If y’all know anything about me, you know I love cheese. All kinds of cheese. Did you know there is such a thing as Kentucky beer cheese? I grew up eating this delicious dip pretty much every day as an after school snack. It wasn’t until I went to college in Alabama that I realized it was a Kentucky specialty. Beer cheese is a creamy, spicy dip made with, well, beer and cheese. You’re likely to find it at any UK football or Keeneland tailgate.
I got a recipe for Hall’s beer cheese, my favorite brand and a staple in Lexington, years ago from my grandmother. I’ve tweaked it a bit and toned down the spice a tad. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s entirely made in the food processor, so there’s very little manual labor! Just throw everything in and press a button. Check out the recipe below.
- 1 pound block of sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 - 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 bottle full-flavored beer*
- At least one hour before you're ready to start making your dip, open beer and let sit on counter (weird, I know, but stale beer works better!)
- Add onion to food processor and pulse until finely minced.
- Add all spices to processor.
- Chop cheese into two inch cubes; add one cube to processor at a time while pulsing.
- Slowly pour in beer while pulsing until you reach a creamy consistency and no chunks of cheese remain. I usually use about half a bottle of beer or a little less.
- Serve with crackers, pretzels, carrots and celery sticks. I'm a Wheat Thins gal! Store leftovers in fridge.
- *I would avoid using a light beer. Since it's almost Cinco de Mayo, I used Modelo this time, but also love Kentucky Ale. A good old Budweiser works too.
Are you a convert yet? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Biscuits & blessings,
Leels
We love the beer cheese from Hall’s!! Would you consider sending me that recipe? Not to take away from your recipe at all, I just know my husband loves the stuff from Hall’s! Thanks!!
Hi Jill! This recipe is the alleged recipe from Hall’s!
Never was onion in Halls (Allmans’) beer cheese! First I ate was back in the 50’s. The original recipe contained beer,garlic powder,red pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Old Dover Cheese food which was bought at Kings Food on Manchester St. in Lexington Ky. Doubt if you can find that cheese now. Beer back then had a totally different taste than it does now. Ate a ton on deep fried Banana peppers. The original recipe came from a man with the last name of Lily. That was many many moons ago.
Thanks for sharing Stewart! I’ll have to ask my grandmother about that!
Halls absolutely did not have onions in it.. I’m 75+ And visited Johnny Allmans restaurant many many times. MOF I was in there a couple of nights before it burnt.
Johnnies brother Joe was given credit for the recipe to begin with but a few people know who came up with it. It was a Mr. Lily who originally gave the recipe to Joe. I will post the original ingredients but I won’t post the amounts.
Old Dover processed cheese food ( no longer available) from Kings Food in Lexington
Stale full strength beer
Garlic powder
Worchestershire sauce
Cayenne pepper
That’s it,nothing fancy. I can tell you one thing for sure,the stuff they’re marketing now for Halls ain’t even close to what it used to be. Way too much garlic and even the texture is wrong .
Original recipe given to Joe Allman many many moons ago by a fellow by the name of Mr. Lily. He gave it to Johnny who served it at his restaurants until it burned in the late 70s and then on to Halls. MOF I made the fire at the restaurant when I was on the Fire dept in Lexington. The original recipe has not that many ingredients. I will tell you what they are but not the amounts.
Old Dover Sharp processed cheese food …it was bought from Kings Food in Lexington
Full strength stale beer
Garlic powder
Worchestershire sauce
Cayenne pepper
I still make it occasionally and it’s pretty much dead on what Halls used to be not the stuff now,too much garlic. I use Gordon’s Food sharp processed cheese because Dover isn’t available anymore. Regular cheese has too much butterfat in it and will seperate after a while
Pingback: Southern Pig Taters ⋆ That One Mom
Yum, great idea!