What would the holidays in Kentucky be without a good beer cheese? Here’s a recipe I liked to use, which incorporates one of my favorite beers, Christian Moerlein’s OTR; I’m going to post the recipe on their page, in fact, but thought I would share it here, too. You’ll need the following items:
- 2 pounds of room temperature sharp cheddar, cut into cubes
- 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
- 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon of dry mustard
- Tabasco sauce to taste (I think the spicier, the better)
- 1/2 – 1 cup of beer (I prefer Moerlein’s OTR)
- 1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
Put your cheese cubes into a food processor or electric mixer and process until perfectly smooth. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and Tabasco. Blend well.
Add the beer gradually while continuing to beat the cheese. It should become of a firm but spreadable consistency. Watch the beer! Too much of it will make your beer cheese fluffy, and that’s not good. When ready, stir in the salt and place in the refrigerator.
Serve with vegetables, bread, and crackers. Enjoy with a cold, cold Christian Moerlein OTR! As a Kentucky boy, I have to send a shout out recommendation to my hometown. If you’re ever in Louisville and want to buy a good beer cheese and have a Louisville beer to go with it, I highly recommend the Cumberland Brewery and their Red Ale.
Beer cheese, with carrots, broccoli, and crackers
I must try this….fabulous appetizer.
Please do! And do let me know what you think.
Hi there, I tried your recipe after Christian Moerlein reposted it on Facebook. I’d say you absolutely have to use an enclosed food processor to make this – with a bowl on a stand mixer, I had cheese shrapnel going everywhere.
When it was done it was a nicely smooth consistency, but after refrigerating it is very dry, and a shot in the microwave just makes it separate. The flavor is excellent, though I think I forgot the salt. Does yours stay creamy after chilling? Any idea what I did wrong? Thanks for sharing, I’m still glad I tried it!
I don’t actually have a microwave but I do use an enclosed food processor, so I can’t help you there.
However, I’m inclined to wonder what types of beer and cheese you used in the recipe. I haven’t had a problem with mine drying out; it still comes out of the fridge light and fluffy. I’d also be inclined to think you may have used too much salt, as that would dry it out, but since you think you forgot it, that probably wasn’t the cause. Let me know about the cheese and beer.
I used basic Kraft sharp cheddar and OTR, a full cup if I remember correctly. I’m thinking a higher quality cheese might be a better choice next time.
Hey, there. I tried it with Kraft, tonight actually. Like you, I also did away with the salt, just to see what happened (I’m glad I did because it’s just as flavorful, but with less sodium!).
I included a picture on the post so that you can see what it looks like, too. I realized when I made it that I always let the cheese reach room temperature before I cut it into the cubes. When I take it out of the fridge, I do the same thing, just to let it soften. It usually takes about an hour. Since everything else came out okay, this is the only thing I can think of. If you make it again, try letting it set at room temperature after it has been refrigerated. If you’re going to serve it immediately, then there’s no need to really refrigerate it.
I hope this helps!