Get Your Green Drink On for St. Patty’s Day

Whether you’re heading to the nearest Irish pub or having a round of drinks at home tonight to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, make sure the beer is green. Not literally green, unless that’s your bag – but organic or made in an environmentally responsible facility. Green beer is more popular than ever, which means the selection gets better practically by the day.

Everyone from the smallest microbreweries to the biggies like Anheuser-Busch are getting in on the green drinkin’ action. Here’s a selection of green beers to look for while you’re out rabble-rousing.

Wolaver’s Certified Organic Pale Ale – Wolaver’s three year-round brews are perhaps the most ubiquitous of green beers, since they’re widely available and extremely popular. This classic pale ale is creamy and full-bodied with a rich, malty flavor and a distinctive, crisp hoppy finish.

New Belgium’s Fat Tire – While not organic, this popular amber ale is made by Colorado craft brewery New Belgium, which is known for its eco-friendly practices. New Belgium takes extra steps to reduce energy and water consumption as well as waste output, purchasing much of its electricity from wind farms and offsetting CO2. Fat Tire is described as a having biscuit-like malt flavors balanced with hops.

Peak Organic Espresso Amber Ale – This robust amber ale is brewed with locally roasted, fair trade dark Sumatran blend espresso for a toasty flavor that plays nicely off the sweet malty flavors found on the back palate. This is the first Fair Trade Certified beer brewed in the United States.

Eel River Organic Amber Ale – A medium-bodied beer with a hoppy bouquet, rich taste and caramel-like sweetness balanced with a liberal dose of organic Pacific Gems and Hallertau hops, imported from New Zealand. Eel River, based in Fortuna, California, was the first brewery with certified organic beer and has won gold and silver medals at many craft brewing competitions.

Butte Creek Organic Porter – This dark brown porter with a thin white head has notes of roasted, nutty cocoa and caramel with a hint of coffee. It’s quite a substantial beer, with a slightly smoky aroma that’s balanced nicely with hops. It’s bold, with lots of flavor, but not too heavy.

Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Ale – A classic amber ale with caramel and Munich malts for a rich color, and six different varieties of hops including Salmon-Safe certified Sterling hops. Copper-colored with a dry, hoppy finish. Larry Sidor, Deschutes brewmaster, spent four years looking for organic barley that meets Deschutes’ challenging criteria.

Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale – Even Anheuser-Busch, the largest brewer in the US, is making organic ales these days. Stone Mill Pale Ale is made with 100% organic barley malt for a classic taste with a nice balance of maltiness and hop bouquet. A-B has stepped up its commitment to recycling, use of renewable energy and responsible wastewater management. 8 A-B facilities have been certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council for managing company-owned lands for the benefit of wildlife.

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