March Madness is ON and you’re gonna need the right snacks, like these spicy beer nuts made with a serious lager. A mix of spicy nuts that will pair brilliantly with college basketball, as well as another lager or two.

Although this recipe would work with a wide variety of lagers, we went with Scrag Mountain Pils, a 4.8% ABV Czech-Style Pilsner from Lawson’s Finest Liquids that’s a tribute to Waitsfield, Vermont’s pure water source which comes from an ancient aquifer deep beneath Scrag Mountain.

So, let’s do this!

Spicy Beer Nuts

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw peanuts (or almonds, cashews, or mixed nuts)
• ½ cup beer (lager or ale works best)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp butter (melted)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make the Glaze: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine beer and brown sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves, then let it simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
3. Coat the Nuts: Remove from heat and stir in butter, salt, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add the nuts and toss to coat evenly.
4. Bake: Spread the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until caramelized and golden brown.
5. Cool & Serve: Let the nuts cool completely—they will crisp up as they sit. Store in an airtight container.

Serving Tip: These pair perfectly with almost any craft lager or as a crunchy topping for salads!

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