The Boozy Spread Your Burger Deserves

A classic burger is iconic for a reason — a juicy patty with lettuce and tomato, maybe a slice of cheese, and a squirt of ketchup. It's always good to return to the basics, but sometimes your burgers deserve a boozy upgrade. Enter beer cheese: the adults-only savory superstar that brings a new depth of flavor to a traditional patty.

While you can buy it at the store, beer cheese is relatively easy to make at home. You'll first need to make a roux as the base of the sauce, using butter and flour along with a bit of mustard for flair, before mixing in your beer. Be sure to stir constantly so the ingredients fully incorporate. Once smooth, add a generous amount of cheddar cheese until you have a thick sauce, and keep it warm to ladle over your burgers. 

While its origins are debated, beer cheese is commonly associated with German cuisine, and many argue that the best beer to use for beer cheese is one of German origin. German beers tend to have a more bread-like, malty flavor that adds a nice toasted undertone to the dairy. When combined with the umami of a tender beef patty, the result is a balanced blend of juicy and earthy notes. So, if you're looking to elevate a regular all-American cheeseburger, homemade beer cheese is a subtle but delicious solution.

One of the great things about making beer cheese at home is the potential for experimentation. While most recipes stick to sharp yellow cheddar, you can reach for a similarly hard and nutty cheese like Gruyère, which melts easily. In terms of alcohol, since many popular German and Oktoberfest beers are lagers, you could switch things up and opt for an American brown ale. These varieties tend to be more hoppy and bitter, which will add a touch of tang to your beer cheese.

Of course, you could always go all in on the German influence and make a pretzel burger with beer cheese. The bun will have a more yeasty taste that mimics the bready notes of the beer in your cheese spread, making the entire meal more cohesive. The pretzel dough also complements the richness of the cheddar, and you could even add some sauerkraut under the top bun for a lighter crunch. The result is a thick, creamy burger that's hard to pass up.

In the end, it's about finding the burger modification that's right for you — whether that means smothering the patty in a hoppy American beer cheese or making sliders to dip into a vat of classic cheddar. Just be sure to take your time mixing the roux, beer, and cheese to avoid clumping and separation, and keep the mixture warm for the best melty bite.