Summer’s Best Beer Cook Ups

Go beyond beef and ale stew and add some sensational beer-kissed recipes to your summer. What better way to get onboard with International Beer Day this year? Let’s get the beers in…

When adding booze to food, wine is first to mind. But hops and barley make great pairings for both sweet and savoury ingredients and the countless varieties of beer all add something different from a flavour perspective.

Two top tips: cooking time is important. Alcohol content reduces the longer you cook beer, but so do the lovely aromas so strike the right balance for you. Secondly, pass on beers you don’t enjoy drinking as they’re not likely to taste any better in a dish.

Cooking to impress? Please a crowd with these stacked honey and ale pulled chicken sliders or these stuffed corn and black bean enchiladas with chipotle and stout red sauce. As for this crispy halloumi recipe – yum.

Beer works wonders with fish too. You may’ve tried beer battered cod with your chips, but have you sampled beer battered fish tacos? A mega Mexican mid-week meal! And this spicy beer shrimp is quick and delish served with rice or baked sweet potatoes.

Beer and barbeques go hand in hand, but instead of sipping one while you flip burgers add it to the food for showstopping results. If you’ve never tried legendary beer can chicken, give this succulent garlic and lemon take a go.

Grill up these magnificent sweet horseradish glazed ribs or beer braised short ribs. Or make this rich beer barbeque sauce to slather on whatever meat takes your fancy.

You don’t even have to mix in beer to give that hint of flavour. Keep sizzling food tasty and moist by spritzing it with a bit of beer fizz or soak wood chips in beer so that they smoke and smoulder and add a hoppy aroma.

There’s an impressive variety of beer-laced puds out there and we’ve picked some gems to share with you. Pop these beer and cardamom apple fritters in the air fryer for a real spice-filled, chocolate dipped delight.

Serve up a stonking sweet with this full flavoured beer tiramisu (beeramisu?) or this coconut maple porter ice cream – yep, that’s beer ice cream right there.

We’ll round off with a teatime twist on the scrumptious Guinness chocolate cake – these velvety stout brownies. Nail the gooeyness with a little help from the Cake Factory.

Hold the wine – beer is a clear winner for us when it comes to turning up the flavour this summer!