Can You Get Tipsy From Beer Cheese?

A cold brew and a tasty bar snack go together like few other food and drink combos. This is especially true when the food and drink are combined, like in the delicious dip known as beer cheese. The name's not figurative — typical recipes do call for real beer. This may lead some to wonder if they might end up with a buzz from a few too many scoops of the mouthwatering concoction. Luckily, anyone concerned has nothing to worry about on this front.

This conclusion is easy to draw when you consider how the dish is typically made, like in our easy beer cheese sauce recipe. It calls for just ½ cup (or 4 fluid ounces) of beer for the entire seven-serving recipe. This essentially means splitting ⅓ of a typical can or bottle of beer seven ways. That's substantially less than most people need to get tipsy, even if they ate all of the beer cheese on their own. It's also diluted with 4 cups of shredded cheese and 1 cup of milk, all of which dwarf the volume of beer.

Also worth noting is the fact that beer cheese is generally consumed with other items for dipping, most traditionally chips, veggies, or pretzels (like our homemade soft pretzel bites recipe). A full stomach is known to mitigate the effects of alcohol and speed its elimination from your bloodstream, making it that much more difficult to get tipsy from this tasty dip.

When beer cheese is cooked over medium heat, this is usually well above alcohol's boiling point. While a few minutes of cooking won't eliminate the booze entirely, that may be enough to slightly knock down the ABV. Critical to note, however, is that even extended cooking times won't fully remove all traces of alcohol, a factor worth considering for those avoiding it completely. In addition, some styles of beer cheese dip, like the cold version popular in Kentucky, aren't cooked, meaning there's a more significant (though still small) amount of alcohol inside.

Also worth noting is that the varying types of brews can affect beer cheese's alcohol content. Traditionally, it was likely made with light American pilsners, though some recipes call for alternatives like brown ales, both of which sit in the 4-5% ABV range. Meanwhile, Reddit users have suggested everything from Budweiser and Miller Lite to Dortmunders, Rauchbiers, and Marzens.

There are plenty of boozy recipes out there infused with beer, wine, and liquor. Some may truly pack a small alcoholic punch with a potential for a small buzz, such as cheese fondue or vodka-infused watermelon. Beer cheese, however, is not among these.