Food

Can't make it out to Bell’s Eccentric Café? Now you can follow along and make our legendary soup at home. Ingredients  1 onion, finely diced 2 ribs celery, finely diced 2 TBS minced garlic 2 TBS Dijon mustard 1/4 cup Worcestershire 2 tsp horseradish 1 stick butter 1/2 cup flour 2 cups Porter 6 cups milk or vegetable stock 4 cups of cream 1 lb of shredded cheddar cheese Salt and white pepper to taste In the kitchen  In a large pot, sweat the onions, celery and garlic in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. When the onions are translucent and most of their liquid has been cooked off, add the mustard, Worcestershire, and horseradish and give it a quick stir to ensure even coating. Add butter and melt it into the vegetables, add the flour, stir until all vegetables are coated. Cook until a light brown color (about 2 minutes). Whisk in the beer, let it come up to a boil and cook down for a minute to burn the alcohol off (you will need to stir constantly as this will be very thick). In a separate pot, heat the milk and cream (warm but not boiling). Once beer and vegetables are ready, slowly add the cream and milk, whisking it into the mixture. Bring to a boil and then add the cheese, handfuls at a time, whisking constantly and making sure all cheese is incorporated before you add more (if you do not do this, your soup may have a grainy texture). Taste for seasoning and add salt and white pepper as necessary. Serve hot with your favorite crusty bread!

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).

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. 

Just because you enjoy beer doesn't mean you can’t also enjoy candy -- in fact, candy and beer pairs perfectly. We asked around the brewery for everyone’s favorite candy and beer pairings and here’s what we’re enjoying this Halloween season. Kalamazoo Stout and Black Licorice Best Brown and Peanut M&Ms Oarsman and Snickers Roundhouse and dark chocolate (70% cacao is best, but find one that’s at least 60% and no more than 80%) Roundhouse and Sour Patch Kids Starbursts and Oarsman Third Coast Old Ale and chocolate covered cherries Amber Ale and Milk Duds Arabicadabra and peanut butter cups Check out more pairing suggestions from last year, including Two Hearted with Sour Gummy Worms and Expedition Stout with a Take 5. Share your favorite #bellsbeer and candy pairings with us  on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. [[{"fid":"5480","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]]  

This German style apple cake with caramelized sugars pairs wonderfully with the lightly toasted malt flavor from our Octoberfest. Enjoy! Ingredients 2-3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and grated 1.5 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 cup sugar .5 tsp. salt 1.25 sticks (10 Tbsp. total) butter 2 eggs 1 Tbsp. milk 1 splash of Bell’s Octoberfest .5 tsp. cinnamon .25 tsp. nutmeg In the kitchen Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Sift 1.25 cups flour and mix with baking powder, .25 cup of sugar and salt. Cut 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) of cold butter into small cubes. Using a food processor, cut the butter into the flour/sugar mixture until fine. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, Octoberfest and grated apple. Stir into the butter/flour mix until a dough forms. Press dough into greased baking dish until it extends to every edge evenly. Layer the top of the dough with the peeled and sliced apples. Take the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter and cut into small pieces. Dot over the top of the apples. Mix together the remaining flour and sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Spread the mixture evenly over the apples. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy with whipped cream and a glass of Bell’s Octoberfest!

Looking for a delicious addition for your grill out? Give these Amber Ale battered onion rings a try. Batter ingredients: 1.5 cup of flour 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp salt 2 tsp corn starch 1 bottle Amber Ale Sweet onion Sauce ingredients: Cup of honey 1/3 cup of white vinegar 4 cloves minced garlic 2 TBS of sriracha sauce 1 tsp grated horseradish   How to make them Serve hot and crispy with the sweet chili sauce and a glass of Bell’s Amber Ale. Combine all batter ingredients, let sit 15 minutes. Mix sauce ingredients and let stand covered. Can be served at room temperature or heated. Peel onions. Slice onions into ¼ inch rings. Separate but keep them in their rounds. Heat oil to 365°F, use good quality vegetable or peanut oil to deep fry in. Dip and fully coat rings in batter while waiting for oil to heat up. Remove rings from batter one at a time, allow excess batter to drip off. Carefully immerse ring into hot oil and cook for 4-6 minutes, turning regularly to achieve golden brown color and even cooking. Do not cook too many at once as this will lower the temperature of the oil and your rings can stick together and have uneven cooking. Remove and place on paper towel to drain excess oil. Enjoy with a glass of Bell's Amber Ale.  [[{"fid":"4680","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]]  

