After the Party: 5 Ways to Use Beer (Besides Drinking It)

After hosting a big party this weekend, my fridge is filled with cans of beer that I’m eager to use up. Of course, I’ll be drinking some of it, but I’m no Homer Simpson — instead of guzzling it all, I’ll be trying a few of these more creative solutions in the coming weeks.

• 1 Use it as a mixer. The cheap beer I bought for this party isn’t terribly special on its own, but it makes a perfect mixer. I like mixing it with lemonade, limeade or ginger ale to make a shandy, or using it in beer cocktails, especially the Sriracha-spiked Cocky Rooster.

→ Beer Cocktails: The Best of Both Worlds

Grill Recipe: Blackened Beer-Brined Chicken Breasts

• 2 Brine meat. A beer-based brine adds to juiciness and flavor to lean cuts of meat like chicken breasts.

→ Grill Recipe: Blackened Beer-Brined Chicken Breasts

• 3 Make a batter. The carbon dioxide and alcohol in beer help to create a batter that makes a crisp, flavorful crust once fried.

→ Recipe: Beer-Battered Onion Rings
→ Recipe: Beer-Battered Cajun Fries

Recipe: Beer-Battered Onion Rings

• 4 Braise meat. Instead of braising tough cuts of meat like short ribs in wine, use beer. It also makes a flavorful liquid for simmering sausages.

→ Good Recipe for a Crowd: Beer-Braised Short Ribs
→ Beer-Simmered Italian Sausage Pasta at Serious Eats

• 5 Steam seafood. Mussels, clams, shrimp, and crab can all be steamed in beer for a ridiculously simple and tasty meal.

→ Beer-Steamed Crabs at Saveur
→ Mussels Steamed in Beer with Crème Fraîche, Herbs, and Parmesan Croutons at Epicurious

Do you have any other creative ways to use beer?

(Images: Leela Cyd Ross; Emma Christensen; Nealey Dozier)