Beat the Cold with Beer Cheese Soup
Potosi, Wisconsin… home of Latham® dealer Andria White, the Potosi Brewery and the National Brewery Museum.
Potosi is nestled along the Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin and is only a 30-minute drive from Dubuque, Iowa. It’s well worth the drive – even a two-hour detour – in my humble opinion. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by all this little village has to offer! The National Brewery Museum is interesting; the pub grub is some of the best I’ve ever eaten; and the tidy farmsteads dotting the countryside make rural Grant County equally enchanting.
It’s on one of these Grant County farms that Andria White and her husband, Jim, make their home. After graduating from the University Wisconsin – Platteville in 2008, Andria returned to her family’s farm. She also decided to become a Latham seed dealer because it allowed her to put her degree to work by starting her own business doing something that she’s passionate about: agriculture.
Andria farms in partnership with her parents. They raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa and sod and have a cow-calf operation, as well. Andria and Jim also raise Angus cattle, Katahdin sheep and fainting goats. Because Jim works off-farm as an electrician, Andria spends the majority of the day tending to livestock.
There’s nothing like a hot bowl of home-made soup to help warm you up after working outside all day. And it’s only natural that these Wisconsinites would enjoy a hearty cheese soup, featuring the area’s favorite brew. Add a side salad and a little home-made beer bread, and you have a complete meal!
“Unless you are a big ale drinker, a mild beer such as the ‘Good Old Potosi’ may be a better option. The ale flavor comes through farely strong,” says Andria. “I made this soup last night and it was a great ‘comfort supper’ on a cold night!”
Fast Facts on Potosi, Wisconsin
- Population of 703 in July 2009
- “Catfish Capitol of Wisconsin” and hosts an annual Catfish Festival Fireman’s Fish Fry the 2nd weekend of August
- Boasts “the longest Main Street in the world without a cross street,” according to a 1950s item in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not
Andria says, “I found this recipe online and decided to try it because it starts off similar to the baked potato soup recipe (which is my FAVORITE!) that you posted last winter on The Field Position.”
Sconnie Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups chopped carrots, onion and celery
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups beer (ale is recommended, like Potosi's Snake Hollow Pale Ale)
- 1/3 cup butter
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups half and half cream
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Chopped Bacon and green onion for garnish
Instructions
Directions:
- Sauté chopped bacon. Drain on towel and set aside.
- Sweat carrots, onions, and celery in butter for 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, cook additional minute. Add flour, a bit at a time and stir constantly.
- Cook for a few minutes. Stir in half and half cream, beer, broth, mustards, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, then slowly and gradually add cheese while stirring.
- Ladle into bowl and garnish with bacon and green onion.
