Deep-Fried Beer At The Texas State Fair

One of the finalists in the state fair's fried-food competition has come up with a way to combine Texans' obsession with deep fryers and their love of beer.

Mark Zable's creation is a ravioli-shaped dough pocket that's filled with beer and plunged into a deep fryer. It's a little messy — the beer pours out on the first bite — but you can always sop it up with the dough.

Zabel says he's currently using Guinness but might switch to Shiner Bock — more appropriate for a Texas competition — or a pale ale like Sierra Nevada. It may not matter much — you're not going to pick up a lot of the beer's aroma, flavor and body after it's been heated to 375 degrees.
For those who aren't into beer, there's the Deep Fried Frozen Margarita, a slightly alcoholic snack make with funnel cake batter and served in a salt-rimmed glass.

The two alcoholic treats will be served only to fairgoers 21 or older. A non-alcoholic alternative is Fried Lemonade.

Those offerings, along with other entries including Fried Club Salad, Texas Fried Caviar and Texas Fried Frito Pie, will compete for the Sixth Annual Big Tex Choice Awards. Winners will be named on Labor Day.

The Florida Times-Union | Jacksonville via Buzzfeed