Of Beer and Brats

I love recipes!  I love to try new things ~ sometimes new dishes turn out ~ sometimes they don't, but it doesn't deter me from trying.

 

Today I found a recipe for chicken that I'm going to try.

I'm substituting chicken thighs with skin, for boneless, skinless chicken breast. 

The recipe calls for whiskey.

I don't drink.

 

 

I don't drink by choice.  I don't care if you drink, I choose not to.

Consequently, I know NOTHING about alcohol. 

I know that the alcohol cooks out and leaves the flavor.

That being said....I'm leaving the whiskey out!

Here's why...

 

One of my brothers (I have four), lived and served a mission for our Church in Germany.  He learned many things that have served him well ~ one of the best for us is that he learned a lot of great German recipes.  He makes the most amazing brats ands sauerkraut.

This was an amazing dish!  I had to try it myself...

 

He gave me step by step instructions ~ which I followed to the letter.

Sauerkraut ~ check

Brats ~ check

onions and bacon fried in butter ~ check

Dark Beer ~  um

 

So I went to the store to get a dark beer.  There I stood on the beer aisle.  Looking over 10,000 different varieties of beer......supreme confusion ruled.....I had NO idea what I was even looking for.

I grabbed one can of Coors beer ~ after all they have compelling commercials, right?

I went to check out and asked the cashier if I had gotten a dark beer. 

She looked at me and said, "I have no idea, I don't drink beer."

She picked up the phone to call the "grocery-guy" and ask him.

"Grocery-guy" didn't pick up.

She tried again.

No one picked up.

She tried someone else.

Still no answer.

 

Finally the nice lady behind me, heaved a big sigh, and said, "What do you need?"

I explained that I was trying a new recipe that required a dark beer ~ but I know nothing about beer and didn't know if Coors was a dark beer.....

She said, "I know beer.  I'll go get you one."

 

She was gone a long time ~ there I stood, holding up the line waiting for the nice lady to bring me a beer.  Finally, she came back with a Guinness.  I've heard of Guinness before, but who knew?

 

The cashier scanned the beer, put it in my bag and I went home.

I looked over my receipt.

$8.65 Guinness beer.

 

$8.65 for one beer???

Nope I got charged for a six pack.

I had held up the line and my little run to the store for a beer took forty five minutes! 

 

I never did go back and get a refund.

 

To my mind ~ forget adding the alcohol ~ it's not worth the time or the expense for a little bit of flavor!