What is pub cheese?
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Pub cheese is a cold beer cheese dip with a spread like consistency. It consists of cheese blended with ale or lager and a variety of flavor contributing condiments, spices and herbs. Most commonly served with crackers and veggie sticks it 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. It is a classic bar snack, just like pickled eggs.
The best pub cheese has a soft, creamy consistency and a good balance of flavors (which is of course a highly subjective notion).
Because it is a delicacy popular across the country there are many pub cheese brands – numerous delis and grocery stores have their own house made versions.
Truth be told – the best one is the one you like the most. There are hundreds of recipes out there, most of them quite similar and given how easy it is to make and customize you have no reason not to experiment and create your own favorite.
Pub cheese does not require cooking (in that it is very similar to Obatzda) but typically the use of a food processor is involved.
Step 1. Place cheeses (shredded cheddar, cream cheese and if using spreadable cheese) and the chopped garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor and blend until combined.
Step 2. Add all the flavorings – except for the sea salt and chives. Process again to combine.
Step 3. Add the beer while processing until it is nicely incorporated.
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.
Step 4. Finally, transfer the mixture to a bowl, taste and fold in sea salt as needed and the chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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.
Even though primarily a dip, you can use it a spread and slather it on toast (topped with avocado), burger buns, 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.
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It's a popular game day and tailgate dip, but it's also known to appear on sandwiches or cheese plates. Read on to find out what pub cheese is, how it's made, and how it's distinct from beer cheese.
Pub cheese is a spreadable dip made from cheese, beer, and spices. Cheddar and Gouda are frequently used in pub cheese, and the addition of cream cheese helps make it more spreadable.
Pub cheese is smooth and works nicely as a condiment to add richness to your meals. It also provides a bold flavor profile depending on which spices and seasonings you choose. You can go super spicy with hot sauce and sriracha, as well as horseradish, or keep it more mild.
Pub cheese is typically made with a hearty dose of cheese, beer, and a medley of spices or horseradish, which adds a fiery kick and massive flavor punch. It has a creamy texture and is super versatile: You can use it as a dip, melt it over fries or nachos, or even use it as a condiment for burgers and sandwiches.
Most of the flavor comes from the cheese and beer: "A hoppy beer will produce a more bitter spread, while a pale lager won't give much flavor at all," says Jessica Formicola, Owner at Savory Experiments.
"A Cheddar will also be mild while a smoked Gouda or horseradish Cheddar will provide oodles of flavor," Formicola adds.
You can also try a vegan cheese, too. If you add vinegar and acidic ingredients, it'll be more sour, whereas using wine will make it more sweet. So, you can play around with what you add to the base. Nowadays, especially with store-bought brands, many pub cheese dips are made without beer.
You may include seasonings like garlic, herbs and onion, spices like cayenne, hot sauce or paprika, and meaty options like bacon bits for that savory feel.
Pub cheese is a spreadable cheese made with beer, but it can also be made without beer for a suds-free recipe. On the contrary, beer cheese always contains beer. So, while both spreadable dips may be identical at times, beer cheese will always be considered a pub cheese, but not all pub cheeses will be considered a beer cheese.
"If you are looking for a healthier store-bought option, I recommend President Sharp Cheddar Pub Cheese, which skips the 'processed cheese food' and uses real cheese," says Emily Ackerman, a food blogger and founder of A Pinch Of Adventure. Or you can DIY your own at home.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Pub Cheese
Related:
Beer cheese is a form of cold pack cheese, sometimes called crock cheese or club cheese. It's usually made from processed cheese or a blend of cheddar and other cheeses along with spices such as cayenne pepper, mustard powder, and garlic. Flattened beer imparts flavor and helps provide a smooth texture, giving the mixture its name. It's usually orange, either from the color of the original cheeses or by adding annatto coloring, which is what gives orange cheeses their signature hue.
Beer cheese isn't a type of cheese, but rather is made from various cheeses. It's thought to have originated in Kentucky in the 1930s as a salty snack to serve at bars. The Kentucky version is traditionally made with German lagers, but today it is often made with IPAs, stouts, and other craft brews.
Beer cheese is typically served with Saltine-style crackers and also often accompanied by sliced carrots and celery sticks, much like the ones that are served alongside Buffalo chicken wings.
