Shocking revelation: humans like beer! But if all you're doing is drinking it, you're missing out on some of life's greatest beery pleasures. Don't let wine have all the fun; try these delectable beer-based recipes that will bring your love affair with booze to mouth-watering new heights.


It's Friday afternoon, you've made it through the long week, and it's time for Happy Hour, Gizmodo's weekly booze column. A cocktail shaker full of innovation, science, and alcohol. Have your beer, eat it too.

We reached out to our friends over at Food Republic who have a very nice list of ten beer-soaked recipes. They were nice enough to share a few of them with us, and here are our favorites.


by U.S. Apple Association

The rich, rustic dish combines sweet and tangy Granny Smith apples, savory cheddar cheese and creamy stout beer, buried in a butter-filled baguette. And, it's a recipe so simple you won't even need the luck of the Irish to prepare as the perfect dish for a St. Paddy's Day gathering.

Servings:5

Ingredients

1 baguette, cut into thirds, then each piece cut lengthwise in half (6 pieces total)

2 1/2 tablespoons salted butter

2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 ounces dry stout, such as Guinness

14 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

kosher or sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper

1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices


Directions:

1. Turn broiler to high and set a rack about 6 inches from the heating element. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Arrange the baguette pieces, cut side down, on the sheet and broil until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

2. Remove from oven, turn the pieces over and use your fingers to scoop out enough bread to make a channel in the center of each piece. Set baguette pieces aside, still on the tray.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until bubbling and golden brown. Add flour and whisk it in until the mixture is smooth and chestnut brown.

4. Add the beer and whisk until smooth, then reduce heat to medium and continue stirring until thickened and smooth.

5. Reduce heat to low and add cheese, mustard and Worcestershire, stirring continuously until melted and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Spoon a generous amount of cheese sauce into each baguette piece. Lay a few overlapping apple slices over the cheese, then transfer to the oven and broil until browned and bubbling, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.


Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes plus overnight marinating

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Image credit: U.S. Apple Association


by Big Girls, Small Kitchen

This is one of Phoebe's mother's best stews. She has made it with chicken, but really what makes the whole thing come together in comforting perfection is the beer. Just saying the words beer and beef in one sentence is enough to get most anyone to pay attention. Serve it with Semi Sweet Potato Mash.


Servings:2

Ingredients

1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 sweet onions, halved and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1 bay leaf

1 cup beef broth

1 cup dark beer (preferably Belgian ale)

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Pat the beef dry with several cloth or paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Coat a large Dutch oven with the olive oil and brown the beef in batches over high heat, making sure not to crowd the pot. Remove from the pot and set aside.

4. Turn the heat back down to medium, add the onions to the pot, and sauté for about 10 minutes, making sure to scrape up any brown bits leftover from the beef.

5. Add the garlic and the sugar, season with 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoons freshly ground pepper, and sauté for an additional two minutes until fragrant.

6. Turn the heat up to high, return the beef and juices back to the pot along with the thyme and bay leaf. Pour the broth and the beer over the top and bring to a simmer. Stir in the mustard.

7. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 ½ hours, or until the meat is fully tender. Taste for seasoning, and serve alongside egg noodles or a simple potato mash.


Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 3 hours

Image credit: Josh Shaub


by Jess Kapadia

I came up with a few new wing recipes in last month's tailgating test kitchen. My goal was to successfully fuse the cuisine of the countries I've traveled to this year with the all-American chicken wing, official food of all-American football.


These wings are more about intense flavor than heat - few flavors are more intense than sour, pungent, slightly fruity tamarind, which I ate a lot of in India (along with plenty of garlic and ginger). But I flew through London, hence the Newcastle. Don't worry, we're going back to India for the heat very soon.

If you get whole wings instead of pre-cut drumettes and wing portions, just locate the joint between the two and drive the tip of a sharp knife right in - they should snap apart fairly easily.


Servings:12 wings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and smashed

1 bottle dark beer (we used Newcastle)

2 tablespoons tamarind chutney (available at any Indian or Middle Eastern grocery)

1 teaspoon agave nectar

kosher salt

6 chicken wings, separated at the joint (12 total pieces)

1 tablespoon canola oil

a few dashes hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and sauté the garlic and smashed ginger until fragrant, 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the tamarind, agave nectar and hot sauce (if using), stir to coat completely, then slowly add the beer to prevent it from foaming over.

3. Bring to a light boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until reduced by half or until the glaze coats the back of a spoon.

4. Season the chicken wings lightly with Kosher salt.

5. Heat the canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and brown the chicken wings for 8-10 minutes, turning once.

6. Preheat the oven to 375F, then transfer the wings to a foil-lined baking sheet.

7. Use a basting brush to apply a thick layer of glaze to the wings, then bake for 10 minutes, glaze again and bake for another 10 minutes.


Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Image Credit: Mark Shaw


The staff over at Food Republic spend their days obsessing about all the delicious things that go into our stomach. For more cooking with beer recipes including the fabled beer can chicken, check out Food Republic's 10 Ideas For Dinner Tonight: Cooking With Beer