master-cooks | The History Behind Why We Drink Green Beer On St. Patrick's Day

Green beer has become an emblematic drink for St. Patrick's Day celebrations, primarily in the United States, thanks to a blend of cultural adaptation and festive spirit. The tradition of drinking beer on St. Patrick's Day dates back to the holiday's origins in Ireland, where people would celebrate with food and drink. However, the specific custom of coloring beer green is believed to have started in the early 20th century in America. One of the earliest recorded instances was in 1914 when a New York physician, Dr. Thomas Curtin, reportedly served green-colored beer at a St. Patrick's Day party. The green hue, achieved by adding a drop of blue food coloring to light-colored beer, resonated with the growing Irish-American community, eager to express their heritage and celebrate their culture in a visually distinctive way. Over time, the practice gained popularity and spread to bars and pubs across the country. The green beer tradition reflects the broader American tendency to amplify and commercialize cultural symbols, turning St. Patrick's Day into a widely celebrated event that embraces themes of Irish pride and revelry, with green beer as a festive centerpiece.

How did green beer first get made?

Green beer originated in America, not Ireland, although it was an Irish-American professor who first came up with the idea. His name was Thomas H. Curtin, and around 1914, he brewed it for members of his clubhouse in New York City. Some reports suggest that green beer may have been served as early as 1910 in Spokane, Washington, although the bartender there was reluctant to reveal his recipe.

Curtin's method was somewhat dubious; he added a laundry whitener known as "wash blue" to the beer. In small quantities, it imparted a green hue without apparently harming the guests. Initially, the unusual color didn't gain much popularity, but by the 1950s, drinking green beer on St. Patrick's Day had become a common tradition.

Fortunately, the green beer we enjoy today is not the same as Curtin's original concoction. Modern versions are typically made with liquid food coloring, often using blue dye. This mixes with the yellow tones of the beer to create a bright green color, without affecting the beer's flavor. Additionally, some breweries have experimented with brewing green beer by incorporating a type of algae called spirulina into the process. For a quick DIY option, you can add powdered spirulina at home. Whichever method you choose, it's best to use light-colored beers to ensure the color stands out.

The History Behind Why We Drink Green Beer On St. Patrick's Day

How did green beer first get made?

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