You learn a lot of things at a hypergrowth startup, mostly by doing. For some reason, I love St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day wasnt always a big event at LinkedIn, at least until we figured out how to make green beer.
It may sound trivial, but making a great green beer is surprisingly delightful. Throw in a leprechaun hat, some Irish whiskey, and a warm afternoon, and you’ve got yourself a party.
Step 1: The Beer
We tried quite a few varieties, but what you are really looking for is a bright, vibrant yellow color to start with. Most people were happiest with Corona, although Beck’s was also popular. Wheat beers tend to be too cloudy, and anything darker tends to look swampy.
(Listen, I know Corona doesn’t scream Irish, but we’re going for effect here.)
Step 2: Supplies
Before you can have your event, you need to assemble the following:
- Case(s) of beer. Theoretically could get a keg, but our parties were never that big.
- Bottle openers.
- Clear, 16 ounce plastic cups.
- Green food coloring, liquid.
Step 3: The Process
The workflow is simple, but this detail is important.
- Put two (not one, not three) drops of food coloring in the bottom of a cup
- Open the beer
- Pour liberally, to get good mixing and a bit of a head
That’s it. The magic is that you get almost perfect color distribution pouring the beyou over the food coloring. Adding the food coloring afterward, even with stirring, is a giant fail. You won’t get what you want.
The Results
Psychohistory 
Thank you for those perfect instructions, Adam! Being a St. Patty’s day baby, I was always looking for that perfect, not too cloudy not too muddy mix of greenness and beer. Two drops and coronas! Why did I keep trying to turn Guinness green?? Happy St. Patty’s Day!
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