & Drink Specials, and a Special Fountain Show)
March 17th:
- Gatlinburg St. Patrick’s Day Celebration (17th – 20th)
- Live Performance by The Crossjacks at Ober Gatlinburg
- Anakeesta St. Patrick’s Day Celebration (17th – 20th)
- Live performance by The Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales cast through the Gatlinburg streets (5 – 9 pm nightly)
March 19th:
- Gatlinburg Fireworks from the Space Needle
Now you’re probably sitting at home thinking, “I can’t go to any of these things, I’m going to be home this St. Patrick’s Day!” Well we’ve got you covered on that too! We also wanted to give you some new recipes to make for St. Patrick’s Day and some wine pairing options for your evening at home!
Cucumber Mint Fizz:
*Ingredients
- 2 oz of cucumber mint juice
- 4 oz of Sonata from Hillside Winery
*Directions
- To make cucumber-mint juice take a half a cucumber, a small handful of mint, and 2 teaspoons of sugar into a blender and process well. Use a tea strainer or sieve to strain mixture into a measuring cup. Pour 2 oz of the cucumber mint juice into the bottom of a wine glass, top with ice and Sonata. Garnish with cucumber wheels and mint.
Shamrock Champagne Cocktail:
*Ingredients
- 1 oz Midori
- 4 oz of Hillside Mist from Hillside Winery
- Melon Balls
*Directions
- Use a cocktail jigger or small measuring cup and pour 1 oz of Midori into a Champagne flute. Pour Hillside Mist on top to fill the glass. This drink tastes like honeydew-lime champagne and has a nice booziness factor. Make sure to chill both Midori and sparkling wines prior to making the cocktail to give the drink optimal coolness.
Irish Cream Swirl Brownies (for pairing with Hillside Winery’s Cantina Bianca):
*Ingredients
- 1 (18 oz – 20 oz) package of Fudge Brownie Mix
- 1 tsp of Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 (8 oz) pack of Cream Cheese, softened
- ¼ Cup of Sugar
- 2 tbsp of Flour
- ¼ Cup of Irish Cream Liqueur
- 1 Egg
- ¼ tsp of Green Food Coloring
*Directions
- Prepare the brownie mix as directed on the package, adding vanilla. Reserve 1 cup of the batter. Spread the remaining batter into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Then, in a medium bowl with the electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, flour, and sugar until smooth. Add Irish cream liqueur, egg, and food coloring; beat until well blended. Pour the mixture over the brownie layer in the pan. Drop the reserved 1 cup of batter by the spoonful over the cream cheese layer. Cut through the batter with a knife several times for a marble effect. Then bake as directed on the package for the 9-inch square baking pan. Cool in the pan before serving. Enjoy with a glass of Hillside Winery’s Cantina Bianca!
Food and Wine Pairings:
- Lamb Stew and Hillside Winery’s Zinfandel
- Corned Beef & Cabbage with Mill Bridge Winery’s Little Pigeon
- Colcannon and Mountain Valley Vineyards’ American Chardonnay
- Shepherd\’s Pie and Apple Barn Winery’s Merlot
- Irish Beef Hand Pies and Mountain Valley Vineyards’ Cabernet Sauvignon
- Irish Cream Swirl Brownie and Hillside Winery’s Cantina Bianca
We hope that you have a fun and safe St. Patrick’s Day either here in Pigeon Forge or snuggled up at home!
Shop For The Wines Mentioned in This Blog By Clicking Here
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