Michelada

I wasn't always a fan of beer.  I didn't understand the appeal at all until a hot summer day when my brother taught me how to water ski.  I was extremely thirsty afterwards so I settled for one of his ice cold cervezas and thought it was the best.beverage.everrr.  I soon realized it didn't taste as good if I wasn't sunburned and near a body of water.

Fast forward to late in college when I frequently played cards with my good friends Frank and Mari.  I said no thanks when offered a beer UNTIL they introduced me to beer w/salt and lime.  I'll try anything with salt and lime!  My favorite beverage at the time was a margarita with salt, please.

Sooo...a few years ago, when we visited my beautiful niece Bami, in Austin, she and her husband Brian took us out for Tex-Mex and hooked me up with a Michelada.  Brian ordered one and when they told me the ingredients I HAD to try one...or two. 

There are several variations but this is a close second to the one I remember falling in love with.  If you like beer and bloody mary's, and SALT and LIME..you'll probably enjoy an ice cold Michelada.  Cheers to my late brother, Dale, Frank and Mari and Bami.  :)

Ingredients:

• 1 ice cold Mexican beer (I like Corona or Dos Equis)

• coarse salt (for the rim)

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 1-2 dashes of hot chile sauce (I like Cholula)

• 1-2 dash of soy sauce

• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce

• chilled glass

•  ice

• lime wedge for garnish


Preparation:

Salt the rim of the glass. Fill the glass halfway with ice and pour in the lime juice, chile sauce, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and add beer. Garnish with lime. I top off with the remaining beer as I drink.

Rootbeer Float Cake and Honey Beer Bread

What kind of bday cake do you make for the kid who wants to drink 8 IBC rootbeers in one sitting?  A rootbeer float cake, courtesy of Joy the Baker.

2 cups root beer (don’t use diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs



Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.



In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. You can give it a quick whisk if you like, but don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough. Don’t worry, the batter is very loose.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.



Chocolate Root Beer Frosting

2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt (you may want to use less… maybe just 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar


In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.



note: the root beer flavor is subtle and more pronounced after the cake sits for a day..I read some comments where people suggested rootbeer schnapps instead or to add rootbeer extract..a teaspoon or two...it is a good, moist cake though!


Honey Beer Bread Recipe
from GimmeSomeOven


(Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake)



Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer

4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted (**You can double this if you’d like**)

Method:



(Makes 1 loaf)



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan.



In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. (I recommend popping your honey in the microwave for a few seconds beforehand to make it easier to stir in!)



Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. (Use a pastry brush to spread it around if you’d like.)



Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.