Every March 17th, the world turns a shade of green. From shamrock pins to festive parades, St. Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture and heritage. But beneath the merriment lies a rich history, woven with religious traditions, cultural pride, and a dash of rebellion. Who was Saint Patrick and why do we drink so much green beer to his name? Let’s take a look.
St. Patrick is Ireland's patron saint. Why? Well for one, he’s credited with bringing Christianity to the Emerald isle in the 5th century. This was after bro was snatched from Great Britain, brought to Ireland as a slave where he worked as an animal herder for six years before he escaped back home to England. He then became a cleric and journeyed back to Ireland where he declared (probably)
“… The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides
By the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men
Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will
Shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness
For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children
And I will strike down upon thee
With great vengeance and furious anger
Those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers
And you will know my name is Patrick
When I lay my vengeance upon thee”
Again, he probably said this.
And two, he allegedly cast out all the serpents from Ireland's shores. Legend has it that he stood atop a lush Irish hilltop and declared, “Piss off, ye snakes!” or something similar, and the snakes pissed off! Now, there is some scientific evidence that suggests snakes were never actually on the island in the first place. There apparently has been no evidence in the fossil record that suggests snakes made their way to Ireland in the first place. In large part because Ireland is an island and by definition is surrounded by miles and miles of open water. But that’s just a small detail. It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Regardless, by the 9th or 10th century, the Catholic Church established March 17th, the day believed to be his death date, as a feast day in his honor. And honor they did. Early Irish celebrations were primarily religious, with church services and celebratory meals. But by the 18th century, St. Patrick's Day took a fascinating turn. With Irish immigration, particularly to the United States, the holiday transcended its religious roots. We can’t be certain but Irish soldiers stationed abroad likely started the tradition of St. Patrick's Day parades, exhibiting a vibrant display of cultural pride that continues to this day.
Here in America the celebration has evolved (devolved some might say) into a more secular celebration with the focus shifting to Irish culture in general with the aforementioned parades, shamrocks (a symbol St. Patrick supposedly used to explain the Holy Trinity), and of course, festive food and drinks like corned beef, green eggs and ham, Guinness and green beer being the stars of the show.
Since I mentioned it, let's talk about green beer and let me start by saying if you’re drinking green beer and it’s not directly related to a St. Patty’s day celebration or somehow deeply entrenched in the sporting culture of your favorite team i.e. Notre Dame you may want to take a second and reevaluate your life choices because the emerald brew is practically synonymous with St. Patrick's Day. Any guesses where it was invented? If you guessed Ireland, you are completely wrong. It was America because of course it is. It’s just so American. Like dripping America. Because Ireland’s not doing that shit. I mean let’s face it the two most popular beers in Ireland are Guinness and Smithwick’s Red Ale (sound cool and a little pretentious by pronouncing it Smiddick’s, because that’s how it’s pronounced). Neither color lends itself to being dyed green. Guinness, believe it or not, is actually a deep ruby red color and Smithwick’s as its name implies has a pleasant red hue. Today blue food coloring is used as it mixes well with straw colored light lagers giving the beer its green appearance.
But back in 1914 food coloring as we know it wasn’t really a thing. That’s why Thomas Curtin, an Irish-American doctor, in an effort to be festive for the holiday added “wash blue” to the beer served at the Bronx’s Schenerer Club of Morrisania. If “wash blue” sounds dubious to you, you have good instincts because it turns out that substance was used to brighten white clothing while in the wash. When added to the beer, this powdery iron based solution, embedded with a dye, made the beer taste not so great on the palate, and unsurprisingly made the patrons sick.
However, a few years before Spokane, Washington’s The Press reported that “this First avenue bar” served green beer. The brief article from the paper dated March 17, 1910 read;
Now I must point out that the term “green beer” was used ages before 1910 but it was used to describe beer that wasn’t fully fermented (with potential to make imbibers ill) and not beer that was literally the color green.
Aside from the blue food coloring, some of the more crafty brewers or bartenders even experiment with natural ingredients like spirulina, a blue-green algae, for a more unique twist. Interestingly enough, spirulina is considered a superfood and can contain about 10% of your daily iron requirement in a mere teaspoon. So in an effort to change the color of our beer we’ve swapped one awful tasting iron rich powder for another awful tasting (yet healthy!) iron rich powder and it only took us around 100 years.
Green beer is a fun way to add a touch of whimsy to your St. Patty’s Day parties and a conversation starter for revelers. So, while the origins of green beer might be a little unorthodox, there’s no denying that it is a global phenomenon. Undeniably, it has become a symbol of St. Patrick's Day merriment. So, this St. Patrick's Day, I hope you raised a glass of green beer, remembering the fascinating journey this holiday has taken. It's a reminder that cultural celebrations can evolve, becoming a bridge between tradition and global joy.
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