Pink Beer, Possible?

[MoodyCopperpot]

So my daughter's first birthday is coming up in June, and my wife has requested me to try to make a pink beer for "favors" for the family. I assume I would use food coloring to do so, but I'm not sure how that would work out. Anyone have any ideas on how I could go about doing so?
My original idea was to make a very pale summer ale and maybe pop some orange food coloring in it. Maybe orange isn't the right color, but something like that. Yay or nay?

 

[BendBrewer]

How about cherries?

 

[Walker]

My friend ("Barc" on HBT) tried to give me a beer that was pink with purple foam one time. I refused it on principle, but I know it can be done.

He used raspberries or something like that in it.

 

[TheWeeb]

I would use red food coloring; get a six of cheap BMC and experiment with a drop of red in a glass of pale pee pee beer; add more until it gets to be the color you want, then do the math for a homebrew batch. It should work fine.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

beet juice!

Magic Hat has something along that line.

M_C

 

[rycov]

My friend ("Barc" on HBT) tried to give me a beer that was pink with purple foam one time. I refused it on principle, but I know it can be done.

He used raspberries or something like that in it.

picture? sounds wild. how pink and how purple?

 

[Flomaster]

Hibiscus flowers make pink beer. there was a thread that popped up a few weeks back. do a search on Pink Beer and see what you find.

-=jason=-

 

[azscoob]

my Strawberry Blonde has a very slight pink hue to it, maybe with more strawberries or raspberries it would be more of a true pink color, I have a pic I can post up if you would like.

 

[leviticus]

FWIW... if you can find dry powder food coloring, it's FAR more potent than liquid... you'll spend significantly less money on the correct amount of it (a few teaspoons I would estimate) vs the amount of liquid coloring you'd need (several tablespoons if not more I would estimate.)

Look for it in a proper baking or confectionery supply store.

Pink should just be a lighter red, but your biggest problem is going to be the conversion of any dyes and the amber color of the beer.

 

[passedpawn]

beets. Google Magic Hat Wacko. It can be as red as you want it to be.

 

[BendBrewer]

McMenamin's Ruby is pink. There is a clone recipe for that on here. Raspberries is what they use.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f75/mcmenamins-ruby-68755/

 

[BendBrewer]

Boneyard uses Cherries for their Pink Beer called 'Girl Beer'.

GIRL BEER AKA “BEERMOSA” 10 IBU/4.3% ABV THIS WHEAT ALE IS RE-FERMENTED WITH A BLEND OF DARK SWEET AND TART OREGON CHERRIES . THE USE OF SPECIAL MALTS FROM GERMANY LENDS A SLIGHT TARTNESS TO BALANCE BEAUTIFULLY WITH THE CHERRIES . THIS ALE IS VERY SMOOTH AND LIGHT IN BODY . ALTHOUGH THIS BEER WAS CREATED WITH THE LADIES IN MIND , IT IS A FAVORITE AMONG MANY GENTLEMEN AS WELL . GIRL BEER IS A PERFECT BEER ON A HOT SUMMER DAY ! TREAT YOURSELF TO A PINK , FIZZY & YUMMY EXPERIENCE . BOTTOMS UP !!!

 

[rycov]

i had a kreik that was pink. i didnt brew it though. it was good. kinda like sweet tarts

 

[stevea1210]

I would suggest unicorn blood. It is the perfect shade of pink.

Sent from my DROIDX using Home Brew Talk

 

[JonK331]

Hibiscus flowers make pink beer. there was a thread that popped up a few weeks back. do a search on Pink Beer and see what you find.

-=jason=-

Yes! that's what I was going to say. I've been meaning to make a hibiscus beer for a while.

 

[ArcticBrewer]

Hibiscus flowers make pink beer. there was a thread that popped up a few weeks back. do a search on Pink Beer and see what you find.

-=jason=-

Yup, Dieu du Ciel's Rosee d'Hibiscus is a nice pink hue

 

[PanzerBanana]

Like its been said I'd suggest beets. Very potent pigment. You likely wouldn't need very much to get a nice rosy hue, and wouldn't have to worry too much about getting too much beet flavor.

I've not tried the beer I've seen that was brewed with hibiscus yet. I have had hibiscus tea, and recall it being quite tart. That's something to keep in mind if you go that route.

If you have a pretty good grocery around with a good supply of Mexican items, you can get fairly large bags of dried hibiscus(jamaica). Probably get it cheaper than if you had to special order it.

 

[RonRock]

Way more response to the question than I would have expected. Kinda worried about that.

Good luck. Should make a fun party.

 

[MoodyCopperpot]

Wow. I totally expected like one or two comments. A bunch of great info, thanks guys!
I think I might just stick with the beet juice. I've had wacko and it was pretty good. Nothing I dream about or anything, but it would please the masses. Maybe I'll do a wit with some beet juice in it.

 

[JonK331]

Wow. I totally expected like one or two comments. A bunch of great info, thanks guys!
I think I might just stick with the beet juice. I've had wacko and it was pretty good. Nothing I dream about or anything, but it would please the masses. Maybe I'll do a wit with some beet juice in it.

I guess that depends on whether you are just going for a flavorless food coloring effect or if you want flavor and color.

 

[midastouch]

If you use the brewing process to turn it pink, it may end up better. If you just add food coloring, it could react poorly, or at best, it will definitely stain lips, tongues, teeth, clothes... pink. a very post lollypop effect. good luck, let me know what you decide and how it works!

 

[bgruis]

I just brewed a Razzy wheat..I joke it's Pepto Bismol Pink ...Ill PM the recipe if your interested.

 

[HexKrak]

If you don't want to add other adjuncts you could try some CaraRed, and wheat to balance the red to make it pinkish.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...in-malts/caramel-malts/weyermann-carared.html

 

[sh00t]

i'm pretty sure blackberries make a pink colored mead (melomel) but you would have to use some extra light malt extract... and i'm not sure about how much blackberries you would have to use....... So basically i'm no help. Good luck tho!!!

 

[Blanchy]

I think that Magic Hat's Summer Ale is pink; pretty sure the ingredient responsible is rhubarb.

Good luck!

Graham