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    You are here Home » Recipes » food

    By: Melissa

    Easy Beer Cheese Dip

    Beer cheese dip is a delicious and thick pub style cheese that makes the perfect dip for soft pretzels, crackers and veggies. This pub cheese is very easy to make and it is the perfect appetizer to serve for Oktoberfest or as an appetizer when entertaining. This beer cheese recipe is a must try if you love delicious cheesy dips!

    pub style beer cheese in bowl with pretzels
    Jump to Recipe
    Total Time: 15 minutes

    What is Beer Cheese

    Beer cheese is a pub cheese that is made with beer and is believed to have originated in the Kentucky region of the U.S. Beer cheese is usually made with beer, shredded cheddar, spices (usually cayenne, salt, onion and garlic) and served cold.

    This cheese dip is perfect for dipping soft homemade pretzels knots into it but you can also use this cheese dip to go alongside crackers and veggies that need a dip.

    Many people think this pub style cheese that is often served in bars and restaurants is German. There is a German Beer cheese called Obatzda and it is very similar to this beer cheese dip except instead of cheddar it uses a soft spreadable Bavarian cheese.

    It is probably not the one you are familiar with though 🙂 This cheese dip is so common that it is actually served in many German beer gardens in the U.S.

    This cheese dip recipe comes from a local beer garden in my area called Easy Tiger Bakery. It is very popular here and everyone always loves this dip.

    For authentic purposes, this is more of a pub cheese recipe with beer in it and it goes so so well with pretzels or spread on top of bread.

    Ingredients

    beer cheese dip ingredients
    • Cheddar cheese
    • Cream cheese
    • Beer, preferably a lager. Just make sure that you do not use a strong beer because it can overpower the other ingredients.
    • Garlic
    • Onion
    • Kosher salt
    • Pepper
    • Cayenne pepper
    • Mustard powder
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • Tabasco Sauce

    I know it seems like a lot of ingredients but it is just a little of this and a little of that with the spices. The bulk of the recipe is beer and cheese.

    The extra spice ingredient in this recipe help add to the depth of flavor in the recipe. Try not to skip adding these since they make all the difference in the taste.

    pub cheese dip

    How to Make Beer Cheese

    Making this pub style cheese is as simple as mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl. If you have made my pimento cheese dip, it is just as easy as that!

    The key to making this traditional pub cheese at home is making sure to make it ahead of time. One reason is you need to pour the beer into a container and allow the carbonation to fizzle out.

    This step can take about 1-2 hours. Another reason you want to make this pub cheese dip ahead of time is it needs a good 24 hours to set up in the fridge.

    This gives the cheese spread time to firm up and it allows the flavors to blend together.

    beer cheese dip

    What to Eat with Beer Cheese Dip

    When you are looking for ways to serve this pub style cheese dip, the best and my favorite way to use it is along side soft pretzels. The other very traditional way to serve this cheese dip is to spread it over bread.

    I like cutting up good quality sour dough bread slices into small bite sized pieces and serving those alongside the dip.

    You can also serve grilled kielbasa or vegetables to dip in for a more hearty meal.

    Faqs

    Does beer cheese taste like beer?

    Yes. When you make beer cheese, the beer is not cooked out so the flavor of beer that you use will be noticeable. That is why I prefer using a lager or lighter flavored beer when making this dip.

    How long does beer cheese last in the fridge?

    I like to store the beer cheese in the fridge for no more than 5 days.

    Does beer cheese have alcohol in it?

    Yes. Alcohol is present in the beer cheese dip. If you are unable to have alcohol you may want to use a non alcoholic beer for this recipe.

    What is the difference between beer cheese and pub cheese?

    Beer cheese and pub cheese often refer to the same thing. Pub cheese can have beer and it can also not have beer.

    pub cheese dip

    More Easy Appetizers For You

    • Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
    • Goat Cheese Crostini
    • Avocado Dip
    • Savory Ricotta Palmiers
    • Strawberry and Goat Cheese Crostini
    • Baked Brie en Croute with Jam
    • Ham and Ricotta Puff Pastry Calzones
    • Roasted Salsa
    • Loaded Nachos
    • Pizza Dough Pretzels
    beer cheese dip
    Print Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    Easy Beer Cheese Dip

    This easy and tasty beer cheese dip is the perfect dip for soft pretzels, veggies and bread and it makes the perfect appetizer.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Chilling Time8 hrs
    Total Time15 mins
    Servings: 3 cups

    Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!

    Author: Melissa

    Ingredients

    • ½ lb Shredded cheddar cheese
    • ½ cup Beer I prefer a lager
    • ¼ Onion minced
    • 2 ounces Cream Cheese softened
    • 1 Clove of garlic minced
    • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon Mustard powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
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    Instructions

    • Pour beer into a small bowl or glass to allow the effervescence to escape.
      ½ cup Beer
    • Add all of the ingredients except the beer into a food processor and pulse on low until all the ingredients are incorporated.
      ½ lb Shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ Onion, 2 ounces Cream Cheese, 1 Clove of garlic, ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce, ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon Mustard powder, ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne pepper, ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
    • Once mixed together, pour the beer down the chute of the food processor and pulse a few more times on low until the beer is worked through the dip evenly.
    • Pour into a medium bowl, cover and chill overnight.
    • Serve with pretzels, sliced veggies or bread.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 765mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1048IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 560mg | Iron: 0.2mg

    Nutrition Values are estimates only.

    See full nutrition disclaimer here
    Course :Appetizer, dip, entertaining, holidays

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Bill says

      October 20, 2022 at 5:06 pm

      5 stars
      Very easy to make and so full of flavor!

      Reply
    2. Jan says

      October 20, 2022 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      This was exactly what I was looking for. It tastes just like beer cheese I grew up eating.

      Reply
    3. Ella says

      October 20, 2022 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      It was perfect with the soft pretzels we bought.

      Reply

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    I am so excited you are here. My name is Melissa and I started this recipe website a few years ago to share recipes that I have been cooking for family and friends for years.

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