“Long ago, ale was known as ‘liquid bread.’ We’ve used our long history of creating the finest malt blends and added fair-trade bananas to awaken the senses with a seriously fruity, rice, yet surprisingly versatile Banana Bread Beer.” For those of you who have read my blogs in the past, I try and give you the closest taste, smell, and appearance that I can of what to expect from our featured beer. This week, I could not do better than what was printed on the bottle of our featured beer of the week, Well’s Banana Bread Beer. You did read that right, Banana Bread Beer. Copper in appearance and smelling just like bananas as expected, this beer is going to please and surprise you for sure. It is still an ale rather than a fruit lambic style, so you will still get the maltiness and some very mild bitterness, but the banana flavor is still dominate. Now to tie the ‘liquid bread’ reference into my equation. As if this beer isn’t phenomenal by itself, there are several banana bread recipes out there that call for beer in them. This is a no-brainer. Use Well’s Banana Bread Beer in your banana bread (recipe below). It calls for 1/4 cup of beer, so that means you will have some left over to enjoy yourself. It’s a ‘two-fer-one!’ So come on in to any of our locations and grab yourself this beer, be ready to be surprised at its unique and delicious taste, and enjoy drinking it while eating some hot banana bread to go with it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 medium bananas, mashed
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup beer

 

PREPARATION:

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 91/4-by-5 1/4-by 23/4-inch pan. In a large bowl blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, walnuts, and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until foamy before beating in the bananas, butter and beer. Combine the two mixtures, blending until the two ingredients are moistened.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean and the top is golden. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan.