Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

For those who missed the history behind the beloved Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday is traditionally the last opportunity for indulging in a feast before the fasting season of Lent begins. Especially food items like eggs and milk, which are the essential ingredients for pancakes, were not allowed during the fasting period. Hence, these foods had to be used up and the tradition of eating pancakes before Ash Wednesday was established. This tradition is still very much present in the UK and Pancake Day is celebrated all over the country.

Why should I add beer to a pancake recipe?

It sounds like madness we know but, as we are always trying to find new ways to incorporate beer into various dishes, we tried to make some delicious pancakes with beer. It turns out that beer is a great ingredient!

The beer's carbonation makes the pancake light and fluffy with the depth of flavour from the beer giving a little touch of spice. For those that want to avoid dairy, or forgot to pop to the shops, this recipe is very simple as the milk is simply replaced by beer.

What beer should I use?

Different beers will give a different twist to the pancake so there’s not really a right or wrong answer - we recommend trying a few out to see which you prefer!

From our kitchen experimentation, we found a few of our range make fantastic additions to our recipe:

• If you fancy pancakes with something fruity, then you should go for a cider, such as Orchard Thieves which will add a fruity sweetness to your batter.
• For those looking for a stronger beer flavour, we recommend trying a Blonde like Affligem Blonde which will certainly pack a punch!
• For blueberry pancakes, go for a white, wheaty beer like Edelweiss Wheat. You'll get flavour hits of clove and banana from the weizen yeast with a slight tartness from the blueberries, balancing well with any sweet toppings you are craving...especially if you use maple syrup.
• Or if you want to keep it simple and use the classic lemon and sugar topping, then you can replace the milk in the pancake batter with a light lager such as Tiger or Amstel. They're classics for a reason, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Like all beer and food pairings, the best (and also the most fun) method is to try it yourself and just experiment!