Green beer is usually referred to as a hoppy product that has not been fully fermented, i.e., unripe. However, he has an alternative version, which was named because of the characteristic emerald or light green hue. It is obtained using a variety of dyes – natural and artificial.
You can try real green beer only in the Czech Republic; the drink is not produced for export.
It is also produced in Ireland, Germany, Japan, Australia, China, Russia. For lightness and low strength, the drink is especially liked by young people and ladies.
Green beer in the Czech Republic
In the country of brewers, an unusual product is brewed on an industrial scale once a year – for Green Thursday, celebrated the last week before Easter. In Russia, this day is called “Good Thursday” and is celebrated for cleansing the soul and body, and the Czechs celebrate it by drinking green beer.
The drink has been produced since 2006 under the brands Starobrno, Lobkowicz, Purkmistr. On the special page zelenepivo.cz dedicated to the holiday, you can find a list of places where you can try green beer in 2020.
Natural green beer is produced from selected Moravian barley and noble Zatec hops without the addition of chemical dyes. During the brewing process, a plant extract based on nettle, lemon balm, hemp or other herbs is introduced into the wort.
The result is an aromatic product with a rich taste and mild bitterness, which undergoes an 8-day bottom-fermentation period. And at the very end, herbal liqueur is added to it. The brewers keep the detailed recipe a secret.
Domestic green beer
In Russia, green beer first appeared in 2006 under the Ochakovo Premium Emerald brand, which is prepared with the addition of citrus juice, plant extracts or algae.
With its bright color, a drink with lime juice fully confirmed the name, but did not last long on sale. Today it is not in the manufacturer’s lineup.
Also, imitation of green beer in Russia is produced by:
Starodub Green
Starodub beer has been produced by Lyubets since 1999. For the preparation of the drink, only selected raw materials from around the world are used: hops from Finland, Slovakia and Germany, high-quality yeast and hops.
Beer is not subjected to pasteurization, so it retains a bright taste and aroma.
Green Beer Bamboo
Brewed from selected malt, brewer’s yeast, water and hops, adding bamboo and algae extracts to the drink.
The manufacturer recommends combining it with Japanese dishes, spicy and spicy snacks.
The strength of the product is 4,5%.
GREEN JASMIN
A craft version of green beer in the style of Brut-IPA is produced by the young Novosibirsk brewery “GUSI” under the brand name “GREEN JASMINE”.
The recipe includes jasmine petals, Nelson Sauvin New Zealand hops with fruity notes, and Thai clitoria trifoliate tea, which gives the drink a light green hue.
Fortress – 6,8%.
Green beer in other countries
Ireland
Green is the national symbol. Hence the popularity of the unusual drink. The preparation of green beer here is timed to coincide with the feast of St. Patrick, which takes place in mid-March.
To obtain a bright color, a blue dye is added to an ordinary intoxicating drink. Mixing blue and yellow gives green. But the taste of this beer is no different from the usual.
Germany
Green beer is called “Berliner Weisse”. You can try it, like an unusual crimson drink, in almost any pub.
To get an emerald hue, herbal syrup is added to beer, and berry syrup is added to red alcohol.
Also popular is the German lime version of Beck’s Green Lemon, now owned by Interbrew. The brand also produces white, red and non-alcoholic versions.
Japan
Green hoppy is obtained by adding special seaweed to beer. The most famous is the Shiretoko Draft brand from the Hokkaido Abashiri Beer brewery, produced since 2009.
In addition to the green drink, the company offered blue and red variants to consumers. The light green shade is obtained by including algae additives in the product, and the unusual aroma is obtained with the help of hops and plants growing on the Shiretoko peninsula.
All types of colored beer are developed in cooperation with the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
Drinks are distinguished by a low degree (up to 5%). A green product is prepared in a similar way in Australia.
China
Salad beer is made from Phyllostachys bamboo. It is grown in the Yangtze River valley. The leaves are harvested in late autumn, dried and extracted.
It turns out a green drink with a fresh aroma and a pronounced taste of bamboo shoots. It perfectly quenches thirst, goes well with oriental cuisine and seafood.
It is believed that such alcohol helps to remove toxins from the body.
At home, you can make green beer by adding regular light blue liquor, such as Blue Curasao (20–30 grams per 0,5 liter), to ordinary light blue liquor.
But it is better, of course, to go to the Czech Republic or Ireland for a tasting, and at the same time celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or Green Thursday.
Relevance: 19.02.2020
Tags: beer, cider, ale