Kentucky Beer Cheese – Love at Third Bite

Very few love Kentucky Beer Cheese at first bite. As you crunch your first taste, the palette quickly identifies a sharp cheddar cheese spread, but then stale beer fills the nose, and you instantly think, "I should have gone clam dip."

But after three or four bites, you stop thinking about your college dorm room carpet, and your palette adjusts to the unusual flavor profile, and this humble cheese spread becomes as addicting as any I've ever had. In a way, it's sort of analogous to drinking your first beer, but that's a whole other post.

The texture is much smoother and creamier than it looks, and that little hint of raw alcohol provides a fermented funkiness in the background that is the key to the recipe. Well done, Bluegrass State. Well done. By the way, you can upgrade the beer if you wish, but then you will not be eating real Kentucky Beer Cheese.

People around those parts may argue about the amount of pepper, or if you should throw in a chunk of cream cheese or not, but everyone agrees that this spread requires a cheap, domestic beer. Preferably from a can.

So, if you're looking for something a little different for your Super Bowl party, I hope you give this Kentucky Beer Cheese recipe a try. If it's a big hit, you can bring it back for your Kentucky Derby party. I'm sure it's fabulous with mint juleps. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 cups Kentucky Beer Cheese:

16 ounces of cheese 2 cloves garlic, minced fine 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp cayenne powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 cup flat beer

Ingredients for  about 3 cups Kentucky Beer Cheese:

• 16 ounces of cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced fine
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup flat beer