BEER NUTS®

[old Grump]

BEER NUTS® are popular snack foods produced exclusively by the BEER NUTS® company based in Bloomington, Illinois. The family-owned company can trace its history back to the late 1930s, when a father and son team, Edward and Arlo Shirk, assumed control of a small candy shop in downtown Bloomington called the Caramel (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-caramel.htm) Crisp Shop. One of the recipes they inherited was for a sugar-and-salt glazed redskin peanut snack called "Redskins." Redskins were often used as a free enticement for thirsty customers to purchase the shop's popular homemade beverages.


The Shirks later marketed their sweet and salty peanut snacks to a local chain of liquor stores, which created the first association between their product and alcohol. A local beer distributor suggested the Shirks rename their product BEER NUTS® as a way to tap into the lucrative beer and beer accessories trade. Packages of BEER NUTS® were often made available to bar customers as a perfect complement to the complex flavors of beer. Despite its unusual name, there is no actual beer or beer ingredients in BEER NUTS®.
Eventually BEER NUTS® grew in popularity until the Shirks had little choice but to market their snacks nationally. Besides the original redskin peanuts, BEER NUTS® can also be found in almond or cashew form, each glazed with the original sweet and salty flavor or a variety of spicy blends. The original redskin peanut variety still remains popular as a bar snack or party mix ingredient at tailgate parties and other festive occasions. BEER NUTS® are also popular toppings for ice cream sundaes.


The trademarked BEER NUTS® refers specifically to the snack product produced in the Bloomington factory by the Shirk family, but some use the term "beer nuts" to describe any form of nut served communally in bars and taverns. Bartenders frequently offer free salty snacks such as nuts and popcorn (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-popcorn.htm) to customers in an effort to increase thirst and sell more beverages. The unique saltiness and sweetness of BEER NUTS® makes it ideal for this purpose, although many people buy the snacks in vacuum-sealed packages at grocery stores and enjoy them at home.

BEER NUTS

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,171,155184-225201,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.
1 lb. raw peanuts
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/8 tsp. salt
Boil and stir above ingredients until liquid is gone. Spread on cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes at 225 degrees. Stir twice.
Seemed like t was time for another recipe and fun subject. Getting tired of snow and Arabs.

[swampdragon]

Not real fond of the sugar part.
I like regular salted peanuts, especially still in the shell.

[NewbieAKguy]

That's a short drive to get to for me.

[mriddick]

Not real fond of the sugar part.
I like regular salted peanuts, especially still in the shell.

At bars it's probably a whole lot neater (and safer) not to give in the shell nuts.

My take on the story of beer nuts is it's more an attempt by the company to make a history for themselves then really history, I think it's mostly a marketing ploy.

[old Grump]

My take on the story of beer nuts is it's more an attempt by the company to make a history for themselves then really history, I think it's mostly a marketing ploy. Don't know, don't care, I have no reason to discount their version. Fact is they intrigued me with their odd taste back in 1950 and I have been hooked ever since. Problem is I have reached that stage in life where the nuts are a good idea but the salt and sugar are not.

[swampdragon]

At bars it's probably a whole lot neater (and safer) not to give in the shell nuts.

My take on the story of beer nuts is it's more an attempt by the company to make a history for themselves then really history, I think it's mostly a marketing ploy.

One of my favorite restaurant/bars I used to frequent served big buckets of peanuts still in the shells.
As you drank beer and ate them, you just tossed the shells on the wooden floors of the place.
They were everywhere....lol
It was a steak house that was decorated in an old wild west cowboy days theme and the food was great.
Damned if I can remember the name of the place now though for the life of me.

[mriddick]

I think Lone Star or Texas road house did that until someone slipped, fell and ended up suing them. At one time Lone Star had decent steaks then they went downhill a bit, my favorite "chain" steak house is the Chop House, not sure how far they've expanded though.

I myself like sugar with salted peanuts, something about fat (from the nut) salt and sugar that just goes well together.

[swampdragon]

I think Lone Star or Texas road house did that until someone slipped, fell and ended up suing them. At one time Lone Star had decent steaks then they went downhill a bit, my favorite "chain" steak house is the Chop House, not sure how far they've expanded though.

I myself like sugar with salted peanuts, something about fat (from the nut) salt and sugar that just goes well together.

Yeah.
It sucks when you find a great steakhouse, get used to going there because you enjoy the food, and then they cheap out on you with lower quality later on.
Bastards!

