Beer Marinade

[Nuc]

I know there are a number of culinary minded folks here and certainly a lot of opinions on beer. I'm looking for suggestions for a great lager or ale to marinade half a dozen chickens with, preferably a dark ale or dark lager. I have a great marinade recipe but I'm by no means a beer expert as I am strictly a bourbon, whiskey, and scotch drinker.

Please save the exotic recommendations, I'm not sure what the liquor stores around me will have.

Thanks.

[Stanley Burrell]

You BBQ'ing or doing the oven thing? Beer battering or a slow roast?

Beer battering ... something with a fifty finger head. I don't think the ale even matters at that point. Now since you said marinade, and I chose to disregard that, but now will ... regard it, get a citrusy ale from NE Brewing. Pineapple juice, hand-squeezed lime and then a Gandhi-Bot or something. Let it really immerse until there's barely enough room to coat the top with a layer of teriyaki sauce.

[Nuc]

Oven roasted. I've made it a couple of times before using an Amstel Lager if I remember correctly, but I've never really been sure about the taste of the beer.

[Stanley Burrell]

Well, a DIPA would be pretty awesome if you've got the time to really let it sink in at almost-freezing.

[Nuc]

It will marinade for about 16-18 hours at 36 degrees. DIPA has a high alcohol content, can you explain the difference it makes in the marinade?

[Stanley Burrell]

It will marinade for about 16-18 hours at 36 degrees. DIPA has a high alcohol content, can you explain the difference it makes in the marinade?

Because when you roast that sucker, the alcohol is going to dry out quicker, but that fine, delicious blend of both pineapples and hand-squeezed citrus, along with the flavoring of a DIPA ale are going to steam off quicker -- and if you slow roast that bad boy, you're imbuing it with ambrosia without turning too much of the marinade into nitrates.

Basically, the non-alcohol stuff binds faster and really sticks to the meat.

[Stanley Burrell]

Oh, don't forget the teriyaki sauce on top. And uh, transfer it to a different oven pan ... as is obvious, my bad.