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Three Ways to Make Green Beer

We had a bit of fun in the Test Kitchen this week. Don’t worry… it was after hours! 😉

With St. Patrick’s Day Tuesday, we see lots of bars promoting green beer. But who wants to deal with a crowded bar? We found a fun way to have a green pint at home!

What You’ll Need

  • Your favorite light colored beer
  • Liquid green food coloring
  • A clear pint glass

How To

  • Place 3 drops of green food coloring in the pint glass.
  • Pour beer into glass. The food coloring will mix with the beer.
  • If you want to mix a bit, you can use a stirrer. But make sure not to stir too much – don’t want to flatten the beer!
  • Enjoy!

A Few Tips

  • We liked the green color after 3 drops of food coloring. But add an extra drop or two if you’d like a deeper color. The more food coloring you add, the greener the color will be.
  • Use liquid green food coloring rather than gel food coloring. The liquid dissolves right away. And, to us the gel added a slight, not so nice, aftertaste to the beer.
  • Use a light colored beer. Dark beer works but it becomes a much darker green (not as appealing to the eye). Plus, you’ll need to use more food coloring and we’d be afraid of green teeth!

What Else Could We Use?
We were debating other ways we could create green beer without using food coloring and came up with a few alternatives. These haven’t been tested in the Test Kitchen yet… but maybe next Friday!

Blue Curacao
Blue Curacao is a sweet blue orange flavored liqueur. Add 1 shot (about 1 oz) of Blue Curacao to your glass, then pour the beer.

Liquid Chlorophyll
You can find chlorophyll at your local health food store. Add about 1 teaspoon (maybe 5 – 10 drops) into your glass, then pour your beer.

Chlorophyll (not to be confused with chloroform) is used as a health supplement. It’s typically sold in a very concentrated form, so do not to use too much. Also, some chlorophyll comes with a mint flavor – make sure not to pick up that one. Mint and beer are definitely not a good flavor combination.

A St. Paddy’s Day toast to our wonderful members – Slainte!

May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks,
May your heart be as light as a song,
May each day bring you bright, happy hours,
That stay with you all the year long.