How To Cook With Craft Beer On The 4th Of July

Craft Beer Joe

7 years ago

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. It’s got everything: family, friends, fireworks and food. Grilling is probably my favorite way to cook so learning how to cook with craft beer on the 4th of July will make this day even better.

So if you like craft beer and you enjoy cooking, then it’s only natural that you’ll find a way to mix them.

To help kick start your creativity, take a look at these culinary creations that use craft beer to make the standard meal even better.

Cooking With Craft Beer On The 4th Of July

Porter Burgers

Mix the ground beef with your favorite porter. Use 1/4 of beer per 1 lb of meat. Season as you desire. Bread crumbs can be added if the consistency is not ideal. From there, cook them on the grill just as you normally would. Check out this full recipe for more details.

You can also take the remaining beer and onions to make a great beer infused onion topping for your burger.

Beer Can Chicken

Take a whole chicken and place it on top of a half full can of beer. Traditionally, macro lagers have been used for this but I think we can do better. I would recommend staying away from IPAs but many other beers would work well. Look for something that has a lot of flavor and is malt forward. For example, bocks, brown ales, Oktoberfest, etc. I also think that some experimentation would be fun. I often wonder what a fruited lager would do in this recipe.

Take a look at this recipe for more detail. Also, to make it easier to keep the chicken standing up; there are beer can chicken stands available.

Beer Brats

Use 12 oz of beer for every 2-3 brats. Bring the beer to a boil then add in the brats the lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Onion, garlic, red pepper, and seasonings can be added as well. After simmering, move them to a hot grill where you will finish cooking them.

This is another recipe where you can try some different styles of beer too see how they impact the flavor. However, I would recommend the same beers that were in the Beer Can Chicken section. These beers will stand up and provide lots of flavor.

Chili

Need to cook inside on the 4th of July? Take the base recipe for your favorite chili and add in 12 oz of a dark beer – preferably stout, porter or brown ale. You may need to reduce the amount of tomato sauce and definitely drain any cans of beans that you use. Otherwise you may end up with a thin chili.

Consider using a spicy pepper beer like the ones on this list: Five Craft Beers Made With Peppers

Chocolate Stout Cake

A great way to end a cookout is with a decadent dessert. A very popular beer inspired dessert is chocolate stout cake. The best part about this is the simplicity. Replace the water portion of a boxed cake mix with your favorite stout. Bake and prepare as normal. This recipe even uses the stout in the frosting for even more flavor.

Pair this with the same stout that was used in the recipe for a perfect end to a great meal.

Just reading over these ideas makes me want the 4th of July to be here. I look forward to a great day filled with family, friends, fireworks and food – probably some craft beer too.

Take the time to think about how your favorite craft beer could make its way into your meal then give it a shot.