Chicken beer? Perdue Farms to release new flavor in time for grilling season

Olivia Minzola, Salisbury Daily Times
Updated ·3 min read

Have you ever cracked open an ice-cold can of beer can chicken beer? Well, now's your chance.

Just in time for summer grilling season, Salisbury-based Perdue Farms, a top producer of fresh chicken in the U.S., is making chicken the star of the grill with the launch of PERDUE Beer Can Chicken Beer. Here's everything you need to know about the exclusive new flavor.

Chicken beer?

The limited-edition PERDUE Beer Can Chicken Beer is a honey double-citrus summer ale brewed with classic grilled chicken seasonings like rosemary, thyme, and pink peppercorn to help backyard grillers make the perfect beer can chicken, the company said in a May 17 news release.

Created in partnership with Torch & Crown Brewing Company, Perdue's custom beer is tangy, juicy, and has just a hint of sweetness. According to the release, perfectly crafted for both summer grilling and sipping, consumers will have to make sure they save enough for cooking the chicken.

PERDUE® launches custom, first-of-its-kind Beer Can Chicken Beer, a summer ale expertly crafted to make the perfect beer can chicken.
PERDUE® launches custom, first-of-its-kind Beer Can Chicken Beer, a summer ale expertly crafted to make the perfect beer can chicken.

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Beer can chicken recipe

“Beer can chicken has long been one of the most popular methods of grilling poultry, but we noticed a lack of consensus on what type of beer is best,” said Julie Lehman, Perdue vice president of marketing. “As the fresh chicken experts, we worked with our friends at Torch & Crown Brewing Company to settle the debate for once and all and make a beer that is expertly crafted to help backyard cooking enthusiasts prepare the ultimate beer can chicken – always with a fresh, whole Perdue chicken – with maximum flavor each and every time.”

The recipe starts with Perdue chicken, and the beer itself plays a crucial role in beer can chicken — a method of indirect grilling that involves pouring a directed amount of the beer into a food-grade roasting stand and then standing a chicken upright and cooking it using a grill or smoker.

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Not only does the brew infuse the bird with flavor, marinating it from the inside out, but it keeps the chicken moist and tender during the cooking process. The recipe encourages consumers 21 plus to set some of the beer aside to drink and enjoy with their meal.

PERDUE® launches custom, first-of-its-kind Beer Can Chicken Beer, a summer ale expertly crafted to make the perfect beer can chicken.
PERDUE® launches custom, first-of-its-kind Beer Can Chicken Beer, a summer ale expertly crafted to make the perfect beer can chicken.

Google searches for beer can chicken recipes typically crescendo around Memorial Day each year, and evidencesuggests the grilling method is on the rise more generally. Over the last 12 months, online conversation around beer can chicken grew by nearly 20% (source: Netbase).

To meet this need, Perdue partnered with Torch & Crown "to create a unique summer ale brewed with barley, American ale yeast, citra hops, lemon and orange puree, honey, rosemary, thyme, sea salt, and pink peppercorn."

“As a company passionate about unique craft beers, we were so excited when Perdue approached us to collaborate on the perfect beer can chicken beer because of all the endless flavor opportunities,” said Joe Correia, co-founder and head brewer of Torch & Crown Brewing Company of New York.

“We’re very happy with how the beer turned out as it perfectly balances both seasonal summer flavors and ingredients commonly found in chicken seasonings to help maximize the flavor of any Perdue grilled or smoked chicken.”

Where & when to purchase

Starting May 22 at 9 a.m. ET, six packs of PERDUE® Beer Can Chicken Beer will be available for purchase at Beercanchicken.beer – while supplies last. The six packs will be available for $14.99 plus shipping and handling.

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PERDUE® launches custom, first-of-its-kind Beer Can Chicken Beer, a summer ale expertly crafted to make the perfect beer can chicken.
PERDUE® launches custom, first-of-its-kind Beer Can Chicken Beer, a summer ale expertly crafted to make the perfect beer can chicken.

To complete the perfect beer can chicken cooking experience, Perdue is selling fresh whole chickens in limited-time packaging that features the beer can chicken grilling occasion online or in retail store nationwide this summer.

For more program details and beer can chicken recipe inspiration, visit Perdue.com/beercanchicken. Follow @PerdueChicken on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and @PerdueFarms on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for product and brand updates, recipes, cooking tips, and online shopping deals.

Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: What does chicken flavored beer taste like? Find out with Perdue Farms