This Cheap Mainstream Beer Is The Perfect One To Use In Fish Fry Batter

If you want a great beer for making a classic fried fish batter, why not look to the state that does both of those things the best? You might think a coastal state like Maine or Maryland would be the fried fish champions of the U.S., but in reality, that title goes to Wisconsin. The state is home to a long tradition of fish frys, coming from both its high Catholic population and the abundance of freshwater fish in Lake Michigan and local rivers. Combine that with the fact that Wisconsin is one of the beer powerhouses of the country (Milwaukee used to be called the beer capital of the world), and you know Wisconsinites know beer-battered fish better than anybody. And if you follow their advice, the cheap and widespread Pabst Blue Ribbon is one of the best types of beer for your fish fry batter.

There is no one "correct" beer for everyone's fried fish tastes, but in general, a good beer for batter should be bright and crisp, with strong carbonation, and not too hoppy. That makes light lagers and pilsners the best option. According to the Midwestern cooking school, The Chopping Block, no beer quite fits that profile like Wisconsin's own Pabst Blue Ribbon. Pabst has a great balance of light sweetness with some malty flavor and hoppiness, adding just enough flavor to upgrade your fried fish without overpowering the usually mild white fish being used. And just as importantly, it's strongly carbonated.

Beer makes a great fish batter for a few reasons, but surprisingly, carbonation is a big part of it. That's because the bubbles in carbonation create multiple reactions that make the batter more crispy. First, the bubbles themselves help the batter expand when they leave it during cooking, which makes the crust lighter and crispier. Second, carbonation is slightly acidic, and acid helps inhibit the formation of gluten in wheat mixtures. That's important because stronger gluten formation makes for a batter that is chewy and tough instead of crunchy.

Choosing a cheap beer like Pabst is also good because a lot of the added flavor in a beer batter recipe comes from the alcohol compounds, not the tasting notes of the beer. Alcohol is an enhancer that carries and boosts other flavors in dishes, much like salt. A light beer like Pabst won't add a ton of its own flavors, and instead will just make the batter and fish taste better, which is generally what you want.

If you would prefer an alternative to PBR, there are affordable and tasty options among the most popular beers. A solid choice with a little more flavor would be a maltier beer like Sam Adams Boston Lager or Yuengling. Neither is strong enough to be overpowering, but they bring a little more to the table. But if you are trusting the fish fry experts, go with Pabst.