Oh, how the green cocktail has been maligned. Such derisive comparisons. Scope. Mylanta. Dishwashing liquid. Such visceral reactions. A silent sneer. You're kidding? EEEewwww!

Who knows what brought all this on: too many Friday nights fueled by candy-sweet appletinis; the memory of one too many green beers; a shot of wheat grass at a '90s juice bar?

Chris Hunt/AJC (ENLARGE)

Dublin Dart (above, from left), St. Patrick's Day Cocktail, the DD (Designated Driver), Absinthe Cocktail and Bubblin' Dublin are notable potables from local mixologists and a venerable cocktail guide.

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"The inherent danger in an all-out green drink is that people hold it as synonymous with cheap booze, kitsch or a wild college party," says Greg Best, mixologist at Restaurant Eugene. "A cocktail is 60 percent visual. You drink with your eyes before you even put it to your lips."

And it's rare that we drink something Kelly green.

The very hue transmits the message, "What's going to happen when I drink this stuff?" says Leatrice Eiseman, author and executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, the international authority on the use of color in industry.

For a green cocktail (or any brightly colored liquor, for that matter) to work, it has to be in context, she says. "You can't think of it in a vacuum. You've got to give a reason for the color," because otherwise, "it doesn't say natural, it says artificial and that's not necessarily a good thing these days."

So what better context than St. Patrick's Day?

We asked a couple of local bartenders to come up with a few green cocktails, including one that's nonalcoholic, for the holiday. Kysha Cyrus of Repast in Atlanta and Ian Macken of Meehan's Public House in Vinings took on the challenge and came up with a couple of surprises.

We also turned to the recipes of a vintage master, Crosby Gaige, to round out the list. (One of Gaige's cocktails impressed Best so much that he's offering it, despite some good-natured ribbing from his bar staff.)

And while it may be near impossible for something so boldly complected to achieve a state of grace, "it doesn't matter as long as it tastes good," says Cyrus.

IMPRISH DRINKS RIPE FOR HOISTING

In honor of St. Paddy's Day, we were challenged to come up with mostly green drink ideas. Maybe they are a little kitschy, but isn't kitsch a big part of the celebration? So here are a few worth raising a glass for -- and there's not a mug of green beer or an appletini in sight.

St. Patrick's Day Cocktail 1 serving

Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 5 minutes

As an old friend used to say: "Can't get any greener." He said it in reference to a traffic light and the fact that the light had been green long enough to have driven through it. Now I think the adage best describes this cocktail, which is as intense as an emerald. It's another from Crosby Gaige's "The Standard Cocktail Guide: A Manual of Mixed Drinks Written for the American Host."

In a cocktail shaker half full of ice, stir the creme de menthe, Chartreuse and whiskey. Strain into a cocktail or port glass.

Per serving: 181 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), no protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, trace fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 1 milligram sodium.

The Symphony 1 serving

Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 5 minutes

Bartender Kysha Cyrus of Repast created this drink, which harks back to her Jamaican childhood. Her mother called it simply "stout," and her mom would make it at family gatherings or on Sundays for adults who might drop by for an afternoon visit. Though traditionally made with Jamaican stout, Cyrus' version is made with Guinness.

"People think you should not mess with the Guinness and I understand," Cyrus said. "But for me it's a play on St. Patrick's Day and a connection to my West Indian side." The name of the drink is homage to the harp on the Guinness label. Because the drink is on the sweet side, Cyrus uses extra-stout in her recipe for a bit of bite, but using regular stout is fine. It's not green, but it has Irish roots.

In a shaker filled with ice, add Guinness, whiskey, condensed milk and egg white. Shake vigorously until frothy. Strain into a brandy snifter. Grate a tiny bit of nutmeg on top for garnish.

Per serving: 175 calories (percent of calories from fat, 13), 5 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 1 gram fat (1 gram saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 77 milligrams sodium.

Absinthe Cocktail 1 serving

Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 5 minutes

The late Crosby Gaige was a prolific Broadway producer throughout the 1920s and 1930s. But those who enjoy a well-made drink know the gourmand was also the author of several books on the proper preparation of a dignified, elegant cocktail. Revered for his skill, his books are sought after now by collectors. Here are two recipes from Gaige's 1944 work, "The Standard Cocktail Guide: A Manual of Mixed Drinks Written for the American Host." They are the St. Patrick's Day Cocktail and the Absinthe Cocktail.

Back when Gaige wrote this recipe, absinthe was banned in the United States, so he used an anise-flavored substitute. Popular throughout 19th-century Europe, absinthe subsequently gained a reputation of corruption in a bottle, its green liquid blamed for causing madness and turning upstanding citizens into ne'er-do-wells. But last year absinthe was reintroduced to the American market after rigorous testing proved the liquor, which is made with wormwood, does not on its own present a health risk or cause felonious behavior. So we made Gaige's cocktail with what he would have used had it been legal, true absinthe. (Note: Absinthe turns cloudy when water is added, making it murky or, some would say, moody.)

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine absinthe, simple syrup and bitters. Shake to chill, then strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

Per serving: 115 calories (percent of calories from fat, 0), no protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, no fat, no cholesterol, 1 milligram sodium.

Bubblin' Dublin 1 serving

Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 5 minutes

This one might satisfy an appletini kind of crowd. We came up with it one bright Sunday afternoon after admiring the color of daffodil stems that were breaking through the soil.

Pour Midori into champagne flute. Fill rest of flute with champagne. Gently rub a piece of lemon peel together over the top of the glass allowing the oil from the peel to spray over the drink. Garnish with another twist of lemon peel.

Per serving: 72 calories (percent of calories from fat, 0), no protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium.

Dublin Dart 1 serving

Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 5 minutes

Ian Macken, bartender at Meehan's Public House in Vinings, named this drink after the public transit system in his native Dublin. "It'll get you where you want to go, both the transport and the shot," he said. Serve this with a square of bittersweet chocolate and you could call it a Naughty Girl Scout.

Fill a shaker with ice. Add whiskey, creme de menthe and Baileys. Shake to chill. Strain into an old-fashioned glass. Serve neat or over ice.

Per serving: 196 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 1 gram protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 3 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 19 milligrams sodium.

The DD (Designated Driver) 2 servings

Hands on: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

This nonalcoholic drink is from Kysha Cyrus, bartender at Repast. She frowns on cutting corners with pre-bottled green tea.

Sweeten brewed tea with honey to taste and set aside to cool, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place prepared apple, kiwi, ginger and lime juice in food processor and blend until smooth (the consistency of baby food). Place blended fruit in triple mesh strainer (or chinoise), and using the back of a spatula press the fruit through strainer into a small mixing bowl below. Most of pulp will be caught in strainer and should yield 1 cup juice. Fill 2 tall glasses with ice and add half the fruit juice to each. Top each with half the green tea. Stir to blend. Garnish with a sprig of mint or extra kiwi slices.

Per serving: 79 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), 1 gram protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, trace fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 6 milligrams sodium.