What’s the Best Beer for Beer Bread? Lupulin Brewing Taste Test

Posted by on August 2, 2022

So buttery. So golden. So warm and fresh, right from your oven.

Bountiful Beer Bread Mix® is incredibly delicious and incredibly simple to make. Just add beer and butter. That’s it! You’ll have homemade bread on your table in less than an hour, and your whole house will smell heavenly.

But … what kind of beer is the best for making your beer bread?

Baking with Beer
Stouts. Lagers. Porters. Ales. From light to dark, citrusy to malty, there are so many styles and varieties when it comes to choosing a beer.

Four different beers on a flight board

Plus, they can have all kinds of deliciously different flavor notes, ranging from citrus to vanilla to honey to coffee.

Lupulin Brewing Cans with Glass of Beer

Pro tip: As a good rule of thumb, keep in mind that whatever type of beer you use, the flavor will come through in your fresh-baked bread. Darker beer, like stouts and porters, will produce bread with more robust, pronounced flavors. Likewise, a blonde ale or pilsner will make a milder, lighter loaf.

But you know what? You don’t have to take our word for it!

Bountiful Beer Bread loaf made with Lupulin Beer

Special Guest: Lupulin Brewing
We invited the crew at Lupulin Brewing, an award-winning and family-owned craft brewery based in Big Lake, Minnesota, to bake our signature bread mix with a few of their favorite brews.

Sliced Bountiful Beer Bread with multiple Lupulin Brewing flavors of beer

The crew at Lupulin Brewing stirred up and sampled six different loaves, made with some of their most popular beers:

  • Hooey – A hazy IPA (India Pale Ale) with juicy hops
  • Blissful Ignorance – A wonderfully hoppy double IPA
  • Tropical Fun Pants – A blonde ale with a refreshing fusion of mango, pink guava and passion fruit
  • CPB – A rich and decadent chocolate and peanut butter porter
  • Fashion Mullet – A golden IPA with juicy hops on the front and hints of citrus on the back (hence, the hilarious name)
  • American Pils – A new limited-release, crisp and clean American-style pilsner

The Winning Beers
So what’s the verdict? Recently I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with Marcus Paulsen, Marketing/Artistic Director at Lupulin Brewing.

The Brewery Favorite: Tropical Fun Pants

Bountiful Beer Bread made with Lupulin Tropical Fun Pants Beer

“It was definitely the crowd favorite,” Marcus said, “Nice. Light. Slightly sweet. The bright fusion of tropical fruit flavors in the blonde ale really complemented the bread perfectly,” he added. “Everyone absolutely loved it.”

Marcus’s Favorite: CPB

Bountiful Beer Bread made with Lupulin CPB Beer

“But my personal favorite was our CPB,” Marcus laughed. “The chocolate and peanut butter from the rich oatmeal porter really came through in the bread, adding more depth and darkness to it,” he explained. “I’d love to try it with other big barrel-aged imperial stouts, too, especially as we move into fall. I think it would make some killer dessert bread.”

I asked Marcus if he had any other advice when it comes to making our signature beer bread.

“I love how simple it is. Just remember that whatever beer you choose, the flavor profile will come through. In general, I’d probably steer clear of IPAs, unless you really love that bitterness, since it gives the baked bread a slightly bitter bite. But I think dark and fruity beers would almost always work really well,” he said.

“Oh, and don’t forget the butter on top” Marcus laughed, adding that the amazingly buttery, crunchy top of every loaf was impossible to resist. “Lots and lots of butter.”

I couldn’t agree more. Cheers to that, my friends!

– Jen

P.S. Look for these craft beers from Lupulin Brewing and the rest of their line-up at a liquor store, pub or restaurant near you! The brewery distributes their award-winning brews to 15 different states and 15 countries. Otherwise, if you’re ever passing through Big Lake, Minnesota, or Sioux Falls, South Dakota, be sure to visit their taprooms (and tell Marcus hi for me). They’d love to give you a warm welcome!