Beer

While almost all beers are made from the same base ingredients, they aren't all the same. Here's what you need to know about the differences between these two classic beer styles.

From lagers to stouts.

There's almost no waiting and ZERO need for special equipment.

Keep these easy hacks in mind all summer long.

My sister went to college at Tulane University in New Orleans. Each summer she’d come home bragging about the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, a weekend-long, mystical-sounding party of music, games, rides, and, of course, strawberries. I was always envious of this celebration, but on the plus side I have her to thank for learning about what is now one of my very favorite parts of strawberry season: strawberry beer, specifically Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager.

When you are a self-professed booze-hound and a baker at heart, it is almost too easy to incorporate flavorful alcohol into everything from weeknight dinners to luscious birthday cakes. Honestly, though, I’ve made more than a few mistakes along the way when trying to add the smoky sweetness of bourbon to dinner or the dry sweetness of Champagne into cake.

Maybe it’s the rising popularity of craft beer, the fact that my partner is an aspiring hops farmer and brewer, or the simple truth that I am a broke millennial, but when it comes time to chose, I always pick beer over wine. I even (gasp!) think you should leave the wine corked and drink beer instead with your steak dinners.

If there was ever a time to put a seasonal, boo-zy spin on the beloved ice cream float, it is right now. Grab your favorite pumpkin beer along with some ice cream, and consider this your invitation to skip the PSL in favor of something a bit more festive. If you love beer and ice cream separately, but the thought of them together leaves you slightly skeptical, let me reassure you that not only does this duo work, but it’s also an exquisitely delicious treat.

The fizzy bite of beer makes it a useful ingredient in your cooking. We love bringing it to our favorite dishes in fall and winter, but we keep a few key tips in mind to get the most out of its flavor. Here’s what you need to know for better cooking with beer. When using beer in marinades, brines, vinaigrettes, and even lightly cooked dips, be sure to balance beer’s bite to avoid it overwhelming the recipe.

Of all the alcoholic beverage options out there, beer is probably the best at quelling the heat and quenching chile-induced thirst. For starters, beer tends to be fairly low alcohol — five to seven percent ABV compared to 10 to 15 percent for wine and 40 percent for spirits. Carbonation also helps remove the fiery heat of capsaicin from the palate. But not all beers are created equal — just like not all spicy foods are created equal.

There’s something supremely satisfying about an ice-cold brew on a hot summer day. It’s crisp, refreshing, and lower in alcohol than most wines and cocktails, which means you can indulge in a midday pint without succumbing to a midday nap immediately after (unless you want to). While you can, of course, drink whatever you like, there are certain brews that are best-suited for the season.

I’m a big fan of ginger drinks, especially since I love that fiery, spicy kick ginger adds. My refrigerator always contains ginger ale or ginger beer. But what is the difference between the two? And is ginger beer actually beer (and therefore alcoholic)? Ginger beer was originally an alcoholic brew made from fermenting ginger, sugar, and water, although most commercial ginger beers nowadays are non-alcoholic. Ginger ale is a non-alcoholic, sweetened, ginger-flavored soft drink.