Pub cheese is another type of spreadable cold pack cheese that is sometimes made with beer, and the terms pub cheese and beer cheese are sometimes used interchangeably. But pub cheese isn't always made with beer. The Presidente brand of pub cheese, for instance, doesn't include beer. So technically, all beer cheese is pub cheese, but not all pub cheese is beer cheese.
Another product that is sometimes described as beer cheese is a version of drunken cheese made with beer. This type of cheese is a solid cheese, usually firm or semi-firm, that is made by adding beer to the curds before pressing and shaping the cheese. The resulting cheese has a distinct flavor of beer and often a marbled appearance, depending on what type of beer is used. This type of beer cheese is a solid cheese, as opposed to beer cheese, which is a spread or dip.
Traditionally, beer cheese is a cold pack cheese spread, which means that it's made by combining cheeses with beer and other flavoring ingredients without heating or melting the cheese, and it's served cold (although it can be warmed up).
To make beer cheese, sharp cheddar is combined with processed cheese or other young, soft cheeses such as Monterey Jack or even cream cheese, then mixed with flat beer and seasonings including salt, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, garlic, and mustard. The combination is blended until smooth then chilled to let it solidify. Although it retains a slightly grainy appearance, its texture is actually quite smooth. In Kentucky, there's usually a mild version and a hot version.
Flat beer is traditionally used because beer cheese was originally made with leftover beer that had gone flat. If you're making beer cheese at home, it's a good idea to let your beer go flat first, otherwise it will foam up out of your food processor.
Some beer cheese recipes do involve melting the cheese along with beer and other ingredients, producing a cheese dip that resembles queso dip. It's melty and stretchy as opposed to cold and spreadable, and technically isn't a true Kentucky beer cheese.
If you can't find actual beer cheese, you can make your own at home using store-bought ingredients. Otherwise, use any other cold pack club cheese or cheese spread, with or without beer. Pub cheese is an especially good substitute.
In addition to serving beer cheese as a snack with crackers, pretzels, vegetable sticks, and other dippables, the spread can be made into soup or used as a topping on burgers and sandwiches. Beer cheese also adds flavor and moisture to baked goods such as breads and rolls.
Beer cheese should be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, where it will keep for three to four days. When buying store-bought cheese, simply leave it in its original container. Transfer homemade beer cheese to an airtight container.
Try making beer cheese at home or use beer cheese to make bread, soup, or fondue:
It's a popular game day and tailgate dip, but it's also known to appear on sandwiches or cheese plates. Read on to find out what pub cheese is, how it's made, and how it's distinct from beer cheese.
Pub cheese is a spreadable dip made from cheese, beer, and spices. Cheddar and Gouda are frequently used in pub cheese, and the addition of cream cheese helps make it more spreadable.
Pub cheese is smooth and works nicely as a condiment to add richness to your meals. It also provides a bold flavor profile depending on which spices and seasonings you choose. You can go super spicy with hot sauce and sriracha, as well as horseradish, or keep it more mild.
Pub cheese is typically made with a hearty dose of cheese, beer, and a medley of spices or horseradish, which adds a fiery kick and massive flavor punch. It has a creamy texture and is super versatile: You can use it as a dip, melt it over fries or nachos, or even use it as a condiment for burgers and sandwiches.
Most of the flavor comes from the cheese and beer: "A hoppy beer will produce a more bitter spread, while a pale lager won't give much flavor at all," says Jessica Formicola, Owner at Savory Experiments.
"A Cheddar will also be mild while a smoked Gouda or horseradish Cheddar will provide oodles of flavor," Formicola adds.
You can also try a vegan cheese, too. If you add vinegar and acidic ingredients, it'll be more sour, whereas using wine will make it more sweet. So, you can play around with what you add to the base. Nowadays, especially with store-bought brands, many pub cheese dips are made without beer.
You may include seasonings like garlic, herbs and onion, spices like cayenne, hot sauce or paprika, and meaty options like bacon bits for that savory feel.
Pub cheese is a spreadable cheese made with beer, but it can also be made without beer for a suds-free recipe. On the contrary, beer cheese always contains beer. So, while both spreadable dips may be identical at times, beer cheese will always be considered a pub cheese, but not all pub cheeses will be considered a beer cheese.
"If you are looking for a healthier store-bought option, I recommend President Sharp Cheddar Pub Cheese, which skips the 'processed cheese food' and uses real cheese," says Emily Ackerman, a food blogger and founder of A Pinch Of Adventure. Or you can DIY your own at home.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Pub Cheese
