It just seems almost natural to cook with beer over any other type of alcohol since it contains things that can enhance almost any dish such as: grain (barley), herbs (hops), water and yeast. Adding beer to a meal can enhance particular ingredients, help blend the flavors of the dish, or just add that special kick that the meal might be lacking.

There are plenty of times when beer is mentioned in cooking such as beer batter or the ever-famous beer can chicken, but there are so many ways that beer can be incorporated into meals. For starters, try out a recipe for beer bread. This recipe is quick and simple, and you most likely have all of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge. Also, keep in mind that it’s not always best to just use your favorite type of beer in every recipe as different types of foods pair better with different types of beers. For example, if you’re making a beef stew, you’d want to infuse it with some type of sweet stout or darker beer, like a porter, to really enhance the meat. Also with the beer bread, you’ll want to use some type of sweet beer that’s less hoppy because you don’t want the bread to come out bitter.

It’s important to keep in mind that the more that beer is boiled, the less that it loses its aroma, which is part of beer’s main appeal – “the taste in the nose.” If you’re concerned about losing the aroma, add in a splash of the beer after reducing the heat – this usually applies to any IPA or lighter beer, such as a pilsner. If you want to go more for the rich, deep flavors of a darker beer, then add it in at the beginning of boiling; the sweet and roasted flavors of the barley will marry well with the other flavors of the ingredients.