We were writing recently about St Patrick’s Day and mentioned green beer as one of a traditional symbols of that holiday. Many of our readers asked what is it like, and what is it made of.
As we know, there are several ways of making green beer, and the most common one is by using liquid food coloring. It is done by adding a few drops of food coloring into a beer glass or mug, after which light beer is poured over it. However, for those who avoid using artificial food coloring for whichever reason, there are some other ways of making green beer.
Wheatgrass juice – wheatgrass juice has a wonderful, bright shade of green, and since it is liquid, it dissolves in beer very easily. It is used in the same way as artificial food coloring – about a teaspoon of wheatgrass juice is added into a beer glass or mug before pouring the beer over it. Some juice can also be added later, bit by bit, in order to achieve the desired color. Wheatgrass juice has a pronounced flavor, but it is not unpleasant, and it is used in many bars instead of the artificial food coloring.
Spirulina powder – spirulina is a type of algae with dark green color, and other than having many health benefits, it can be used for dying beer green. It is done by adding half a teaspoon of spirulina powder in a beer mug, dissolving it in some beer and pouring the rest of the beer over it. It is recommended to use beer of stronger taste and not to use too much spirulina powder, in order for the taste of spirulina not to prevail.
Matcha powder – matcha is made of finely grounded green tea leaves, with bright clover green color. It has mild taste, so it is an excellent choice for dyeing the beer. Half a teaspoon should first be dissolved in some water, then the mixture is added in a beer glass and light beer is poured over it. It makes a nice shade of green, but it can make the beer cloudy.
