A Bit Of Beer Makes This Classic Party Appetizer Brighter And Bolder

Beer is one of the keys to seamless party prep, and that's not just because sipping on a cold one makes the tedious parts oh so much better. There are plenty of appetizer recipes full of beer, and it really turns up the wow factor on arguably the most important dish on the list: chips and salsa. Salsa borracha is the recipe in Mexican cuisine with beer already built in, and it uses a Mexican lager to infuse flavor and improve texture in both red and green salsas. You can make salsa with whatever ingredients you have, though, and the beer you choose to add makes a difference in the final taste.

In an interview with The Takeout, chef Todd Garrigan of Lillian's Petite Market & Eatery in Charleston, South Carolina, explained how to fine-tune your beer choice to the flavors in your homemade salsa. He pointed out the best strategy is to match the flavor profile of the beer and the salsa's ingredients. "A crisp, light beer could add a lightness to a salsa, while a richer, more malty beer would deepen the flavor and bring out sweetness if the salsa contained caramelized items," Garrigan explained. "For a salsa cruda, a lager, or some sort of radler or shandy for the citrus," he recommended. The bright, herbal, and acidic notes of a salsa cruda with ingredients like raw tomatillos, fresh cilantro, fiery green chiles, and bright lime juice pair well with the bittersweet combination of beer and lemonade.

There are two ways to create a beer-infused salsa that'll have party guests talking long after you call it a night. If you want your salsa to have a real kick, add the beer in at the end without cooking – put it in the blender with your roasted tomatoes or tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, and other fresh ingredients. To cook off the alcohol and keep all the flavor, simmer it together with your roasted or sauteed vegetables for at least 5 minutes for the flavors to mesh. However you're making salsa, don't forget to let it rest so the flavors can intermingle and create a cohesive-tasting dish.

The amount of beer you'll use in your salsa is flexible. Recipes range from using a few ounces to a whole can or bottle, depending on how big of a batch it is and how much you want the flavor of the beer to come through. Many creators online measure with intuition instead of going by a recipe; they just open up a beer and pour part in at the beginning of the cooking process and the rest in at the end. You get to choose how boozy your dip is going to be – just be sure you don't add too much beer to the mix or the salsa could get too runny.