For The Foyer Cookbook Club, we’re spending the month with Cuisine To Kill For—and this time, we’re skipping straight to the drinks menu. Buttered Beere is warm, spiced, rich with brown sugar and butter, and exactly what you want in a mug when the sun starts setting suspiciously early.
Yes, the name may sound familiar to fans of a certain wizard. But buttered beer has been around much longer than that.
Buttered Beere Has a History
According to Cuisine To Kill For, buttered “beere” has been served in English pubs for centuries, with one of the earliest written recipes dating back to 1594 in The Good Huswifes Handmaide. This version is adapted from Max Miller’s Tasting History.
Think of it as mulled wine’s pub-going cousin: dark ale warmed with ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, then made silky with egg yolks, brown sugar, and butter.
Hot. Frothy. A little decadent.
Basically, October in a mug.
Buttered Beere
The Red Lion
It’s not just a certain wizard’s favorite beverage—buttered “beere” is a real drink that’s been served in English pubs for centuries. The earliest written recipe dates back to 1594, in The Good Huswifes Handmaide, and this version is adapted from Max Miller’s Tasting History site, based on that first recipe. Think of this warm libation like a beer lover’s version of mulled wine: warm, comforting, and perfect for chilly nights.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 48 ounces dark ale, preferably British
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
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In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and brown sugar. Set aside.
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In a large saucepan, combine the ale, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Cook the mixture over medium heat until just boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes (or for a nonalcoholic version, simmer for 20 minutes to burn off the alcohol). Remove the pan from the heat.
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Temper the yolk mixture: Slowly stream in about ¼ cup of the hot ale mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, to raise the temperature of the eggs. Be careful to add the hot liquid gradually so as to not scramble the yolks. Then, slowly whisk the tempered egg mixture into the pan of hot ale.
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Cook the mixture over low heat for an additional 5–7 minutes, whisking often, until it has a slightly thicker texture. Stir in the butter and whisk until melted. Simmer on low for a few minutes more.
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Remove the buttered beere from the heat and whisk vigorously to froth before serving. Pour into mugs and garnish each with a pinch of nutmeg on top.
Put This on the October Drinks List
The dark ale keeps the drink from becoming overly sweet, while brown sugar and butter give it a rich, almost caramel-like finish. Ginger, cloves, and nutmeg do the rest.
It’s the kind of thing you serve after dinner when coffee feels too responsible.
And that frothy finish matters. Give it a good whisk before pouring, add the final dusting of nutmeg, and bring it to the table while it’s still steaming.
No elaborate garnish. No dry ice. The drink has enough personality on its own.
A Very Good Reason to Open Cuisine To Kill For
This is exactly why Cuisine To Kill For earned its spot as our October Cookbook Club pick.
You can come for the darker theme, but the recipes hold up without it. There’s history to read, unexpected things to make, and plenty that feels particularly right once sweater weather arrives.
Buttered Beere might be the easiest way to set the mood.
Make a batch. Dim the lights. Find four mugs.
Whatever happens next is between you and the cookbook. 🕯