Cooking with Light Beers

• Mild pale ales and pilsners can be used in many ways in the kitchen. In general, they won't impart a strong flavor to your final dish, but will create a mild undertone of beer flavor in dishes like queso or beer cheese soup and chili. In addition, the bubbly texture of lighter ales and pilsners can add a great springy texture to batter to coat fish or chicken in before frying. If you're looking for a liquid to deglaze a pan after sauteeing meats or vegetables, these lighter beers won't add a ton of flavor but can definitely do the job. Finally, these lighter beers make great marinating fluids for meats in conjunction with onions and other flavorings.

IPAs: Light in Appearance, Bitter in Flavor

• IPAs might look like pale ales or pilsners, but have a far more hoppy, bitter flavor. If you're a fan of the strong, herbal tones in IPAs and would love to enjoy them alongside cheesiness or meat, then you can use IPAs in similar recipes. You may want to try adding a smaller amount at a time to make sure you don't overdo it.

Porters and Stouts for Big Flavor

• The dark side of the brew can add incredible depth of flavor to many types of dishes. Keep in mind though that, unlike in the case of lighter beers, the flavors of dark porters and stouts will definitely pronounce themselves in the final dish. In savory applications, these darker beers can make a uniquely delicious chili or braising liquid for a pork shoulder roast. Porters and stouts -- with their coffee and chocolate notes -- also play naturally well with many chocolate desserts. You can use porters and stouts in chocolate cakes, mousses, ice creams and more.

Other Types of Beer

• Cooking with other types of beer -- such as yeasty Belgians, lambics or seasonal pumpkin or Christmas-spiced brews -- is more about what types of flavors you're interested in infusing into your dish. If you're making pumpkin quick bread, a splash of a pumpkin porter can add a surprisingly delicious new dimension. If you're making a cherry pie, a fruity lambic can add complex sour and fruity flavors. If you want to add one of these unconventional beers to a recipe that doesn't call for beer, just replace it for some of the liquid in the recipe.