St. Patrick’s Day provides the perfect opportunity to drink a brew that would make Irish eyes smile. Making green beer can be a fun experiment with the right beer, but sampling a traditional Irish beverage can be an experiment in and of itself.
How to Make Green Beer
Green beer can be a festive way of showing love of the Irish. The first step in making this beverage is to choose the right beer. It’s necessary to choose a beer that is yellow in color. Adding green to a red ale or Guinness won’t achieve the desired result. Pale Ales and IPAs are also a little too coppery and could lead to a muddy green.
Adjunct Lagers, such as Budweiser and Coors, are frequently used in bars and restaurants to create this St. Patrick's Day tradition. Light Lager will produce a green beer, as well. For beer enthusiast in search of a beer with a little more character, a Czech Pilsner or American Pale Lager is more fitting. Reality Czech by Moonlight Brewing Company has a bitter sweet taste with medium body. It would compliment fish and chips well.
The next step is to add food coloring. Pour your chosen beer into a glass. There are two way to turn beer green. If the beverage has a strong yellow color, adding 2 or 3 drops of blue food coloring should produce a glass of green brew. If the beer is very light in color, it is easier to add green food coloring and stir.
Irish Dry Stout
The traditional Irish beverage is a meal in a glass. The Irish Dry Stout is a strong beer with a malty finish. This style of stout has a lighter body than its American counterpart. Roasted barley is dominant in this beverage, but it also boasts a strong hoppy character.
Examples of the Irish Dry Stout are Black Sun Stout from the Three Floyd’s Brewing Company and Triumph Brewing Company’s Irish Dry Stout. Guinness Extra Stout is the most commonly found beer of this style. If an Irish Dry Stout seems too bitter and light bodied, another style of stout might be a better fit.
Irish Red Ale
Like the Irish Dry Stout, Irish Red Ale is created using roasted barley, giving the beer a red tint. This style of ale is somewhat sweet with a hint of hops that provides a citrus flavor. They are medium bodied with a red color and slight head that dissipates over a short period of time.
Abita Red Ale is a seasonal beer from the Abita Brewing Company. With a pronounced caramel flavor, this ale would compliment a rotisserie chicken or well seasoned pork roast. Abita’s Red Ale is best served on tap, if available. O’Hara’s Irish Red Ale by Carlow Brewing Company is a fine example of this beer style. It has strong hop bitterness, similar to a pale ale, but with a sweet smooth finish.
If you're looking for the right glass to enjoy your Irish beverage check out The Right Glasseware for Every Beer Style.
Amanda Hodges Weir - Amanda Hodges Weir is a freelance writer, teacher, artist and mother of one. Her interests vary from literature to craft beer. Amanda ...
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