Sweet & Spicy Brown Ale Snack Mix

Between the warmer weather, the start of spring training AND the future March Madness games, there will inevitably be a lot social drinking going on in the next few weeks. With social drinking comes social drunkies. Be a responsible host (or guest!) and whip up a batch of this brown ale glazed snack mix so your friends have some food to put in their bellies. It may be coated in a delicious, sticky, sweet and spicy layer of beer-infused goodness, but it will do more good than harm for keeping your friends in a responsible state of intoxication. Go team!

Ingredients

6 c air-popped popcorn
2 c Honey Nut Cheerios
2c pretzels
2 c Craisins
12 oz cashews
1 stick butter
1 c brown sugar
½ c Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt

A detail of the delicious, crunchy snack mix that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a very large bowl, combine popcorn, Cheerios, pretzels, Craisins and cashews. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in brown sugar, until dissolved. Slowly add in Nut Brown Ale, then finish off with cayenne, chili powder and salt. Continue to cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Drizzle glaze over mixture and lightly toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until fully covered.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dump half the snack mix on each cookie sheet and spread out into a thin layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then empty into a serving bowl.

If you don’t like it spicy, feel free to omit the cayenne pepper and chili powder and it will be sweet and awesome.