Natural Dyes Make Green Beer Greener

Confession: I've drunk green beer after skiing down a green slope. Only did it once, and it was long before I raised my eco-consciousness about the hazards of ingesting food dyes. My ski clothes were stained forever a bright green, which should have been the tip-off to the nastiness of food dyes. After that experience, I swore off the green stuff. Can we now drink green beer with a green conscious?

The Lowdown on Food Dyes

Food dyes add color to our food. Many food dyes used in the US and Canada are banned throughout other parts of the world, as they have been proven to cause cancer, hyperactivity (particularly in children), inattentiveness, asthma, and in very rare cases death.

The Bad Stuff

"It's also an opportunity to get a horrible hangover on beer that's chock full of our dirty old, petroleum-driven friend: Green No. 3. While green food dye may not be the main reason why those St. Patty's Day brewhahas are especially hard on you the next day (I'm guessing that's the Guinness), Green No. 3 has been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer. In fact, the state of Maryland is considering a ban on the stuff."

The Evidence

"It is a nitrous derivative and is known to cause allergic reactions such as asthma and hives. Tartrazine belongs to the "azo class" of food dyes that are linked to certain types of cancer. Azo class is derived from petroleum distillates."

The Good Stuff

5 Sources for natural food coloring:
1. Nature's Colors
2. Food Color World
3. India Tree
4. Seelect
5. Natural Colors

5 Foods to experiment with that make natural food coloring:
1. Beets
2. Saffron
3. Turmeric
4. Berries
4. Avocados

How to make green beer with or without food coloring: