There’s something so satisfying about firing up the grill, sipping cold beer, and cooking up some burgers and brats. It’s easy to send the gift of a backyard cookout with Hickory Farms flavors. Adding some deliciously unexpected toppings and expertly paired Goose Island beers takes the experience to the next level.

We’ve teamed up with guest blogger and cookbook author Jesse Valenciana to help you build the perfect backyard feast and find the best beers to pair with your meal.



BURGERS



Classic Burger

burger and beer

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: 312 Dry-Hopped

Jesse’s pairing notes: Dry-Hopped’s lemony and almost-grassy notes round off the “fresh from the garden” flavors in this burger. Have a sip, take a bite, and that’s what summer is supposed to taste like, folks.



Chipotle Burger

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: Natural Villain Lager

Jesse’s pairing notes: Natural Villain has its work cut out with the chipotle and jalapeño peppers in this burger. Never fear, the subtle malt sweetness and crisp finish in this lager cuts right through that heat and leaves you wanting more.



Smoky Burger

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: Goose IPA

Jesse’s pairing notes: Goose IPA is a great balance of hops and malts; the sweet malts accentuate the BBQ sauce and the grilled onions, while the hops in the beer balance all of that sweetness.



Bacon Burger

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: Old Man Grumpy Pale Ale

Jesse’s pairing notes: Old Man Grumpy is a great pale ale with a wonderful touch of hop bitterness that amplifies the hot pepper in the bacon jam and enough malt sweetness to keep the heat from getting too hot. The hops come back into play, cutting and cruising through the richness of the bacon, cheddar, and avocado.



Spicy Hawaiian Burger

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: Next Coast IPA

Jesse’s pairing notes: Next Coast is driven by some wonderfully tropical hop flavors that will join the grilled pineapple and Honey Pineapple Mustard in taking your taste buds on an exotic flavor vacation. A proper vacation isn’t complete without some warmth: the bitterness in Next Coast will make that jalapeño heat pop enough for you to not forget it’s there.



SLIDERS



Bahn Mi Slider

burger and beer

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: 312 Wheat Ale

Jesse’s pairing notes: 312 Wheat Ale has nice, lemony flavors that help keep the heat of the Sriracha Mustard at bay, while at the same time helping brighten the slider alongside the cilantro and crisp cucumber.



Smokehouse Slider

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: Natural Villain Lager

Jesse’s pairing notes: Natural Villain’s effervescence lightens up and scrubs the palate after a slider bite full of creamy Horseradish Sauce. The beer’s malts have a wonderful flavor interplay with the rich Smoked Gouda. It’s magical!



Spicy Jalapeño Slider

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: 312 Dry-Hopped

Jesse’s pairing notes: 312 Dry-Hopped has a rich creaminess and delicate hop notes that perfectly extinguish that hot, hot heat from the pepper jack spread and jalapeños.



Sweet & Sour Slider

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: SPF

Jesse’s pairing notes: SPF takes your taste buds to a faraway, sunny island with its pleasant sweetness from the passion fruit that plays perfectly with the pineapple and Sweet & Sour Sauce on that slider! The green onion keeps it from being too sweet so you can have more than one.



BRATS



BBQ Slaw Brat

Try these toppings:

  • Carolina-style barbecue sauce
  • Green & purple cabbage slaw
  • Classic bun

Enjoy it with: Old Man Grumpy Pale Ale

Jesse’s pairing notes: Old Man Grumpy has a delicate malt character that balances the tangy kick from the Lillie’s Q Gold sauce and the hop bitterness will cut through the richness of the brat.



Hero Brat

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: Goose IPA

Jesse’s pairing notes: Goose IPA is a bold beer with its bold hops and strong malt finish, so it needs to be paired alongside a dish with strong flavors to keep up. Ready for the challenge is the Hero brat with its pickled red onions and Honey Pineapple Mustard, flavors that can perfectly keep up with the boldness of Goose IPA.



Avo-Brat-O

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: Green Line Pale Ale

Jesse’s pairing notes: Green Line is the go-to pale ale that wants to make friends with whatever you’re eating. This beer, perfectly balanced with its subtle malts and earthy hops, is ready to sit back and let this tasty brat topped with Cranberry Mustard and avocado take the wheel!



Sweet & Spicy Brat

Try these toppings:

Enjoy it with: Next Coast IPA

Jesse’s pairing notes: Next Coast’s tropical hop flavors accentuate the mango/fruit pico and the bitterness kicks the Sriracha mustard into high gear; resulting in a finely balanced sweet and spicy delight.



German-Style Brat

Try these toppings:

  • Spicy Brown Mustard
  • Sauerkraut
  • Classic bun

Enjoy it with: 312 Dry-Hopped

Jesse’s pairing notes: 312 Dry-Hopped has a wonderful creaminess to its body which is the perfect palate buffer when you’re enjoying a brat with the funkiness of sauerkraut the spiciness of this brown mustard.

You can find even more delicious meats, cheeses, and condiments at hickoryfarms.com!

 

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