Beer Cheese

By: Jenifer Chrisman

This is one of my husband’s favorite snacks. He dips all sorts of things, from cheese puffs to Doritos to soft baked pretzels, into the dip.

I’m not sure why I haven’t made it recently. It only has three ingredients, extremely minimal prep and a short cooking time. And, since I wanted to do something nice for him I picked up the ingredients and whipped up a batch. Well…two batches.

Bon Appetit!

Estimated Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

Total Estimated Time: 22-32 minutes

Estimated Total Calories per half bottle or can of beer: 2,810 (Sierra Nevada), 2,798 (with Fat Tire)

Ingredients

• 4 c shredded Cheese (I used Tillamook Sharp Cheddar) (a)
• 8 oz package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 6 oz (3/4 c) bottle or can of Beer (I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but sometimes I use Fat Tire) (b)

Possible Dippers

• Freshly baked Soft Pretzels (I used SuperPretzel from the frozen aisle)
• Cheese Puffs
• Crostini
• Crackers
• Veggies (such as broccoli)

Directions

1. Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator. Open the packaging and chop the cream cheese into squares. They will stick to each other but this still makes it faster and easier than trying to incorporate the whole block.
2. Pour the beer into a measuring cup, letting the foam die down until three quarters of a cup is reached. Then pour the beer moderate-sized nonstick pot (b). Turn the stove top burner to medium and add the cream cheese and shred cheese.
3. Using a nonstick whisk, so as to not damage the pot, slowly stir the cheese mixture until all the cheese is fully incorporated and the beer cheese has a smooth, non-grainy finish. Do not boil; if needed lower the heat a little.
4. Pour the beer cheese into ramakins or small bowls (for individuals) or a large bowl (for sharing) and serve with choice of dipper(s).

Cook’s Notes:

I ended up remaking this dip. The first version (see below), while good, was both too beery and had a bit of a backbite. In part it was because I didn’t use all sharp cheddar, which holds up better to my preferred beer. But mostly it was because I ended up buying cans of beer instead of bottles.

Many years ago, my friends and I got into a debate about which was better. Except for my best friend and myself, everyone said they tasted the same. We strongly disagreed, saying bottled beer tasted much better.

So, we decided to put on a little experiment. We found four different bottles of beer, along with their canned, brand counterparts (i.e.: a bottle and a can of Bud Light). To ensure no one but us would know which was which, we poured each into separate cups, enough for each person to try both, and then had everyone sample each one. It was unanimous across the board. Everyone preferred the taste of the beer that came from the various bottles. They all were shocked.

Sadly, I had forgotten this, not being a beer drinker. So, when I couldn’t find the bottles (Publix had done away with their standalone shelf of individual bottled beers) and didn’t have a clue what to replace the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with, I bought their 12 pack of cans.

Surprise, surprise…my husband will be having beer cheese a lot more often in the upcoming months.

And, as I said, the first batch was still good, but…the remake turned out so much better. I used only sharp cheddar and halved the amount of beer.

Over the years we’ve eaten beer cheese and pretzels at numerous restaurants. But they are almost always too salty. Thankfully the pretzels can usually be ordered without salt, and if they can’t, the salt can mostly be wiped off. I know it is needed to help keep the beer cheese fresh, but I often think they use more than actually needed for that purpose. This recipe doesn’t call for any salt, although some can be added if desired.

It is important to know that the type of beer used will affect the flavor. I prefer a pale ale or Fat Tire (an amber ale), which creates a lighter flavor. For those who like dark beers, such as malts or stouts, the beer cheese will take on deeper, more bitter notes. For ideas on how to pair beer and cheese, visit Pairing Cheese With Beer | Wisconsin Cheese.

For a less beery taste, a lighter beer can be used. Or just use less of the beer, especially if using cans. For those who don’t drink, a non-alcoholic beer can be substituted, but trial and error may occur.

On a final note, as sort of mentioned above, the type of cheese also makes a difference. The blend I tried the first time worked, but I will be sticking to sharp or extra sharp cheddar in future.

But it isn’t just the type of cheese that makes or breaks the flavor. The quality of the cheese used also makes a difference. In the past I made the beer cheese with my husband’s favorite, a Wisconsin extra sharp. However, after watching an episode of Top Chef where they used Tillamook (I have used their mozzarella in the past) five ways in one dish, I decided to give their higher quality (than my husband’s favorite) cheese a try. The overall taste, even with the original full can of beer, was well worth the additional cost and will be my future go to from this point onward.

Ingredients

•  4 c shredded Cheese (I used Tillamook Triple Cheddar Blend and Sharp Cheddar) (a)
• 8 oz package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 12 oz bottle or can of Beer (I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but sometimes I use Fat Tire) (b)

Ingredient & Direction Notes:

1. I prefer cheddar for beer cheese, especially sharp or extra sharp. Other kinds can be used but researching beer and cheese pairings might be a good idea to achieve a well-balanced beer cheese. Visit Pairing Cheese With Beer | Wisconsin Cheese.
2. You can use more or less beer, depending on how beery you want the flavor to be.
3. I usually pour the beer about an hour before I am going to cook the beer cheese to let it flatten a bit, so it doesn’t become a foamy mess. I generally cover it with the lid until I am ready to cook.