I've ate at Lone Star and Texas RH too. Never heard of the Chop House though. What states are they in?
The very best "non-homemade" steak I ever ate was in NC.
There was a place called Great Plains Cattle Company that was just awesome.
Sadly, they closed down a few years later.
Not sure why.

[Mark Ducati]

http://www.healthjockey.com/images/beer-coffee-wine-nuts.jpg

[Mark Ducati]

http://image53.webshots.com/153/8/15/96/464081596nXpmVU_fs.jpg

[Mark Ducati]

Dang I miss college!

http://image38.webshots.com/39/6/37/8/348363708JQegmU_fs.jpg

[O.S.O.K.]

The raw peanuts are going to be hard to find most parts of the country and especially right now... and if you hold out for spanish red-skins, then really hard. :)

I love beer nuts though.

[mriddick]

I've been to Chop houses in Dayton Ohio and Lexington KY, don't know where else they are. One of my got to do before dying things is eating at Lugers Steakhouse in NY.

[mrkalashnikov]

Probably a smart marketing move on their part, especially nowadays. Beer Nuts vs RedSkins, lol. :wink:

[coppertales]

down here in Tx. I picked up a can when I was in the UP of MI last Oct. I really like them. I will have to look for them when I go to the store Saturday to get stuff to eat and drink during the super bowl.

When I lived in Marquette Mi back in the dark ages, several bars had peanut night. The Store Bar on Wed and Fridays, Andy's on Thursdays, and the North End on Mondays. I think I got the days right. They would put a 50 lb sack of in the shell peanuts in the middle of the floor and you helped yourself. Beer, real beer, not that light shit, was 25 cents a glass. There are several catfish places around here that have shell peanuts. I no longer go out and drink so I don't know what the taverns around here have....chris3

[old Grump]

Slab o' ribs, long trestle tables with benches not chairs. Beer served by the pitcher, Open beam construction and the rough wood floor planks ankle deep in peanut shells. Takes very little to keep me happy.

Sitting on a stool with a glass o' dark tap beer and little bags of beer nuts for a dime, then a quarter then the bags got smaller. Downright depressing. That's why I was glad to find out how easy it was to make them.

[aliceinchains]

We can put the Arabs in the snow and sit around and watch them while eating beer nuts and drinking beer.

[mriddick]

Probably a smart marketing move on their part, especially nowadays. Beer Nuts vs RedSkins, lol. :wink:

Really it's almost like they name themselves... :)

[AKTexas]

Not real fond of the sugar part.
I like regular salted peanuts, especially still in the shell.

So you are on a salted nut diet now?:shss:

[NewbieAKguy]

I think Lone Star or Texas road house did that until someone slipped, fell and ended up suing them. At one time Lone Star had decent steaks then they went downhill a bit, my favorite "chain" steak house is the Chop House, not sure how far they've expanded though.

I myself like sugar with salted peanuts, something about fat (from the nut) salt and sugar that just goes well together.

The local Texas RH still does that....just ate there couple weeks ago. My dad didn't know you could do that and he got a kick out of me doing it...so naturally he joined in.

[swampdragon]

So you are on a salted nut diet now?:shss:

I did specifically say "peanuts" just in case you showed up.
lol....

[mrkalashnikov]

Slab o' ribs, long trestle tables with benches not chairs. Beer served by the pitcher, Open beam construction and the rough wood floor planks ankle deep in peanut shells. Takes very little to keep me happy.



You could be describing a place I used to tend bar in when I was in college. The Pickle Barrel, a dive that bordered the University of Cincinnati in the 60's & 70's. A true beer hall, with long picnic tables & bench seating, pitchers of beer, burgers, ribs, and of course beer nuts. Had one of those old trussed wood roofs & wood paneling on the walls. Long gone now.

[AKTexas]

I did specifically say "peanuts" just in case you showed up.
lol....

Ha!You just think you were prepared!

[old Grump]

You could be describing a place I used to tend bar in when I was in college. The Pickle Barrel, a dive that bordered the University of Cincinnati in the 60's & 70's. A true beer hall, with long picnic tables & bench seating, pitchers of beer, burgers, ribs, and of course beer nuts. Had one of those old trussed wood roofs & wood paneling on the walls. Long gone now.
That particular place was near Homestead Florida but I have found places like that in North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Arizona. If there is one around I will find it.