Cooking

This twist on chocolate fondue is a delicious treat to serve at your next gathering, but we get it if you'd rather save it all for yourself.  Ingredients  16 oz. semisweet chocolate 4 oz. Kalamazoo Stout (1/3 of a bottle... drink the rest!) 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup coffee 2 TBS unsalted butter For dipping we suggest: Crusty bread Fruit: strawberries, oranges, bananas Sharp cheddar Pretzels Marshmallows Shortbread cookies In the kitchen In a medium sauce pan, bring heavy cream, Kalamazoo Stout, and coffee to a high simmer. Break chocolate apart and put into a heat-proof bowl, pour hot cream and stout mixture over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit on the chocolate for a few minutes (allowing the heat to melt the chocolate), and then whisk it together until fully incorporated. Add the butter and continue to whisk. If you have a fondue pot, you can keep it warm in the fondue pot. If not, keep the pan on the stove on low heat until ready to eat. Get your favorite dippers and enjoy with some friends!

The Black Velvet is one of the oldest beer cocktails, mixing stout and champagne. But have you tried making it with our Kalamazoo Stout? It’s simple: one part Kalamazoo Stout and one part champagne or sparkling wine. The ratio can also be adjusted if you want more stout or more wine to make it sweeter. While champagne and stout might seem contradictory, the flavors and textures of the liquid play off each other very well. What are some of your favorite beer cocktails? Let us know on social media by tagging #bellsbeer. Oberon Beermosa The Bitter Bro (with Two Hearted) Two Hearted Grapefruit

Beer and food are a perfect pair, rivaled by… nothing? We love cooking with our beer and pairing it with dishes. Beer shares a lot of similar flavor components and ingredients as food, which is why they work so well together. Do you have a go to pairing or recipe with our beer that is out of this world? We want to see your favorites. Tag your photos with #InspiredCooking. Want to learn more about food and beer pairings? This interview with our head chef explains why it works. As an added bonus, we have a limited number of Amber Ale cutting boards (like pictured above) we will send to those craft beer cooks whose photos stir our appetite. If you need some inspiration, here are some of our favorite recipes: Cooking with Amber Ale Amber Ale Fried Chicken And Waffles (link) Amber Ale Crock Pot Short Ribs (link) Amber Ale Onion And Sage Soup (link) Amber Ale onion rings with sweet chili sauce (link) Amber Ale Beer Cheese (link) Amber Ale Cheese Bread (link) For the grill Oberon Beer Brats: use Oberon for the beer and grill (link — Food Network) Oarsman Beer Chicken: Cook the chicken on the grill with a can of Oarsman, with thyme, sage, lemon and orange. Pooltime cherry glazed ribs (link) Oberon Marinated Chicken Kebabs (link) Spicy Pork Chop With Hopslam Peach Chutney (link) Snacks Larry's Latest Sour Citrus Vinaigrette (link) Oberon Curry & Orange Chicken Salad (link) Octoberfest Apfel Kuchen (Apple Cake) (link) Kalamazoo Stout Candied Bacon (link) Crispy Oven Baked Oatsmobile Battered Onion Rings (link) Sriracha Kalamazoo Stout Chex Mix (link) Porter Chocolate Cupcakes (link) Peanut Butter Kalamazoo Stout cookies (link) Oven-Baked Tandoori Two Hearted Chicken Wings (link) Pooltime Cake Pops (link) Beer cocktails Oberon Beermosa: 25% Champagne, 15% orange juice and 60% Oberon, with a mint leaf and an orange as a garnish. Make sure to not add the OJ last. Kalamazoo Peach: 12oz Oberon, 1.5oz peach schnapps and 3 oz OJ. Two Hearted Grapefruit Cocktail: 8oz. of Two Hearted and 3oz. of grapefruit juice Oarsman Sangria: 2 cups cold orange juice, ½ cup orange flavored liqueur, ¼ cup tequila, 2 oranges, thinly sliced, 6, 12 ounce cans of Bell's Oarsman (or you could replace with Oberon).

This simple and quick chicken wing recipe is also delicious with a glass of Two Hearted! Serving size: 6 Ingredients 16 fresh chicken wings 3 cups plain yogurt 3 ounces of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale ½ cup tomato paste TBS minced garlic 2 TBS Garam Masala 1 TBS of turmeric 1 tsp of paprika 1 tsp of cayenne 1 tsp of cinnamon 2 tsp of sea salt 1 TBS of minced fresh ginger 1 lemon – juiced 2 tsp of Sunflower oil for baking One lemon and chopped cilantro for garnish. Combine one cup of yogurt and some fresh chopped mint as a dipping sauce. Instructions 1. Make three or four slits in all of your wings. Place in heavy duty gallon Ziploc bags with the Two Hearted Ale, salt and the juice of one lemon. Chill for 45 minutes. 2. Mix yogurt, tomato paste, garlic, garam, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. Pour wings and lemon juice into bowl and combine together until well coated. Place marinated wings and all marinade into Ziploc and seal. Refrigerate for no less than 8 hours, preferably overnight. 3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove wings from bag and allow to drain on a plate. Use a foiled baking sheet, grease with sunflower oil and place wings on sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes, turning after 15 minutes and again at 30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

