Grilling with Beer

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Beer Recipe Kits 

Honey Ginger Beer
Blue Devil Ale
 

 

Tips for Grilling with Beer

Because beer tastes so good, it's an obvious choice to use in your recipe as well.  Here are some great tips to think about as you grill with your brew.

Tip #1

Beer is by nature bitter. It comes from the hops. Malt adds a sweet flavor that counteracts and harmonizes with the bitterness. Likewise, sweet foods profit from the marriage with the hops' bitter taste. Use sugary vegetables like onions, carrots, corn, etc., and even add some honey, molasses or sugar itself. Grilled onions are a classic example of a sweet vegetable ideal with beer.

Tip #2

The bitter hop flavor also helps counteract the richness of creamy, oil-based or cheese dishes, but flavor-wise, use it as sparingly as you would a squeeze of lime or touch of vinegar.

Tip #3

Beer tenderizes meats, making for good marinades. Game marries well with beer, but so does chicken and fish. For the newbie, robust dishes are a good way to start before experimenting with the subtleties beer can have on more refined flavorings.

Tip #4

The more the beer is cooked and reduced, the stronger its flavor will be. If the dish requires long cooking and reduction, avoid using too strong a brew, lest you end up overdoing it.

Honey Ginger Beer BBQ Chicken

2-3 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast

Marinade
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
Enough Honey Ginger Beer to cover chicken (12-24 ounces)

BBQ Sauce

1 (28 ounce) bottle catsup
2 tablespoons black pepper
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 ounce Honey Ginger Beer
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Chicken Preparation

Place chicken in a large bowl and pour beer and Worcestershire over chicken. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate for at least 1 1/2 hours (best if overnight) in the refrigerator. The longer you let this marinade, the better the chicken will taste when you grill it.

To make BBQ sauce, combine all ingredients, except garlic, in saucepan and simmer 30 minutes over medium heat. Add minced garlic before using.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Discard marinade and grill chicken breasts until cooked through, brushing frequently with BBQ sauce as you normally would.

Blue Devil Salad

Dressing

6 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup Blue Devil High Gravity Ale
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon parsley 
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine ingredients and lightly drizzle over salad consisting of:

fresh baby spinach leaves
spring mix salad mix
fresh blueberries
goat cheese crumbles
almonds