My husband just hit the big 4-0 on his last birthday. Among the beverages served at the party was beer. I may have gone a little overboard in my purchases, leaving us with an excess of brews! Since neither one of us are very big beer drinkers, I wondered just how long it would be sitting around taking up space. Luckily, it turns out that beer can be used for a wide variety of purposes. So, if you find yourself with more than you’d want to drink, here are ten creative uses for beer.
1. Use it in your yard
If you’re throwing an outdoor lawn party, pour beer in containers to keep wasps and hornets far away from guests! You can also use it in your garden to keep slugs away. Fill a shallow pan with beer, and it will attract and trap the slugs; a more humane way of keeping them away than burning the creatures with salt. There is also an old wives’ tale that fertilizing your lawn with beer provides microbes in soil with energy, helping to eliminate brown spots and make your grass grow. While the efficacy of this method is hotly debated, beer does kill fungus and can be used until commercial-grade fertilizer is available.
2. Use it as a hair rinse
Proteins in the malt and hops (along with B vitamins) deliver nutrients to your hair when applied directly. Leave a bottle of beer out on the counter for a couple of hours to reach room temperature, then grab a spray bottle, pour the beer in, and spray it onto your hair after shampooing. You can also pour the beer directly over your head if you don’t mind getting messy! It can be left on for a few minutes, or left overnight if you’re looking for a more intense treatment. Once you rinse with cool water, the smell will go away after a few hours, and your hair will appear thicker and shinier for days.
3. Marinade meats and poultry before you grill
When grilling protein, known carcinogens Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are produced during the cooking process. This is what gives meat its charbroiled flavor. Marinating meats in beer for four hours before grilling is proven to reduce these chemicals by up to 53%. The tannins and acids in beer also make a great meat tenderizer, leaving your culinary creations so juicy that they’re ready to fall off the bone.
4. Make soup
Native to Wisconsin, Beer Cheese Soup is easy to make and perfect for a potluck. Make it on a cold fall day and serve it with bread. An internet search will turn up a bounty of recipes!
5. Turn it into a bubble bath
Soak in a tub of suds! The yeast will soften your skin, and the alcohol will keep you squeaky clean (as well as sanitized).
6. Stain removal
Spilled coffee or tea on your carpet? Pour some beer right on top. Give it a rub with a clean rag, and the stain will lift off.
7. Use it as a wood polish
After conducting a small patch test, dampen a rag with flat beer and polish your wood furniture. Make sure to finish by rubbing a dry rag over the wood. This process will instantly restore shine to the finish.
8. Give yourself a facial with it
The beer’s hops, B vitamins, saccharides and yeast will eliminate dead skin cells while hydrating the skin and balancing pH levels. Try a strawberry beer facial to remove black heads, or experiment with a beer, egg white and lime juice facial to brighten skin.
9. Clean your jewelry
Beer will remove tarnish from gold jewelry—simply pour it onto a cloth and rub away the dirt.
10. Give it as a gift
For the times it is better to give than receive, try a gift basket or beer of the month club membership; a unique way to share an admiration of the craft with the beer lover in your life!
