St. Patrick’s Day is a time for shamrocks, leprechauns, and of course, eating and drinking! Today let’s learn how to make green beer to celebrate the holiday.
Making this fun St. Paddy’s Day drink is incredibly easy to do! With just two ingredients and a few simple steps, you can transform your favorite beer into a green concoction that is sure to get your party started.
There’s no need for fancy equipment or complicated bartending techniques – just a quick splash of color, and you’re all set to raise a toast to St. Patrick himself.
Who invented green beer?
Legend has it that the idea of green beer originated in America, not Ireland as you might expect. It’s said that Thomas H. Curtin, the owner of the Schnerer Club in New York, added a few drops of a laundry whitener called “Wash Blue” to beer to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at a party in 1914.
However, because of the yellowish color of the beer, it turned a green hue instead. Thus, the tradition of the colorful drink was born, although now, we use non toxic food coloring!
Since then, this green colored brew has become synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day. There is even a Green Beer Day, which originated at Miami University in Ohio.
This unofficial holiday is celebrated on the Thursday before spring break at the University.
How to make green beer
Whether you’re hosting a St. Paddy’s Day party, or simply enjoying a cozy night in, special St. Patrick’s Day drinks are a fun way to get into the spirit of of the holiday.
Today, we’ll be making green beer. All you need to make it is your favorite light-colored beer, green food coloring, and a glass or mug.
Pour your beer into a mug, add a few drops of green food coloring, and gently stir until the color is evenly distributed. That’s it! In just moments, you’ll have a pint of green beer ready to enjoy.
What type of beer should I use?
When it comes to choosing the best type of beer for making this drink, light beers such as pilsners, lagers, or light ales work best. Their pale color allows the green dye to shine through brilliantly.
How much food coloring is needed?
A little goes a long way! Start with just a few drops of green food coloring per pint of beer and adjust according to your desired shade of green.
The amount depends on how green you want your beer to be! 1 drop in a 12 ounce glass of light beer will result in a very pale, lime-green color.
Three drops will give you a solid shamrock color. I used 2 drops with 12 ounces of beer to get this color:
More than this gives a darker pine-green shade. Remember, it’s easier to add more color than to take it away, so start conservatively.
Be sure to use liquid food coloring, not gel food coloring, which doesn’t mix as well in cold beer.
Here is the green beer recipe!
Choose your favorite light-colored beer.
Place 1-2 drops of liquid food coloring into a glass or mug. Slowly pour 12 ounces of beer into the glass and gently stir to mix the food coloring throughout the beer.
If you want a darker green color, add more food coloring 1 drop at a time.
That’s all there is to it! You’ve got yourself a festive pint of green beer ready to enjoy for St. Patrick’s Day.
Gather your friends, get dressed in your green outfit, and toast to the luck of the Irish with a pint of your very own homemade green beer.🍀
Share this post for making green beer on Twitter
If you enjoyed learning how to make this St. Patrick’s Day drink, be sure to share how easy it is to do it with a friend. Here is a tweet to get you started:
Cheers to you, Thomas H. Curtin, and cheers to the green beer that brings joy to St. Paddy's celebrations everywhere! Find out how easy it is to make on Recipes Just 4U!🍻🍀 Share on XPin this recipe for how to make green beer
Would you like a reminder of this recipe for making a fun St. Paddy’s drink? Just pin this image to one of your St. Patrick’s Day boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
You can also watch our video on YouTube.
How To Make Green Beer - Easy Green Beer Recipe
Making green beer is a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It is super easy to do, too!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of light colored beer
- 1-3 drops of green liquid food coloring
Instructions
- Place 1-2 drops of liquid green food coloring in a glass or mug.
- Pour over 12 ounces of light colored beer.
- Stir gently to mix the food coloring through the beer.
- Add more food coloring, 1 drop at a time if you want a darker color of green.
- Enjoy!
- Be sure to drink responsibly.
Notes
Liquid food coloring is best to use since gel food coloring does not mix well with cold beer.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 14mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.