Football craziness has begun and what with having friends over to enjoy the matches, we absolutely need to be sorted with food and drinks! So why not be original with these 3 epic beer inspired cocktail recipes and 3 delicious BBQ sauce recipes for those barbecued finger foods that you no doubt will be serving up to feed your guests!

 

The Michelada

 

A classic beer based cocktail, native to Mexico!

 

Ingredients:

 

¼ cup. salt

 

1 tsp. chili powder

 

1 lime (juice & 1 lime slice)

 

1/3 cup tomato juice

 

2 cups ice

 

4 drops hot sauce e.g. Tabasco

 

4 drops Worcestershire sauce

 

1 bottle of Mexican beer

 

Method:

 

In a shallow dish, mix the chili powder and salt. Next, take your slice of lime and rub it along the rim of your beer glass, then turn the glass over and dip it into your chili/salt mix so that it coats the rim of your glass. 

 

Place your ice into the glass and then pour in the remaining ingredients (adding the beer last). Stir gently so that all the ingredients mix together properly but not so vigorously that they overflow. Garnish with a lime slice.

 

Ginger Island

 

A robust drink with subtle gingery spiciness! So good!

 

Ingredients:

 

60 ml white rum

 

150 ml ginger beer

 

15 ml lime juice

 

1 drop of vanilla essence

 

Method:

 

In a glass full of ice, combine all ingredients and mix gently. Garnish with a slice of lime.

 

Cerveza Nicola

 

A very unique and brilliantly flavored drink!

 

Ingredients:

 

15 ml Campari

 

15 ml vodka

 

1 bottle of beer

 

1 slice of orange

 

Method:

 

In a tall glass with ice, mix the Campari and vodka. Then, pour in your beer and decorate with a slice of orange.

 

 

Zing up your grilled chicken or meat with one of these brilliantly flavored barbecue sauces!

 

Simple BBQ sauce

 

Ingredients:

 

2 cups ketchup

 

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

 

¼ cup brown sugar

 

2 tbsps. molasses (or honey)

 

2 tbsps. mustard

 

1 tbsp. Tabasco

 

1 tbsp. BBQ spice

 

½ tsp. black pepper

 

Method:

 

In a nonstick skillet, combine all ingredients and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the temperature to medium-low and stir gently until the sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes. And, it’s ready to use! For storage purposes, transfer the sauce to a clean glass container and keep it in the refrigerator (where it can be stored for a few months).

 

Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

 

Ingredients:

 

1 tbsp. cooking oil

 

1 small white onion, chopped (about ½ cup)

 

3 cloves of minced garlic (should make about 1 tbsp.)

 

2/3 cup Hoisin sauce

 

½ cup ketchup

 

1/3 cup sherry

 

1/3 cup vinegar

 

¼ cup honey

 

2 tbsps. soy sauce

 

1 tbsp. Sriracha

 

½ tsp ground black pepper (Szechuan pepper works great!)

 

½ tsp. ground white pepper

 

¼ tsp. Chinese five spice powder

 

Method:

 

Heat your oil in a pan over medium heat. Add your onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add your garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until aromatic.  

 

Next, throw in the hoisin sauce, ketchup, sherry, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, Sriracha, both peppers and Chinese five spice. Mix them all together and allow to come to a boil.  Then, reduce the heat to low and braise until the sauce thickens, about 15-20 minutes, stirring intermittently.

 

Once cooked, put your sauce in n a blender and blend until smooth.  , let it cool down, the guard in a glass container and we keep in the refrigerator. It can be kept up to one month.

 

Cherry Barbecue Sauce

 

Ingredients:

 

2 tbsps. butter

 

1 medium white onion

 

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

 

2 cup tomato sauce

 

1 ½ cups frozen cherries (freeze them 2-3 days before use), coarsely cut, seedless

 

2/3 cup brown sugar

 

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

 

¼ cup molasses (or honey)

 

¼ cup cider vinegar

 

1 tsp chili powder

 

½ tsp powdered mustard

 

2 tsp salt

 

2 tsp white pepper

 

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

 

Method:

 

Melt your butter in a skillet, over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

 

Add the tomato sauce, cherries, brown sugar, orange juice, molasses, cider vinegar, chili powder, mustard, salt, white pepper and cayenne and mix well. Bring to boiling point, and then reduce your heat to simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

 

Once cooked, transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. Then, bring it to room temperature and transfer it to a glass container and refrigerate. It can be kept for up to a month.