I know, I know–this drink is almost a glowing neon green color. Enough to make you nervous, perhaps; it looks like it’d be right at home being clutched by a stumbling reveler wearing a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” shirt on a bright and early Las Vegas morning on, say, March 18th of any given year. One imagines. PRINT FRIENDLY Ingredient List & Instructions on last page Appearances are deceiving little suckers, though. What we have here is 100% fresh, natural green color from plants–cilantro to be exact–that grew in the dirt, not a test tube in a lab. Mother Nature knows how to party too, you know. Inspired by a margarita a friend of mine enjoyed and told me about, this variation on a classic has become a favorite of mine. Cucumber and cilantro don’t really intersect much traditionally, which is a shame; their crisp, bright, green flavors mesh gorgeously. In this case, the end result is refreshing–not syrupy, and not sweet. The color is breathtaking, and the flavor doesn’t disappoint. Drink quickly, though–I took a big batch of these to a picnic once and had a “dur” moment when it started oxidizing and turning an unappealing, drab, yellowish hue. Alternatively, you could muddle everything together instead of going the blender route (I’ve never done this, and suspect the color would not be nearly as intense). When it comes to booze, my M.O. is : (1) Figure out what I like. (2) Buy embarrassingly large bottles of it. PRINT FRIENDLY Ingredient List & Instructions on NEXT PAGE Cucumber-Cilantro Margaritas 6-8 slices cucumber Small handful fresh cilantro (1/2 to 3/4 of a cup, loosely packed) 1 1/2 to 2 shots silver tequila 1 shot triple sec 1 shot fresh lime juice Combine all of the above in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a mesh sieve and pour into two ice-filled lowball glasses. Garnish and serve immediately; makes 2 margaritas. 10thkitchen.com