“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy”, is a quote often (inaccurately) attributed to Benjamin Franklin. Among other famous beer admirers: Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, “Beer, if drunk in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health.” While Jack Nicholson lays it on the line with, “Beer, it’s the best damn drink in the world.” Turns out the sentiment about beer being great applies to more than just drinking it.
Now you may wonder why one would use beer for anything other than it’s beloved primary purpose , but it has a whole host of helpful uses around the house. Below we’ve listed just a few of them.
1) Tenderize a tough cut of meat
If you’ve bought a cut of meat that looks a little on the tough side, just soak it in beer overnight. Beer is full of enzymes that can help tenderize meat, and a beer marinade will soften up a tough cut nicely. You can also make a more elaborate beer marinade. Mix the beer with salt, sugar, and water (two cups of water for every three of beer). Then, throw in your preferred seasoning (thyme, garlic, and black pepper work well). Bring the mixture to the boil, simmer for five minutes, then let it cool completely. This will give a little extra flavor to the meat.
2) Bring a new shine to your gold jewelry
The acids in beer are great for dissolving the dirt and oils that can get stuck on gold jewelry. Just dip a cloth in some beer and use it to wipe your gold jewelry clean. Note that you’ll need to use the lighter, fizzier beers for this, as they have higher levels of carbonic acid. Dark beers and ales won’t work so well. Try to avoid gemstones and any other non-metallic parts of your jewelry as you do this.
3) Catch slugs to protect your plants
You may think you have little in common with a garden snail, but there is one thing you both share – a love for beer. Yep, slugs and snails are hugely attracted to beer – although it’s thought to be for the yeast content, as opposed to the alcohol. If snails and slugs are causing a nuisance in your yard, set “beer traps” for them. Use small containers like empty tuna cans or small salsa jars, place them around your plants at about three feet intervals, and push them into the ground a little to secure them. Slugs won’t be able to resist, and they’ll end up falling in and drowning.
4) Remove brown spots from your lawn
Do you have any unsightly brown spots on your lawn? If so, beer makes for an excellent solution. Not only do the sugars in the beer provide extra fuel for the grass, stimulating growth, but they are toxic to certain strains of fungi that may have popped up where the grass once thrived. A little goes a long way here – put the beer into a sprayer and apply it daily until you start seeing results.
5) RemovE coffee stains from rugs and carpets
If you have a tea or coffee stain on your carpets or rugs, try this technique. Grab a beer, and pour a little on top of the stain. Use a cloth to gently rub the affected area, and then dab the area with a second cloth to try it. You might have to repeat this two to three times, but eventually you should get the stain out. When you’re finished, you should have some beer left over, which you can use to celebrate having a stain-free carpet.
6) Soften your soles with a beer pedicure
That’s right, soak your feet in a tub of beer to soften up the bottoms. Fill a basin or bucket with enough warm water to hit your ankles, add around a 1/2 can of beer, stir and plunge those puppies in there for 10-15 minutes. The yeast will work on the skin softening while the alcohol provides the added bonus of being antibacterial and a natural antiseptic. Maybe try a manicure too while you’re at it.
Drink up – or not!
So now you have a choice – you can take the advice from our famous beer admirers, and use beer as an effective if temporary means of achieving happiness. Or you can put it to good use elsewhere. Can you think of any other ingenious uses for beer?
Bonus:
Now you can use the empty beer bottles or cans to play Beersbe or Beer Horseshoes (also commonly referred to as “Polish Horseshoes” but we didn’t make up the name). If you don’t already own a game setup, you can use 4-6 foot garden stakes, pvc pipe or your ski polls, hammer into the ground about 25 feet apart and place a bottle on top of each post.
The 25 feet apart is going to keep you firmly within the current social distancing guidelines and you can sanitize the frisbee and your hands before and again afterwards. You can get more info on the DIY and how to play here, and also check out this post for more yard games you can play at home.
