# Beer batter **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [August 12, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991 "2013-08-12T01:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/1 "2013-08-12T01:33:24Z")
I made fish’n’chips for dinner tonight. I always use Newcastle Brown Ale, because I’ve always used it. What kind of beer do you like to use in your beer batter? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/2 "2013-08-12T01:46:50Z")
Honestly, I’ve never really found it to make much of a difference. I try to use something that is not too hoppy, but, other than that, one beer is as good as another. Newcastle is a good, neutral choice. Even with a cheap beer like Old Style, it works fine. I personally think the stronger the carbonation, the better. ETA: I haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve always wanted to try beer batter with a gueuze. It’s got both a lively carbonation and a fairly strong sourness to it that I think would pair particularly well with fish. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/3 "2013-08-12T02:05:58Z")
For what ever reason I tend to go with an IPA. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/4 "2013-08-12T13:15:43Z")
I’ve been tempted to use Guinness, but I’m not sure it would work. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/5 "2013-08-12T13:52:00Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve been tempted to use Guinness, but I’m not sure it would work. Guinness works fine, and is not an uncommon for beer batter. It’d be fun to do a side-by-side comparison using various beers. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/6 "2013-08-12T13:54:12Z")
We use Yuengling Black and Tan or Lager, whatever we have on had. Always made a good beer batter. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/7 "2013-08-12T20:28:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Honestly, I’ve never really found it to make much of a difference. I try to use something that is not too hoppy, but, other than that, one beer is as good as another. Newcastle is a good, neutral choice. Even with a cheap beer like Old Style, it works fine. I personally think the stronger the carbonation, the better. > > ETA: I haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve always wanted to try beer batter with a gueuze. It’s got both a lively carbonation and a fairly strong sourness to it that I think would pair particularly well with fish. I haven’t used them in beer batter, but I love a geueze or a Flemish sour beer with a fish fry. A great complement to malt vinegar, if you’re using it. I just came in here to say that I recently leaned about using pancake mix for beer batter and wanted to spread the word. It works wonderfully! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/8 "2013-08-12T20:31:48Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > I just came in here to say that I recently leaned about using pancake mix for beer batter and wanted to spread the word. It works wonderfully! Ar? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/9 "2013-08-12T20:35:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Ar? 😕 I assume he means pancake mix + beer to batter. Some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had were battered in churros batter (made with water, I assume, but no reason beer wouldn’t work fine.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/10 "2013-08-12T20:54:42Z")
Whatever is in the fridge. At the moment that would be Negra Modelo, but anything works. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/11 "2013-08-12T21:15:24Z")
I used Special Export once because it was allwe had and to this day it’s what I use. I don’t particularly like to drink it but for beer batter it just seems to work. It also works well in Flemish beef stew if you don’t wan to use something heavy. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/12 "2013-08-13T14:21:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I assume he means pancake mix + beer to batter. Some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had were battered in churros batter (made with water, I assume, but no reason beer wouldn’t work fine.) Yes, that is what I meant. Pancake mix plus beer=divine beer battered fish. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-batter/665991/13 "2013-08-13T15:40:37Z")
It doesn’t really matter. [What the beer adds is CO2, foaming agents, and alcohol](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=beer-batter-is-better).