Hold My Beer: Fried Beer Bites Take The Classic Drink To A New Level
Beer and fried chicken, beer and corn dogs, beer and fried pickles — the list goes on. An ice-cold beer seems like the perfect companion to anything hot, golden, and deep-fried. Maybe it's the contrast in textures or the flavor of the hops meeting the crispy batter, but either way, beer and deep-fried anything makes a good combination.
But what if you go a step further and deep-fry beer? Is that even possible? While it may be true that you can't deep-fry a liquid the same way you'd fry onion rings or chicken, there is a way to deep-fry beer. Deep-fried beer bites combine your favorite beer and the crispy, golden exterior of your favorite fried foods, turned into a bite-sized snack that offers the best of both worlds.
Where did beer bites come from? How do you make them? What do they taste like? We'll have to travel back to 2010 and head to the Texas State Fair to learn the secrets behind these boozy bites.
Mark Zable invented deep-fried beer in 2010
State fairs are well-known for their deep-fried takes on some of your favorite foods; think deep-fried bacon, Oreos, and even butter. Beer, it seems, is no exception. Just ask Mark Zable, who pioneered deep-fried beer with his homemade beer bites.
Zable invented deep-fried beer bites in 2010 for a contest at the Texas State Fair. Zable allegedly spent three years working on how to perfect his invention, creating what could best be described as a pocket of fried dough surrounding a stout-filled interior. A bite of the crust reveals the warm beer inside, which Zable describes as similar to eating pretzels and beer. Making unorthodox foods seems to be a hobby for Zable; he told NPR that past culinary inventions include sweet jalapeño corndog shrimp and chocolate-covered strawberry waffle balls.
While Zable is proud that people enjoy his creation, he hasn't given any solid details about the process, understandably preferring to keep his recipe a secret. One of the only concrete details he was willing to share is that he uses only one type of beer when making it: Guinness.
Zabel uses Guinness in his deep-fried beer
Although any beer could feasibly be used to make deep-fried beer bites, Zabel only uses Guinness in his recipe. What is it about Guinness that makes it so good to use in this particular recipe?
The answer to what makes Guinness so popular as an ingredient lies within its flavor profile. Guinness has a sweet and bold flavor, with some sensing notes of coffee or chocolate. This flavor is strong, but it's smooth enough that it doesn't overpower you. This bold and rich flavor makes it so popular in cooking, whether it's in soups, stocks, or braises. Guinness is also used to make beer batter for frying, adding not only flavor but a crispier, light texture. If people use Guinness to make batter for frying, why not fry it as the centerpiece?
If you don't have any Guinness on hand, most types of beers can be used without issue. Some beers, however, are best avoided if you're looking for a good cooking beer, such as fruity IPAs or particularly bitter beer.