What kind of beer in beer cheese soup?

[Joey P]

I'm making* a Beer Cheese soup at work, I need a Wisconsin beer for it. My plan was to use a Cream Ale (http://newglarusbrewing.com/Beers.cfm?BeerID=7), but as it turns out I sold out of this one. So, do I go with a Brown (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/9900) or an Oktoberfest (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/6075)?
I've never had a Beer Cheese soup, so I'm not sure if it goes better with something with a little bite or something malty and smooth.

*and by "making" I mean reconstituting...with beer.

[silenus]

Go with the malt over the hops. Oktoberfest is good, as is a Helles.

[Swords to Plowshares]

Depends on the cheese, really. Malty lagers and darker ales would be fine. An American pale ale would probably work fine too, but nothing more bitter than that.

[Joey P]

Never got around to doing this so I'm bumping it. Personally, I like cooking with Guinness, but I'm aiming to use a Wisconsin beer and I don't have any Wisconsin Stouts on hand. My choices are a cream ale, a brown ale or porter.

For those of you in the Midwest I'm looking at
New Glarus Spotted Cow
New Glarus Fat Squirrel
Ale Asylum Contorter Porter

[silenus]

In that case use the Brown. The Porter will likely have too much roasted grain in the malt bill to make for a smooth flavor in the soup, and the Cream will just get lost.

[Joey P]

In that case use the Brown. The Porter will likely have too much roasted grain in the malt bill to make for a smooth flavor in the soup, and the Cream will just get lost.

That was my plan. If I was making something a stew I'd go with a Stout or a Porter or a Brown without a second though, but I've never made a cheese soup. Besides, it's only three bottles to make a gallon of soup, so I'm not too worried.

[Swords to Plowshares]

Mind sharing the recipe?

[pulykamell]

I agree with brown ale. I'm not a fan of brown ales for drinking, but they're perfect for most any dish that needs beer.

[Joey P]

Mind sharing the recipe?

1/2 gallon frozen beer cheese soup concentrate
1/4 gallon water
1/4 gallon beer