The refreshingly bright, citrusy tartness of Larry's Latest Sour Ale adds a great kick to this vinaigrette recipe.  Ingredients  1 small shallot diced .5 cup olive oil .25 cups Larry's Latest Sour Ale 2 Tbsp. fresh citrus juice (lemon, orange, lime, etc.) 1 Tbsp. honey .25 tsp. salt - more to taste  .25 tsp. pepper - more to taste In the Kitchen Place all ingredients into jar with lid. Screw on lid and shake to blend. Add more salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy on salads, grilled vegetables or chicken with a Larry's Latest Sour Ale! 

Hopslam with its six hop varietals, generous malt bill and solid amount of honey adds a punch to this sweet and savory pork chop dish.  Ingredients Peach Chutney 4 peaches (peeled and chopped) 2 Tbsp. pecans .5 tsp. red pepper flakes .25 cups white sugar 2 oz. Hopslam .25 cups of water 1 lemon, juiced Pork Rub 4, 6-8 oz pork chops 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. salt 1 tsp. cayenne 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. paprika In the Kitchen Peach Chutney Toast pecans lightly in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Let pecans cool and then chop them.  In sauce pot, add peaches, water, sugar and lemon and cook medium/low for 10-15 minutes. Add Hopslam, red pepper flakes and chopped pecans; continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the liquid had reduced and become set. As you stir, be sure to smash the peaches down to create a fairly smooth mixture.   Set aside to cool, this can be served warm or cool with the pork. Pork Rub In a bowl, mix all ingredients, minus the pork chops, together. Generously rub the mixture on the pork chops and ensure all areas are covered.  Let the pork chops rest for at least 30 minutes before cooking to allow the flavors to marinade the meat.  You can cook the chops as you wish: Grilled, roasted, pan seared.  Top the pork chops with the peach chutney and enjoy with a Hopslam!  Make it? Love it? Show us. Tag your photos with #bellsbeer. We're @bellsbrewery on Twitter and Instagram.  Cheers!

This delicious Gouda cheese bread utilizes the toasted and sweet caramel notes from Amber Ale to create a delicious addition to any meal.  Ingredients 1 Bottle Bell's Amber Ale 3 cups flour 2 cloves minced garlic 1 Tbsp. baking powder 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 12 oz. shredded Gouda 3 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter In the Kitchen  In a large bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Add sugar and black pepper and stir until blended. Add minced garlic and combine thoroughly with dry mixture. Fold in 8 oz. of grated Gouda to the mixture. Add Bell's Amber Ale to the mixture, using either a wooden spoon or in a mixer with a dough hook on slow. Transfer dough into a nonstick or lined loaf pan, cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 25 minutes.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After resting, liberally brush on the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining Gouda. Bake for 40-50 minutes (look for golden brown coloring on top or a hollow sound it tapping the underside of your loaf).  Enjoy with a bottle of Bell's Amber Ale!

The toasted and sweet caramel notes of Amber Ale adds a sweet twist to this savory dish. Beer, bread and cheese, a match made in heaven! Ingredients  2 bottles of Bell's Amber Ale 48 oz beef or vegetable stock 1 stick(4 oz) unsalted butter 2 oz. extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp. minced garlic 1 bunch of fresh sage, finely chopped 3 large Spanish onions thinly sliced 3 large red onions thinly sliced 4 large leeks, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 8 oz. hand grated Derby with sage cheese, or strong cheddar  Salt and pepper to taste Croutons for topping In the Kitchen In a heavy bottomed pan melt the butter and olive oil. Add garlic and chopped sage to the pan and cook on very low heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.  Add sliced Spanish and red onions and chopped leaks. Add a generous pinch of salt and ground black pepper.  Stir the mixture and cook slowly with a lid for 45 minutes.  Remove lid, add both bottles of Bell's Amber Ale and bring slowly to a boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Add beef or vegetable stock and Worcestershire sauce to mixture.  Bring to bowl and simmer on low for 2 hours.  Taste soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.  Add additional stock or water if needed for consistency. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place soup crocks or similar bowl on a baking sheet.  Ladle soup into crocks.  Top with croutons and generous covering of grated cheese to form a cover over the soup.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  When cheese is bubbling and has a brown/golden coloring take out of oven and let cool.  Enjoy with Bell's Amber Ale! 

