Pub Cheese
Pub cheese is a cold beer cheese dip with a spread like consistency. Most commonly served with crackers and veggie sticks, Pub Cheese is a quintessential American pub grub. The roots of this popular delicacy are in New England. It is widely accepted that similarly to Kentucky beer cheese, pub cheese was invented to encourage patrons in pubs and bars alike to order more beer, hence the name.
Lagers and ales with malty backbone and herbal hops notes are desirable, as well as sweetish bocks, brown ales, porters or stouts. Nothing too creative - beer like a citrusy IPA or a strawberry conditioned kolsch for example make poor contenders. Classic choices are American lagers, Czech Pilsner or German pils.
Flavoring agents. Prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, a clove of garlic, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce (omit if you do not want a spicy taste). Sometimes if using a strongly hopped pilsner you can add a tablespoon of maple syrup - it neutralizes the bitterness while the herbal notes remain strong. Sweet paprika also deepens the color of the dip.
Irish Pub Cheese Version. The recommendation is to use Irish cheddar and Guinness for true Irish flavors. If your goal is a green colored beer cheese, you might want to use green cheese or fresh herbs and perhaps a drop or two of food coloring and blend them into the dip.
Pub Cheese
from https://www.craftbeering.com/
Even though primarily an appetizer dip, you can use Pub Cheese as a spread and slather it on toast (topped with avocado), burger buns, soft pretzels, add a dollop over grilled chicken (or chicken sandwiches too), make tiny cracker sandwiches with it, fold it into mashed potatoes (seriously tasty) and so much more.
Small mason jars of homemade pub cheese make a great hostess gift around the holidays. Or add to one such jar a box of crackers and a 6-pack and give as a Father's day treat.
3 cups shredded cheddar
2-3 oz cream cheese
2 pieces spreadable cheese such as Laughing Cow (or increase cream cheese by 2 oz or add 2 oz sour cream)
1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
2/3 cup beer
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or to taste)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (or to taste)
1 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp prepared horseradish (or to taste)
1 tsp sweet paprika + a pinch to sprinkle over dip
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp finely cut fresh chives + 1 tsp more to sprinkle over dip
In the bowl of a food processor add the shredded cheddar, cream cheese, spreadable cheese (or substitute) and roughly chopped garlic clove. Process until combined.
Add all the other ingredients except for the beer, salt and chives. Process and while processing slowly add the beer while monitoring the consistency (do not add it all if the dip is becoming runny).
Transfer to a mixing bowl and taste. Adjust seasonings as needed and add salt as needed. Fold in the chives, cover and refrigerate.
Serve garnished with a pinch of paprika and chives and accompanied by crackers, bread sticks and/or veggie sticks.
NOTE: If the beer you are using is highly carbonated it is helpful to first pour it into a glass and let the initial foaming subside - the beer will be easier to measure out. You do not need to use flat beer, plus fresh beer will taste much better in this type of dip.
NOTE: You must fold the chopped chives at the end so that the dip does not turn green/unappetizing off color if they get blended in.
Yield: 4 cups
Pub Cheese
from https://rightbackspatula.com/
Pub cheese is a type of soft, cheese spread and or dip that uses beer as one of the main ingredients. It is known for being Irish because of the Irish cheddar cheese. This dip would be perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day spread of any fall football tailgate party. Serve with assorted pretzels, crackers, pita chips or freshly cut vegetables. I like to use cucumbers, mini sweet peppers, or carrots.
Tips for making:
Grate your own cheese. I know it’s more convenient, but don’t buy pre-shredded cheddar cheeses from the grocery store cheese department. Trust me, I’ve been there too. But the fact of the matter is that store bought shredded cheese has additives and extra preservatives in the packages to help keep the cheese fresh. To get a smooth, creamy texture, it is best to grate your own cheese at home.
Flatten the beer. I know this sounds odd, but the goal is the get as much carbonation out of the beer as possible. We want the flavor, but not the extra bubbles. The best way to flatten beer is to pour the beer into a bowl and whisk it for 5-10 minutes. If you have the time, let it sit on the counter for another 45-50 minutes for it to go flat.
Serve this dip with pretzels or freshly cut vegetables! I love serving this dip with a variety of different pretzels and vegetables with some added crunch. Add a side beer and you’re all set.
Sit dip out for 20 minutes before serving. If you make this dip ahead of time, which can absolutely be done, be sure to let this dip sit out on the counter for 20 minutes before serving. This will make the consistency more spreadable… no one wants cracked pretzel remnants in their pub cheese!
[Make it the night before to allow the spices more time to blend, or at least three hours before serving. Refrigerate till ready to serve.]
4-5 oz. amber or brown ale
16 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cream cheese softened
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp hot sauce
pinch of salt
chives for garnish
Flatten beer to remove carbonation. Pour beer into a small bowl and whisk for 5-10 minutes. Let sit for another 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Using a cheese grater, grate extra sharp cheddar cheese and place into a food processor.
Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, ground mustard, hot sauce, cream cheese in a food processor. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Fasten lid and slowly add brown ale while pulsing the cheese mixture. Start with 4 oz of flattened beer. For a creamier pub cheese consistence, slowly add a little more beer.
Transfer pub cheese to a bowl and sprinkle with freshly cut chives. Serve with pretzels or fresh vegetables.
