Boozy BBQ Recipes with Greater St. Cloud

Now that the sun shines a little longer and the temps burn a little hotter, we have one thing on our mind: BBQ! There’s just something so satisfyingly summer about marinating some meat, firing up the grill, and sipping on a cold one while you cook up a storm. But what if we told you that your next BBQ could be even better – and include some great locally-brewed Greater St. Cloud drinks! All of these recipes feature a local beer, wine or liquor, and all of them will make your next backyard BBQ even tastier!

Jump to Recipes:
St. Cloud Sangria

Summer in a cup, doesn’t get much better than that!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 apple (cored, chopped into small pieces)
  • ½ orange (rind on, sliced into small pieces, seeds removed)
  • 3-4 Tbsp sugar
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/3 cup brandy (or Rum)
  • 1 bottle of Millner’s winery “Neuhaus” or “Goes well with Pot Roast” Red wines Find Some Here
  • Berries & mint leaves for garnish
  • ~1 cup Ice to chill

Directions:

Add apples, oranges, and sugar to a large pitcher and muddle with a muddler or wooden spoon for 45 seconds.

  1. Add orange juice and brandy (or Rum) and muddle again to combine for 30 seconds.
  2. Add red wine and stir to incorporate, then taste and adjust flavor as needed. Stir to combine.
  3. Add ice and stir once more to chill. Serve as is, or with a bit more ice. Garnish with orange segments, berries, and/or mint leaves (optional).
  4. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, though best when fresh.
Backyard Beaver Island Beer Brats

Beer and brats, the BBQ basics!

Ingredients:

  • Brats from a local meat market (Manea’s Meats, McDonald’s Meats, St. Joe Meat Market, Grand Champion Meats. Von Hanson’s Meats)
  • 1 Onion (peeled, chopped)
  • 2-3 Bay leaves
  • 1 growler of Beaver Island Ripple beer (Minus a pint for consumption while grilling) or one 12 oz can for every 3-4 Bratwursts Find a Store

Directions:

  1. Combine the beer, onions and bay leaf in the large pot. Turn the heat to high to bring the beer to a boil.
  2. Prick the ends of each brat with a toothpick. Add the brats to the beer.
  3. Reduce the heat to simmer. Let the brats soak for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the brats from the beer bath. Grill or cook as desired.
Pantown Pretzel & Beer Cheese Dip 

Makes about 4 cups of deliciously cheesy and beery dip. Don’t forget the pretzels!

Ingredients:

  • A growler of your favorite Pantown Brewing company beer (about 6 oz), we recommend the Classic Cream Ale (due to limited stock, substitution with an IPA also works great).
  • 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 (8oz) bricks of cream cheese
  • 1 packet of ranch dressing mix.
  • 1/4 cup real bacon bits (optional)

Directions:

  1. Use an electric stand mixer to mix this dip. If you don’t have one, you can also do by hand, this will work up more of an appetite for the final product.
  2. Start by placing the 2 bricks of cream cheese in your mixing bowl.
  3. Pour about 6 oz of beer into the bowl (this is about ¾ cup)
  4. Next add your 2 cups of cheese and ranch mix.
  5. Mix together until smooth. Add bacon bits if desired.
  6. Add more beer if you prefer thinner dip. Refrigerate dip for about an hour and serve!
  7. You can serve this dip with Pita chips, crackers, veggies, or our favorite is to order
Milk and Honey Cider Chicken 

One cup of cider for the sauce, one (or 5) glasses of cider for yourself.

Ingredients:

  • Your favorite cut of Chicken (whole, pieces, breasts)

Cider BBQ Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion (finely diced)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup Milk & Honey Ciders “Heirloom” cider *available at these liquor stores, shipped to you or to-go at the cidery during operational hours
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mustard
  • 1 Jalepeno, minced

Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan
  2. Add onion and garlic, stirring until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the ketchup, hard cider, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Jalapeno, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.
  4. cook over low heat (approx. 20 mins) until thickens and is gooey.
  5. Grill your preferred cut of chicken on the grill as desired adding Cider BBQ sauce at the end, continue to cook with sauce on until caramelized. Serve extra sauce for dipping.

Third Street Shrimp Skewers

A golden lager + summery shrimp flavors = skewers you will love!

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds extra large shrimp (cleaned, peeled, deveined, with tail on)
  • 15 skewers (approx.)
  • 1/2 tbsp tablespoon old bay seafood seasoning
  • 1/2 tbsp creole seasoning
  • ½ tbsp Paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 12 oz Third Street Brewhouse “Minnesota Gold” beer Find Some Here
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

  1. Place four to five shrimp on each skewer.
  2. To make the seasoning, mix spices together in bowl.
  3. Sprinkle at least half of the seasoning mixture evenly onto the shrimp. Do not add wet ingredients yet.
  4. Marinate with spices for approx. three hours.
  5. During the last hour of marinating the shrimp, pour the beer over shrimp, and continue to marinade for another hour.
  6. When ready to cook the shrimp, remove the shrimp from the beer marinade and sprinkle the remaining dry seasoning evenly over the shrimp skewers.
  7. Brush both sides of the shrimp with olive oil before cooking.
  8. Grill the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until the shrimp turn pink.
Bad Habit Beer Float

A grown-up take on a childhood favorite.

Ingredients:

  • Bad Habit Brewery “Whatever Floats your Boat Oatmeal Stout”
  • Kemps vanilla ice cream
  • Chocolate Sauce
  • Caramel Sauce

Directions:

  1. Fill glass half full (never half empty here) with Beer. Make sure to leave extra room at that top for “growth”
  2. Add one large scoop of ice cream. Place it gently on top of the beer, forceful placement will result in a mess!
  3. Add chocolate and caramel sauce on top to your liking.
  4. Serve with a straw and spoon, enjoy!

BONUS: Panther Boozy Banana Bread 

Because you know you’re on that banana bread in quarantine kick

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp  ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground cloves (optional)
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • A pinch of salt
  • 4-5 mashed ripe bananas
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tbsp Panther Distillery “Minnesota 14 Maple” Whiskey Find Some Here
  • ½ cup  unsalted softened butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp Almond extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and set the rack in the middle position. Spray or line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
  2. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients: bananas, milk and whiskey. Set aside.
  4. In your mixer (or a third bowl) cream butter and sugar. Add egg, Almond, and vanilla and mix until smooth. At low speed, alternately add dry and wet ingredients.
  5. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for Approx. 1 hour
  6. Let cool before removing the bread from the pan, if not cooled the bread my fall apart.
  7. MUFFINS: place batter into sprayed or lined muffin tins for single serve.

Now grab the adults in your household (or just your favorite glass) and head outside to enjoy some backyard indulgences! Do you have a favorite recipe using local product? We would love to hear, share it with us here!