Try out our take on chicken and waffles. The sweet, toasted, caramel malts of Amber Ale are the perfect addition to this sweet and savory favorite.  Ingredients  2 bottles of Bell's Amber Ale 1 grapefruit, zested and juiced 1 Tbsp. Sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce) 1 Tbsp. honey 2 Tbsp. minced garlic 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 sprigs fresh thyme 3 dried bay leaves 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 2 whole fryer chickens, cut into pieces with the bone in  32 oz. whole buttermilk 6 oz. plain flour 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika Frying oil (peanut of pure vegetable oil) In the kitchen In a large bowl combine Bell's Amber Ale, grapefruit juice and zest, Sriracha, honey, minced garlic, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Add chicken to the mixture and use hands to coat all the pieces.  Cover and marinade overnight, turning every few hours.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator two hours before use. Drain off the marinade.  Cover the chicken with the buttermilk and let rest for 30 minutes.  In a large bowl combine flour, sweet paprika and tsp. of salt.  Follow fryer instructions to heat the fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a fryer use a heavy 6-8 quart pot and fill halfway with oil, heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a wire rack beside your cooking station to place cooked chicken on to drain. In cooking station, have the chicken and flour mixture next to each other.  Place chicken onto baking sheet to drain some of the buttermilk. In two or three batches, dredge the chicken pieces in flour and place in fryer. Top off the oil as needed, and return temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  If needed, place wire rack on baking sheet and finish the chicken in oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until done. Serve with homemade waffles, sriracha infused honey and a glass of Bell's Amber Ale. 

When it comes to food pairings, for many people their first thought is wine because of its prevalence as a pairing in restaurants and homes for decades. Folks are comfortable with the idea. But, when we think about food pairings, beer is first on our minds.   “When it comes down to it, food and beer go better together than wine and food do,” Bell’s Executive Chef, Kristofer McDonough said. “Beer in many ways, like food, is a recipe to follow. Unlike wine, you’re not limited to what the grape is going to do for you. With beer, with all the different malt choices and yeast choices, you can really make beer that’s going to go great with food and reveal so many different, complex and beautiful flavors.” Beer and food share a lot of similarities in terms of their flavor components and ingredients, which is part of the reason why they pair so well together.  “As with most chefs, we don’t make one note dishes, we try to incorporate a lot of flavors and make complex flavor profiles. At Bell’s we do the exact same thing not only with our food, but also our beer,” Kris said. “Whether you want to experience more of the hop profiles or more of the malt , food can pull out some of those additional flavors that our brewers chose to highlight.” Another benefit that beer offers when pairing with food is its ability to pair well with different cuisines from throughout the world. “You’re going to be hard pressed in the whole world of beer that we have and the different variances in all those types of beers, not to find a perfect pairing with any type of food,” Kris said. “Not only are you able to get more flavors out of the food, you’re able to get more flavors out of the beer.” Along with the ability to choose specific malts, hops, and yeast to pair with foods, one of the main benefits that beer provides when it comes to pairing with foods is carbonation. “The carbonation of the beer does a beautiful thing of cutting through a lot of the tastes that would stick to your mouth,” Kris said. Beer also has a way of preparing a person’s mouth before the meal. “Essentially in the same way you’ll get appetizers before dinner, beer helps to prepare your palate, your tongue and all of your taste buds to wake up,” Kris said. “A beer before dinner will help you be able to taste everything in a dish better.” Similar to wine, beer can also have complimentary and contrasting pairings. Depending on personal preferences, both types of pairings have their benefits. For a complimentary pairing, the tastes and flavors of the beer and match, while in a contrasting pairing subtle flavors of both the beer and food can be brought out. “If you’re looking for a beer to have a great meal with and not push yourself too much, a complimentary pairing is great. If you’re looking to have bit more of an adventure when you pair beer and food together, go for some of those more contrasting pairings.” In Kalamazoo at the Eccentric Café, Kris and his team work hard to keep in mind the beer profiles when designing the menus. Throughout the year, the café designs specific specials to pair with seasonal beers, such as Oberon and Best Brown, as well as hosts several pairing dinners for fans to attend. “Whether it’s onion rings or foie gras pate, we do our best to pair it with Bell’s beers,” Kris said. “In general, we do our best to make food that will complement our beer.” For those of you who aren’t able to take a quick trip down to the Eccentric Café, Kris recommends sticking to some basic beer and food pairing principles: If it’s a malty beer like our Amber Ale or Octoberfest, try pairing it with grilled meats, vegetables and nutty cheeses, if you have a hoppy beer like Two Hearted, try fish, fresh fruits or a funky cheese like blue cheese. He also suggests taking a peek at our beer brand pages, or chatting with our experts themselves (our events are a great opportunity to ask questions, learn about new beers, enjoy a Bell's beer and more). “We have a great list compiled of all of our beers and the foods we would recommend with them, on our website,” said Kris. “If you have a favorite Bell’s beer come talk to our bartenders or brewers to see what they would recommend. The biggest thing when it comes to beer and food pairings is to base them off of what you like. What’s your favorite type of food? What flavors do you like? Start down that rabbit hole, see where that takes you and start the adventure yourself.” Keep an eye out for some of our favorite beer and food pairings on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and share your favorite #bellsbeer and food pairings with us!  RELATED CONTENT: Have a sweet tooth? Halloween? Check out these Bell's beer and candy pairings.