When one thinks of cooking with liquor, one might think of cognac in beef glazes or perhaps Grand Marnier on Crepes Suzette. Beer tends to be a chili kind of ingredient, not as fancy as a tenderloin glaze with a handsome VSOP. You won't find beer in French cuisine, and that's too bad. Over here in America we do things different.

Beer has a reputation for being very down to earth, very blue collar. It is made from earthy ingredients like yeast, hops, wheat and barley, which is why beer goes well in earth dishes like chili, and pairs well with simple foods like burgers, pizza, and chili. I'm starting to sense a chili theme.

Personally, I think the French have it all wrong. Beer and its multitude of varieties have so much flavor and complexity; it can add such a wide range of flavors to whatever you are cooking. And that's besides the alcohol.

Beer has often been a good match for barbeque, both in it and with it. So here is my recipe for Beer can chicken, also known as beer in the butt chicken. That's kind of crass, so I just call it Beer-B-Q Chicken.

Beer-B-Q chicken
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 can regular beer
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- Olive oil
- Your grill
- Can opener or kitchen shears

Trim the chicken as you would normally. Set it aside. Open the beer and drink half. No really, drink half the beer. Then take your can opener or kitchen shears and cut the top off the can. Add the onion and garlic to the beer.

With the can standing up, lower the chicken down onto the can, fully inserting the can into the cavity. Was it good for you? Coat the chicken with a thin layer of olive oil.

There are products on the market that help to keep the chicken upright and to catch the drippings. If you don't have one, just do your best to keep the chicken upright. Finally, cook the chicken as you would normally on your grill.