Sweeten your summer. This cake pop recipe uses #Pooltime, our Belgian-inspired Wheat Ale brewed with Michigan cherry juice Ingredients Super Moist Cherry Chip Cake Mix, 15.25 oz Box (chocolate would be tasty too!) Instant Vanilla Pudding & Pie Filling Mix, 2.68 oz 3/4 cup sour cream 3/4 cup milk 4oz Bell’s Pooltime Ale, drink the remainder! 1/4 cup Canola oil 3 large eggs 1/3 cup vanilla frosting Maraschino Red Cherries, 16 oz 18-22 ounces melted and tempered white morsels/chips Lollipop sticks (could be located in the party supplies section) [[{"fid":"4525","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]]   Steps Preheat oven to 350 F Spray a 13X9 inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Mix cake mix, pudding mix, Pooltime, sour cream, milk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric beater on low for 30 seconds to combine and for two minutes on medium to mix. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 28-32 minutes. Remove cake and allow to cool. Crumble cake into a clean bowl Soak cherries in Pooltime Add vanilla frosting to combine crumbles so that you can scoop the mixture. Use a little more Pooltime if needed to moisten. Use a tablespoon and scoop mixture, take one cherry and wrap mixture around cherry. Insert lollipop stick into cherry and place pop down on a tray with parchment paper. Repeat until all mixture used. Refrigerate pops for 2 hours until firm. Melt morsels over a double saucepan until smooth. Dip each pop into warm mixture, coat and place back on parchment paper. Sprinkle with red sugar for decoration. Dip all pops, decorate and let the pops sit until the chocolate hardens. Serve with more Bell’s Pooltime Ale. Here are some tips: You can use a chocolate cake as well, for a nice cherry/chocolate combo When adding the melted chocolate, use a spoon to dunk in and out of the bowl Use small maraschino cherries if you can You should also try our recipe for Pooltime Cherry Glazed Ribs. 

Summer is here and it’s time for cookouts and beers. Here are some ideas for snacks and drinks using our beers. For the grill Oberon Beer Brats: use Oberon for the beer and grill (link — Food Network) Oberon Beer Chicken: Cook the chicken on the grill with a can of Oberon, with thyme, sage, lemon and orange. Amber Ale Crock Pot Short Ribs  (link) Sides & sauces Lager of the Lakes Mustard (link) Amber Ale Mustard BBQ Sauce (link) Two Hearted Buffalo Sauce (link) All the (Tasty) things Oven-Baked Tandoori Two Hearted Chicken Wings (link) Oberon Curry & Orange Chicken Salad (link) Two Hearted Chicken Tacos (link) Amber Ale Cheese Bread (link) Amber Ale Beer Cheese (link) Sriracha Kalamazoo Stout Chex Mix (link) Amber Ale Fried Chicken And Waffles (link) Porter Chocolate Cupcakes (link) Amber Ale onion rings with sweet chili sauce (link) Peanut Butter Kalamazoo Stout cookies (link) Two Hearted Spicy Caramel Corn (link) Oberon Sweet and Sour Sauce (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 (link) Oberon 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 Oberon. Black Velvet with Kalamazoo Stout and Champagne (link) pairings Donut and Beer Pairings (link) Beer and Candy Pairings (link)  

Looking to add a little Pooltime in your summer cooking? Here is a recipe for Pooltime cherry glazed ribs, which adds the flavor of our Belgian inspired Wheat Ale with Michigan cherry juice. Ingredients 3 racks of ribs Dry rib rub 16oz tart cherry juice Two cans of Bell’s Pooltime Ale 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoon honey Apple cider vinegar Directions Rub the ribs and either bake, smoke or grill until tender. In a medium pot, whisk together Pooltime, cherry juice, honey and mustard. Gently bring to the boil, turn heat down and simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thickness that coats the back of a spoon. Put the sauce into a clean bowl and refrigerate until cool. Adjust acidity of sauce to taste with apple cider vinegar. Brush ribs with sauce and broil or finish on your grill, continue to turn and baste ribs until glossy and sticky. Use remainder of sauce for dipping. Enjoy with Pooltime Ale. You should also try our recipe for Pooltime Cake Pops.   

Looking for something for a summer afternoon or Sunday brunch? Here is a recipe developed by our sales team for the perfect simple Oberon beermosa.  Here's the recipe: 25% sparkling white wine 15% orange juice 60% Oberon Use a mint leaf and/or an orange as garnish From our experience, we've found it works best to pour the sparkling white wine first, then the orange juice and top it off with Oberon. Make sure to pour slowly to avoid making a mess. We've also found using fresh-squeezed orange juice tastes best, but you can use whatever juice you prefer.