Cheddar Cheese Beer Dip

featuring Pedernales Brewery’s Lobo Texas Lager

8-10 servings:

• 2 (8 oz) packages Hytop cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup beer
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix
• 2 cups Hytop fancy shredded mild cheddar cheese
• Pretzels, crackers, or chips

Place cream cheese, beer, and ranch dressing mix in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the cheddar cheese and mix on low until blended. If the dip is too thick, add a little more beer and mix well.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Sweet and Spicy Beer Braised Sausage 

featuring Pedernales Brewery’s Lobo Negro Black Lager

12 servings:

• 2 links (14 oz packages) smoked sausage or smoked jalapeño sausage
• 1 cup brown sugar, divided
• 12 oz. Lobo Negro Black Lager beer

Preheat the oven to 325F. Slice each link of sausage into ½” pieces. Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray. Add the sliced sausage and half the brown sugar. Pour the beer over the sausage. Stir the mixture a bit, cover with foil, and bake in preheated oven for 1 ½ - 2 hours. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and stir. Reduce oven to 250F and bake sausage another 2 hours, stirring occasionally to baste the sausage in the sauce. Serve warm.

  Recipe courtesy Kate Rudasill.