2017 was full of moments that made you want to celebrate and others not so much. Good food is always awesome but let’s not forget the co-star of some of these delicious meals. Here are a few cocktails worth toasting to whatever the occasion may be.

Pirata Pittsburgh’s Jenny’s Tea Cup

Pirata is known for the elaborate rum menu and their tropical decor (also the cod fritters are to die for). This cocktail sneaks up on you as there’s rum in there but it tastes like juice.

Las Vegas Stratosphere Alohoa Felicia

The Stratosphere Las Vegas has a bar 800 feet in the air. I saw this specialty drink on the menu and after laughing about the name I realized the tropical pieces of this drink makes you want to say hello to the beach.

Wigle Whiskey’s St. Nick

Wigle Whiskey is spreading like wildfire beyond the Pittsburgh region. These guys (and gals) changed my perception of whiskey. Once upon a time I used to think of it as an old man’s spirit. Their seasonals and their Monongahela Rye will make you fall in like with whiskey. I even bought a bottle of the Monongahela Rye and put it in a punch for my friends.

The Beach House Fish Bowl

While sitting on the beach resort with a Red’s Apple Ale Instagramming about Myrtle Beach I got a like from Beach House Myrtle Beach. That like led me to their page which led me to their fishbowls. Their tacos are pretty good but the fish bowls remind me of college and they were worth the money as they taste like college too.

Burgatory’s Orange Cream Milkshake (Vegan)

Vegan whipped cream is a thing. I was unaware of that. I used to frequent Burgatory as it’s near my house and I would shy away from the milkshakes until I discovered that they had vegan options. This milkshake tasted like a spiked orange Creamsicle.

Bakersfield’s Margaritas

Bakersfield on Penn Ave makes everything from scratch down to the tortillas. Talk about putting love in your work! Their tacos are in my top five favorites but these margaritas are scary! The fresh juice, mixed with the tequila and perfectly crafted with a salted rim, makes their margaritas one of my favorites. Who knew this place named after the Nashville of the West could really shake up a cocktail to perfection?

Zombie Brain Shot

My second attempt at holiday cocktails fared pretty well. I’ll continue on in 2018 with the drunken cupcakes though. This zombie brain shot was so simple once you get the layering technique down. First you take Peach Schnapps and pour it into a shot glass, slowly add Baileys and then top it with Grenadine. It’s a work of Halloween art and by far tasted better than my red, white and blue shots.

Bonus: Milkshake Factory’s Peanut Butter Milkshake (Vegan)

This isn’t a cocktail but the Milkshake Factory also had vegan milkshakes and they’re thick, sweet and everything you want want a vegan milkshake to be. If I wouldn’t have ordered it I wouldn’t have believed it was vegan.

I like to make New Year’s Resolutions I can keep and best believe checking out more crazy cocktails (even attempting them) and eating more delicious food is one of them. What was your favorite cocktail of 2017?