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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by learning how to make green beer!
This DIY shows how to make green beer using green food coloring (or without!) and beer for a fun, foamy, emerald-hued brew!

Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Your fave brew will taste the same, just a fun, festive green!
- Skill level: Just drop (food coloring!), stir, and raise a pint!
- Time-Saving Tip: Pop a few drops of green food coloring into a freshly opened bottle of brew and watch the lucky magic happen.
- Easy Cleanup: Food coloring discolors clothing, hands, and Irish smiles. If this happens, rub hands and clothing with dish soap and gargle with a mouthwash made with a teaspoon of baking soda and 1 cup of water.
2 Easy Ingredients
Beer: Any pale ale, American lager, Pilsner, or regular beer will create the brightest green. Darker beers like Guinness will require more food coloring. This mixture also works on non-alcoholic (near beer) as well. Follow the same directions if pouring from a draft pump or directly from a keg; just pour in about 4 ounces, add food coloring, and top off with more beer.
Green Coloring: Widely available food coloring drops make it easier to adjust to the perfect green hue. Gel food coloring works, but is a little more difficult to get a consistently perfect shade every time.
How to Make Green Beer
- Pour 4 ounces of beer into a chilled glass.
- Add food coloring (full recipe below) and stir gently.
- Top off the glass with beer.
Make It Green! (without green food dye)
For a non-food coloring method (one that won’t stain your teeth or your clothes), here are three alternatives to turn beer green!
- Stir about 1 tablespoon of wheatgrass juice into a glass of beer.
- Put 1/2 teaspoon of spirulina powder or 1 teaspoon of matcha powder in a small bowl, whisk in a little beer, and then pour into a beer glass and add the rest of the beer.
These options will result in a change in the flavor of the beer but will result in a fun green color! Happy St Patrick’s Day!
St. Patricks Day Favorites
Did you make this green beer recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below!
How to Make Green Beer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces light beer
- 2-3 drops green food coloring additional if required
Instructions
- Chill glasses in the freezer for 15-20 minutes if time allows.
- Fill the glass with about 4 ounces of beer and add 2 drops of food coloring.
- Pour the remaining beer over top.
- Very gently stir to combine and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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