Irish Trash Can Cocktail Recipe (Made w/ Red Bull)
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The Irish Trash Can is a fruity, dynamic cocktail, made with 6 types of liquor and a Red Bull energy drink. Mix up a spectacular green trash can drink for your friends on St. Patrick’s Day! It’s the perfect drink!
If you’re looking for the best cocktails for a party, you can never go wrong with layered drinks and shooters, jello shots and pudding shots, and trash can punch recipes like this one. They’re delicious, easy to make, and always the life of the party!
I make this all the time for St. Patrick’s Day because not only is it a fun cocktail to make, but great drinks like this are meant to be shared with friends!
Gather the simple ingredients listed below on the recipe card, and have it for your next gathering. It’s a fun way to make a perfect cocktail to share with family and friends!
Everyone will love the bright green color!
Irish Trash Can
Trashcan drinks, also known as jungle juice, were first introduced at college parties.
There usually isn’t a recipe for them; everyone just brings a bottle of liquor to pour into a clean trash can or plastic bin.
Then, mixers and ice are added. The resulting drink isn’t always delicious, but it is definitely potent!
Although this trash can drink isn’t an actual Irish cocktail , the gorgeous green color makes it perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day party!
The Irish Trash Can has 6 kinds of liquor, plus a boost of caffeine from a Red Bull® drink that’s poured over the top.
For serving, the can is intentionally left upside down in the glass. It’s such a fun and tasty cocktail!
Also check out my Irish Mule recipe, it’s an easy and delicious drink that will impress the party!
Trash Can Drink Ingredients
The ingredients can vary, but most often, the Irish trashcan is made with an 8-ounce can of Red Bull, plus equal parts of these spirits:
- Gin
- Vodka
- Rum
- Triple sec
- Blue curacao
- Peach schnapps
Irish Trash Can Recipe
Making this drink is SO easy.
- Measure out equal parts of each liquor and pour them into a tall Collins glass (or other tall glass.)
- Open the can of Red Bull (or other caffeine/energy drink), then gently but confidently turn it upside down in the glass and allow the contents to drizzle in.
- Drop a straw into the glass and serve – no ice is needed!
Tips and Tricks
- Chill the energy drink.
Adding ice to a Red Bull cocktail waters it down, so for a full caffeine boost, it’s best to chill the drink first. - Leave some headspace in the glass.
Because the energy drink sits on top of the drink, the ingredients in the glass will rise up. Be sure to leave some room for expansion so your Irish trash can doesn’t overflow. - Pour gently!
To create the gorgeous combination of green, yellow and blue colors requires letting the energy drink drizzle into the glass.
If you pour it all in at once, the drink ends up with a light blue-green color.
Barware You Will Need
- Collins glass or other tall, clear glasses. We love serving blue curacao drinks in hurricane glasses (so pretty!), but with the Irish trash can drink, a curved glass isn’t wide enough to fit a can of Red Bull.
- Jigger – You’ll need to add ½ ounce of each liquor, which is the equivalent of 1 Tablespoon. It’s much easier to measure everything with a jigger.
Irish Trash Can FAQ
Depending on the brand, the average alcohol by volume (abv) for most of the Irish trash can ingredients is 40%. Red Bull isn’t an alcoholic drink, but with 6 types of alcohol, this is a potent cocktail! Please drink responsibly.
The definition of jungle juice is an improvised alcoholic drink, so a trash can drink recipe like this is considered to be a jungle juice recipe.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Great Vodka Cocktails
Irish Trash Can Cocktail Recipe (Made w/ Red Bull)
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce blue curacao
- ice
- 1/2 ounce gin
- 1/2 ounce light rum
- 1/2 ounce vodka
- 1/2 ounce peach schnapps
- 1/2 ounce triple sec
- 8.4 ounces Red Bull, or other energy drink
Instructions
- Pour blue curacao into the bottom to the bottom of a tall glass (wider than your can of Red Bull). Fill the glass half way with ice. Add gin, rum, vodka, peach schnapps and triple sec. Open and drop the Red Bull into the glass.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2012, updated and republished June 2024
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I can't have the caffeine in Red Bull. What could I substitute?
This was a delicious, easy to make drink! It is so pretty too! Great for a party or gathering!
This cocktail was so easy to make and tasted incredible!
Hi Peyton!
We’re so glad you enjoyed.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn