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beer

Ridiculously Easy Pub Cheese

September 20, 2020 by Alyssa

Pub Cheese, beer Cheese, whatever you want to call it.  It’s delicious and can be ready to eat in less than 15-minutes.

This pub cheese recipe is an output of an Oktoberfest celebration where beer, cheese, and all things salty are meant to be consumed.

And it all started because I’m a huge pumpkin beer fan.  I love tasting allllll the pumpkin beers and luckily my neighbors agreed to host a social distance Oktoberfest celebration this past weekend where we sampled 20 different Oktoberfest beers and pumpkin ales (it was the best!).

Pub Cheese Served

To complement the beer we had some traditional Oktoberfest snacks like spätzel, sausages for currywurst, sauerkraut, pretzels, and this pub cheese.

Oktoberfest

Our beer lineup, there’s 19 here but a few more arrived post-photo.

In fact, one of our neighbor’s close friends (Hey Lydia!!!), who’s traveled to Germany many, many times claimed my pub cheese tasted much like what she had in Munich.

So this stuff is legit. Or close enough to it.

Either way, it’s good. And by the end of the night, there wasn’t a lick left in the bowl.

Pub Cheese on Pretzel

TBH, I’ve never made pub cheese before but as with all my recipes, I looked at a few different versions online before deciding on what mine would consist of.  It’s really quite simple and its 100% made in a food processor in less than 15-minutes.

But you need some flat beer.

Before beginning, you need to remember to remove your beer from the fridge, pop the top and, let it come to room temperature.  This is so the beer begins to flatten because you don’t want to pour fizzy beer into your food processor.

Pub Cheese Dip

You can also expedite this process by whisking the room-temp beer in a bowl to help deflate it.  Simply whisk it vigorously for 2-3 minutes.  Let it rest, and repeat 1-2 more times.  You are never going to get it completely flat but the overall frothiness of the beer should die down before you add it to the food processor.

As for the type of beer to use, I’d say any light beer or something amber would be great. I used what I had on hand.  However, I’d stay away from anything too robust like stouts, sours, or IPAs.

Other than that, this pub cheese is easy-peasy.  It goes great with veggies, crackers, or smeared on to a warm, salty pretzel if that’s your thing.  Plus it makes a huge batch so you’ll have plenty of leftovers.

Enjoy!

Pub Cheese Pin

Ridiculously Easy Pub Cheese
 
Save Print
Prep time
15 mins
Total time
15 mins
 
Author: Alyssa
Serves: 1.5 cups
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar
  • 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar
  • 2 large cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1.5 teaspoons dried ground mustard
  • .5 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce (like Frank's or Sriracha, I used Yellow Bird Blue Agave)
  • 6 ounces light or amber beer, room-temp and flattened
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sliced green onions or chives, optional for topping
  • veggies, crackers, or pretzels for serving
Instructions
  1. Deflate your beer by letting it stand at room temperature for a while or by whisking it in a bowl for 1-2 minutes, repeating a handful of times until it is no longer frothy. Set aside.
  2. Place the cheese and garlic in the food processor and pulse until crumbly.
  3. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, onion powder, and hot sauce. Pulse until combined.
  4. With the food processor running, stream in the flat beer until the mixture comes together. Add in the salt and pepper, pulsing again until combined. Taste and adjust salt & pepper seasoning to your liking.
  5. Place the pub cheese in a bowl for serving and top with green onion or chives.
3.5.3251

 

Filed Under: Beer, Snacks Tagged With: beer, oktoberfest, pub cheese, pumpkin ale

6 Positive Lifestyle Changes I Experienced during Dry January

February 1, 2018 by Alyssa

For the month of January, <3M and I gave up drinking, marking it a Dry January. Here’s what I learned during the month and the positive health changes that followed.

My decision to have a Dry January was not at all because <3M and I think we have a drinking problem, it was more just as a reset and a personal challenge. We saw Dry January as a fun health experiment and a way to save a bunch of money because we often go out for weekday happy hours and weekend meals that includes a few expensive rounds of drinks.

Dry January Rose

Now that January’s come to an end, I thought I’d share a few of the things I learned during Dry January and some of the positive health changes I noticed by cutting back my vino.

I found other ways to ‘wine down’ after work.

Before, it’d be a glass of wine while making dinner or mindlessly sipping on a glass of wine while I pounded out a few more work emails at the end of the night. It definitely wasn’t relaxing. In place of this, I started more self-care and found other ways to ease into my evening.

  • Spending with the dogs. I spent a lot more time with the pups, playing with them and their toys, cuddling, and longer, slower walks while listening to .
  • Coloring. Yup, adult coloring books. My mom gave me and a set of markers for Christmas, and I’ve really enjoyed coloring.
  • Reading. Not so many books but more magazines as I relaxed at night. I’m finally taking advantage of that  that includes digital magazines from Kindle.

My skin began to glow!

Less alcohol had a serious impact on my skin and I’m really loving the change.

  • Without alcohol, I’m drinking more water.
  • As a result, I’ve noticed a difference in my complexion. My skin simply looks cleaner and less red.  I also have fewer lines — probably because I’m truly hydrated.

Dry January Rose

Improved stomach health with fewer aches and pains.

I’ve always had stomach issues but by avoiding alcohol in January, I experienced fewer stomach pains than normal.  I’m not 100% sure if this is due to the lack of alcohol but it’s the only big change in my diet.

  • I’ve also been drinking lots of kombucha which is full of good for you probiotics that may have contributed to my improved stomach health.
  • Again, because I was well-hydrated all month long, the extra water may have helped with digestion and to flush any bad bacteria from my gut.
  • And overall (maybe a bit of an overshare) I definitely experienced less bloating. And, funny enough, I got my 23andme results back this month and learned I  have a slight intolerance to gluten, so this wasn’t too surprising that once I cut out beer (which is filled with gluten and I also naturally eat a low-gluten diet) my stomach aches decreased.

Town Lake Views

Better sleep quality where I slept deeper and dreamt more.

Before I was restless — either ridiculously tired but not able to sleep through the night or I had trouble falling asleep.

  • Now I’m falling asleep much more easily. Usually with 15-20 minutes of heading to bed!
  • I’ve had deeper sleep accompanied by vivid dreams since forgoing alcohol. Prior to January, I can’t remember having a lot of dreams but this month, I dreamt A LOT. Very vivid, deep dreams, probably because I finally hit REM sleep for an extended period of time.
  • I’m waking feeling more rested and am more alert throughout the day.  I also feel like my body clock has adjusted to a regular wake and sleep time without the alcohol stimulant so it’s become more natural.

Increased my workout intensity throughout the month.

I work out 4-5 days a week, depending on my schedule. Sometimes my workouts weren’t 100% and I felt like I was phoning it in, but this month all of my workouts felt strong and like I was making the most of my time.

  • I’ve felt a true difference in my workout stamina and ability to sustain a greater intensity during workouts – likely a byproduct of quality sleep and recovery.
  • As a result, I’m lifting heavier weights than in the months prior. I believe this is a result of better hydration and rest days truly being rest days allowing my muscles to repair themselves without having to process alcohol and soaking in the deeper sleep.

We fattened our wallets.

Saving money was a guaranteed outcome of participating in Dry January.

  • <3M and I spent more time in the kitchen cooking at home. It was quality time and gave us something different to do together. It also became something we both looked forward to each evening (or at least I did!).
  • I learned to enjoy happy hours while drinking Topo-Chico which helped me concentrate more on the people and conversation.
  • Although we saved money, <3M and I still ate out but we transitioned to day-dates on Saturdays or Sundays and I loved it! It was such a treat to go out in the middle of the day for a nice meal — and it was still affordable because we weren’t dropping money on drinks.

Now that the month’s over, I thought I’d be eager to start drinking again but the truth is, I love the lifestyle changes that came with Dry January and it’s something I’ll keep in mind throughout the rest of the year — possibly choosing to drink only when I truly feel like it.

So rather than jumping to pour a glass of wine on February 1st, maybe I’ll at least hold off until February 2nd to cheers my Dry January success.

Have you ever challenged yourself to a dry month? What did you learn from the experience, was it similar to mine?

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: alcohol, beer, drinking, dry january, health, wine

Hopdoddy: you secretly disappoint me

January 30, 2014 by Alyssa

I have this group of constant girlfriends here in my life in Austin.  And luckily, all of our guys get along rather well too! Maybe it’s due to their shared obsession with an Austin-based burger bar – hopdoddy.  So obsessed with the joint’s beefy “goodness” that they were willing to subject themselves to the torture of hopdoddy’s hottest, spiciest burger  to date – the ghostland burger.

For my own entertainment, I was sure to record their spicy venture into manhood.

So, even though they clearly didn’t enjoy the ghost burger, after this feat, their obsession with hopdoddy only grew. Part of their obsession is spelled out in its name itself.
Let me break it down for you….

hop: handcrafted beer [since they only serve local, craft beer]
AND
doddy: the nickname given to the Scottish cow [aka beef]

Therefore, hopdodddy = beer & beef

beer burgerhopdoddy consider burgers & beer to be the perfect culinary merger and they consider themselves the creator of THE perfect burger-beerr union.  Now, it definitely makes sense that the guys in my life would be drawn to a burger-beer place on a regular basis but what doesn’t make sense is why they’re drawn to hopdoddy over any other burger place in Austin.  Personally, I’ve only been left disappointed or frustrated during my visits and I’ve been dragged there often enough that I’m entitled to an opinion.

I realize I have a bit of a bias since I’m a “veggie loving hippie” but even if they served the world’s greatest veggie burger, I’m not sure I would ever visit hopdoddy solo without the friends-social aspect to persuade me.

So here’s my ode to hopdoddy, venting my frustrations.
Hopefully they hear me, and if anything, maybe they’ll take a suggestion or two….

hd logo

1. You make me stand in a line outside the restaurant only to get inside and stand in another line (for drinks) followed by a third line to order my food.
WHY AM I STANDING IN THREE DIFFERENT LINES?! I thought I was standing in the first line to order food. Alas, I was wrong, the first line was the line to get into the AC / heat (whatever be the season).  The second line is to mosey past the bar and out of boredom order a cocktail [the hopdoddy moneymaker line]. The third line is the line I thought I was waiting in all along – the line to order food [queue angels singing here].

line

2. When I’m about to about to step up and order my food, you hit pause and let other people move forward in front of me.
I get it, I came with 5 friends and you don’t have a table available to accommodate the 6 of us but it’s just plain sad that after I spent an hour and 8 minutes waiting in both of your lines, you push me to the side and force me to watch the 2-party patrons place their orders and wander to their seats. Couldn’t you at least let me and my friends get a soda or have a server get me a refill on my cocktail I paid $12 for?  I’m parched from standing in all three lines for so long and need something to entertain me while I continue to wait on the sideline – why not another drink or some pickles to pass the time!

3. Your drinks are weak and overpriced.
I know you aren’t in the business of mixing cocktails – you’re in the business of tapping beer and “spanking your patties because they like it” but that doesn’t mean you can’t attempt to pour a decent cocktail.
lil prickAt least your Lil Prick cocktail with tequila and prickly pear juice lives up to its name with only a little bit of tequila!  No worries though, its excessive use of hot pink prickly pear juice sure does make  up for that lack of alcohol!  [That color’s all natural too, right?  Just like you advertise all your other ingredients to be?]

4. Your  burgers fall apart when I pick them up.
How can I eat a burger in a bun when I pick it up and it crumbles to the the table?

I’m not talking about JUST the veggie burgers [though those have it the worst!].  Your spanked patties are overstuffed into your “made fresh daily” buns and any normal eating practices must be abandoned in order to consume the burger.  I’ve watched countless times as my own veggie burger crumbled apart and my friend’s burgers become a deconstructed burger salad. [That is a culinary trend these days, maybe that’s what you’re going for here?]

Could you at least start serving your burgers with a fork? That way we have something to eat it with when it falls apart?

Or better yet, here’s a suggestion – put those crumbly patties in a wrapper!
They work marvelously at holding things together. I bet you can even get compostable wrappers provided by a local vendor so it fits into your whole recycle, be green, get local theme you not so casually market throughout your entire restaurant and website.  [Yes, hopdoddy even have signs telling us which color straws are recyclable and which aren’t – make sure to get  each in its proper bucket after enjoying a milkshake]

5. Your specials don’t make me feel special.
Again, I get it, you’re a BURGER place and by tradition, burger means beef.  But if you’re going to offer a special, let’s offer a special every now and again that appeals to your veggie lovers because as I mentioned, we vegetarians are being dragged to hopdoddy by our beef loving, burger eating friends and family.

And for the record, that one time in December, when you offered the Janis Joplin as a vegetarian burger special,  doesn’t count because that used to be on your menu before you traded it out for that other veggie burger. [Both fall apart]

Screen Shot 2014-01-30 at 8.14.18 PM

[I agree, this Janis Joplin burger looks tasty – but not when you end up eating it in pieces off your tray as a  brown rice, avocado, bready mess]

Here’s my veggie burger suggestion for you, hopdoddy: Revisit your Janis Joplin veggie burger recipe, add in extra binder to hold it all together [a little egg white might help!] and pair it with some goat cheese, arugula, caramelized onions, sautéed roasted mushrooms and the truffle aioli you’ve already got goin’ on.  #Winning

6. Your servers are only allowed to bring little cups of pickles.
You know, for being so big on “living green” you would think that if your patrons want a boatload of pickles, you’d rather have your servers put it in the big queso cups.  This would reduce waste and make your servers more efficient because they wouldn’t be running back and forth to the kitchen for more pickles every time they revisit my table.

Do the math: Big Cups of Pickles = Less Waste = More Efficient Servers = Happy Customers. Sounds simple to me. [And here’s where I compliment you hopdoddy –  you do pickles right which is why the big cups are a necessity, especially for your vegetarian diners]

Image7. Your salads are pathetic and will never constitute as a meal.
Before I tell you why your salads are pathetic, I do want to applaud you for at least attempting to put a salad on the menu at a burger joint!  But let’s be honest, these are more like oversized garnishes with a few hidden treasures. Your salads are nothing more than a bed of greens, with a dusting of cheese, and a sprinkling of “salad accents.”

The “salad accents” are so sparse that they get lost in the greens. To make your salad a bit more filling – why don’t you be a bit more heavy handed on the accents, include a denser vegetarian protein, and a toasted bun on the side.

By the looks of your salad, it seems you think salad is synonymous with anorexic but you’re wrong.  If I order a salad at a burger restaurant, I still want it to be filling WITHOUT having to add a burger, chicken, tuna or veggie patty on top.
 
salad Here’s my salad suggestion for you, hopdoddy: Go Greek.  You have all the basic ingredients already – start with your spinach & arugula base, add in some goat cheese, kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, hardboiled egg and a side of tzatziki or hummus (which can serve dual purpose by adding it to your current Greek burger or a future veggie burger special).  Toast up half a wheat roll cut into triangles sprinkled with paprika and you’ll have an all-star salad. #Winning…Again.

——-

Again, hopdoddy, I don’t hate you I’m just disappointed and tired of leaving frustrated and unfulfilled.  Granted, we all know I’ll be back, dragged there by my fiance or group a friends.  You’ll know it’s me, because I’l be the one making all the modifications.

Screen Shot 2014-01-30 at 8.08.56 PM

Filed Under: Austin, Restaurants Tagged With: austin, beer, burger, hopdoddy

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Hi, I’m Alyssa! I’m a foodie with a sweet tooth and an obsessed dog-mom! On the blog you’ll find a little bit of everything – it’s heavy on dessert, wine, and life in Austin, Texas with a sprinkling of lifestyle.

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