Thursday, February 18, 2016

Fun with Green Dye for St Patrick's Day

Most people know that the Chicago River gets dyed green for St. Patrick's Day, and 2016 will be no exception! BUT! If you wait until March 17 you'll miss it!! That's because the Chicago St Patrick's Day parade and river dyeing always take place on the Saturday BEFORE St. Patrick's Day. This year it will be on March 12. The dyeing will take place around 9:00 a.m. on parade Saturday, according to the website Chicago's St Pat's Parade. The site says that the formula for the dye is a "closely guarded secret" but that it is safe for the environment.


Who's Your Paddy? St Pat's Tee

That website also says that the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers group does the dying, as it has for the last 50+ years. What's funny is that the dye that is used appears orange when first added to the water, and then it miraculously turns "Irish green" within minutes. About 40 pounds of vegetable dye are used, and the process takes about 5 hours.


Get in My Belly Now! Funny Tee

Other things that "go green" for St. Patrick's Day? The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the fountain at the White House ( a new tradition, started by the Obamas, to remind them of Chicago), the downtown canal in Indianapolis, and all the fountains in Savannah GA.


Customizable Irish Pub Tee

And don't forget that most Irish pubs - everywhere - will have green beer. No less an authority than Betty Crocker has a recipe for green beer!


Green Beer Humor Tee

According to Betty, the best way to do it is to use a very light colored beer (pale ale, pilsner). Use liquid green food coloring (the kind that comes in little squeeze bottles). Squeeze some (4-6 drops) food coloring in the bottom of your pint glass, and then slowly pour the beer in to the food coloring. This way, you don't have to stir the beer, which could make it go flat. Oh, and one more thing: if you think adding blue food coloring to yellow beer will give you green beer, experts say you're wrong! You'll end up with turquoise, and nobody wants to drink turquoise beer!

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