A collection of delicious ways to have beer for breakfast. Besides drinking it. But drinking it is perfectly acceptable too. Under the right circumstances.
If the first thing you can think of when you hear the words beer for breakfast is the song by the same name, we don’t blame you. We pass no judgement:).
Or you might be wondering if having a beer for breakfast is OK or if anyone else is doing it. It is OK and thousands of people are doing it – just consider the numerous beer cocktails designed to be enjoyed in the morning like the Beermosa, Hefe Shandy and the Michelada.
Beer Has a Long History of Being Enjoyed in the Morning
As far as accounts of the past go – beer was once a much revered component of breakfast. Over the ages it has sustained entire nations and served as a main source of nutrition during hard times or during periods of fasting. Many of a monk spent days on end having beer in lieu of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In fact the very first German beer soup recipe was nothing like what you might expect. It was not a beer cheese soup. It was a recipe for a beer soup to be had for breakfast. Its ingredients were beer, egg, milk, flour, sugar and water. People sipped it in the morning and got on with their day. Whether or not it tasted good (especially vis-a-vis modern tastes) is a different story.
Beer for Breakfast Menu
Not only can you enjoy a beer for breakfast, you can fold it into your food and the results are often spectacular. In this round up of our best breakfast/brunch recipes with beer we start with the savory options and move on the the sweet. Check back soon – we are bound to include more options.
Beer Muffins – Savory Style
Buttery, cheesy goodness. A surprisingly light batter (courtesy of beer) loaded with Parmesan and an optional mozzarella and basil addition stuffed inside. Recipe here.
Porter Onion Gravy
Our favorite way to eat this gravy for breakfast is with toad in the hole (and yes, we make ours with a generous splash of porter:) but other savory breakfast options such as biscuits, savory bread pudding and breakfast sausage make amazing partners for this scrumptious sauce. Recipe here.
Beer Biscuits
These come together super fast you and you can lean on the sweet side or make them savory and add cheese. Recipe here.
Soft Beer Flatbread
Not your standard breakfast, but these beer flatbreads are especially appealing on a cold, weekend winter’s morning…They also make an awesome midday snack, lunch or dinner. Basically you could grow addicted to them, served with goat cheese, dates, caramelized onions and warming brown ale.
Dunkelweizen Banana Bread with Dunkeweizen Glaze
If there was ever a beer bread to perfectly capture the banana and chocolate of Dunkelweizen – this is it.
Hefeweizen Crepes with Whipped Ricotta
Beer makes the best crepe batter and when chosen appropriately can lend it desirable flavors. This beer crepes recipe is a keeper.
IPA Mango Fritters
Absolutely MUST have for any IPA fan. The IPA glaze is where the hops aromas really come through so don’t skip it. Recipe here.
Peach Ale Breakfast Loaf with Honey Butter
This is the breakfast loaf of summer and a low IBU peach ale such as a peach saison or peach Kolsch style beer are the way to go. Recipe here.
Hawaiian Rolls Beer French Toast Bake
The bluberries, the Altbier, the butter, the brown sugar… the sweet Hawaiian rolls. What is not to like? Recipe here.
Bourbon Aged Ale Cherry Croissant French Toast
A little bit of the right ale goes a loooong way in imparting deep flavors to these adorable croissant French toast cups, filled with bourbon ale cherry compote. Easy to make.
Raspberry Blonde Croissant French Toast
You can go two ways with this one – stuff croissants with fresh raspberries, dip them in raspberry ale custard and cook them in a pan or – put together a croissant French toast casserole with the same custard. Recipe here.
Porter Pancakes
These particular pancakes are made with coconut porter but the beer can easily be switched. Try a chocolate stout or a caramel porter… Same recipe.
Come Fall you have got to get some fresh pie pumpkin and whip up the easy batter for this pumpkin loaf with pumpkin ale. Great with coffee whether in the morning or as an afternoon treat.
Breakfast Beer Cocktails
Before we get to some actual beers that are perfect to have at breakfast – here are a couple of beer cocktails to enjoy during brunch.
Beermosa
This picture is of beermosas made with blood orange gose and raspberry saison. You can use Hefeweizen, Belgian Wit, fruit flavored Berliner Weisse and many fruit beers that taste good to you to create the cocktail that tastes best to you. 
Bloody Roman
This cocktail was created by celeb chef Chris Cosentino with a singular purpose – to combat hangovers. We recreated it for the fun of it. We also recommend that you use a maltier, less bitter brew than Anchor Steam California common, something along the lines of not aggressively hopped brown or an amber, maybe a Munich Helles or a Schwarzbier. The oysters though… Recipe here.
Summer Shandy
Refreshing wheat beer based shandy that is the perfect accompaniment to long, lazy breakfasts or brunches. Recipe and tips here.
Michelada
The famed spicy, intensely flavored Mexican prepared beer. Absolutely delightful. Recipe here.
Breakfast Beers to Seek Out
These brews were inspired by the first meal of the day and are our favorite breakfast beers. If you are not required to do something that demands you be overly coordinated, if you are not scheduled to work but instead are facing the alluring prospect of a carefree morning at home or outside in your garden – these are formidable beer options to start the day.
- Odell Noosa Breakfast Tart – funky, tart, Noosa yogurt cultured and soured with cranberries, thick, luxurious mouthfeel
- Founder’s Kentucky Breakfast Stout – brewed with coffee, bourbon barrel aged (=vanilla aromas) and very potent
- Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter – besides the fact that the Buddha never had beer, let alone for breakfast, everything else is perfect about this brew
- Lefthand Milk Stout – brewed with lactose, smooth, sweet, luxurious and complex
- Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout – coffee, chocolate, mocha, creamy and roasty.
Odell Noosa Breakfast Tart
Beer for Breakfast
An ever growing collection of Beer for Breakfast recipes. Classics like pancakes, French toast, breakfast loaves, fritters, brunch beer cocktails, crepes, muffins, Hawaiian rolls… all made even better by the addition of craft beer. What beer you select matters. A lot.
Marvellina |What To Cook Today says
Now…those are breakfast I’d wake up to !!! 🙂
CraftBeering says
Especially if someone already cooked it for you, right? My kind of morning, lol.
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
I love them all! Well, the sweet ones have my preference although I drool all the time I look at the savory beer muffins! 😉 Catchy title, Beer for Breakfast, great idea. The list of possibilities you have here is amazing!!
Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats says
Mmmmm beer for breakfast?! Sign me up! I want to make every one of these recipes!! I have been meaning to steal some of the hubby’s Guinness to make some beer bread….now you have me inspired! Looks so yummy!! XOXO
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
I have to say the beer soup you describe sounds awfully unpleasant, especially first thing in the morning. But everything else looks and sounds AMAZING! And I’m reminded that I haven’t yet eaten breakfast :). Have a great weekend!
CraftBeering says
Lol, I agree – it sounds really odd. Kind of like a posett but worse:)