Irish Beer Bread Is The Perfect Snack For Enjoying A Cold Guinness

When you take your first sip of an ice-cold Guinness Draught, your tongue is instantly met with sweet, creamy, and hoppy flavors as you inhale an aroma of fruity, malty scents. This pint is a classic for a reason and was our number two pick for the best Guinness beers overall. If you're looking for new ways to enjoy your favorite brew, a slice of bread — specifically, Irish beer bread — is the perfect snack to reach for. Not only does this loaf pair beautifully with a cold pint, but it incorporates a good amount of the brew into the batter itself.

No matter which brand you use, there's a good reason to pour beer into your bread batter. Since the libation contains yeast, it can help your loaf rise by reacting with flour and baking powder. In Tasting Table's recipe for Irish beer bread developed by Christina Musgrave, the 12 ounces of Guinness included does just that. But, in addition to its technical contributions, the dark brew also brings all of its complex flavors, making this loaf a subtle mix of nutty and sweet tastes. If you are enjoying a slice with a Guinness, the bread's flavor isn't so overwhelming that you'll get sick of the beer, but it does make the perfect snack for soaking up your pint.

Since your Guinness will bring plenty of yeast, you don't need any extra to make this Irish beer bread. The recipe has a relatively short ingredient list, which just includes flour, baking powder, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, salted butter, and the brew itself. What you will need, however, is for the bottle of beer to be at room temperature before you start mixing. And while we, of course, prefer Guinness here, you can replace it with your favorite stout beer if you'd prefer.

Making the batter couldn't be easier: all you need to do is mix the dry ingredients together, then slowly pour in the beer, stirring as you go. While you can stick to the basic recipe, which will turn out delicious, feel free to also mix some garlic powder, onion powder, and shredded cheddar in with your dry ingredients, which will turn this loaf into more of a cheddar beer bread. Whichever way you do it, feel free to spread some herby melted butter over the top of your masterpiece when it emerges from the oven, and enjoy slices with extra pats of butter as you sip on your creamy Guinness.