5 Surprising Uses For Beer

In a previous post, we covered 5 surprising uses for moonshine (other than drinking it). In keeping up with this tradition, we figured it would only make sense to cover some of the surprising uses of beer. If you prefer the rich hop flavors and frothy texture of beer over the bite and kick of moonshine, you’ll want to check out these alternative uses.

#1) Garden Slug Trap

Are slugs terrorizing your garden and wrecking havoc on your plants? Allowing these pests to continue their destructive behavior can easily kill otherwise healthy plants. Unfortunately, dealing with garden pests is easier said than done. These invasive pests eat their way through organic plant matter while leaving a toxic trail of mucus slime in their wake.

Thankfully, you can control their numbers by placing beer traps throughout your garden. Simply bury a plastic cup so it’s flush with the ground and fill it with beer. Slugs that fall into the beer trap won’t be able to escape and drown.

#2) Fruit Fly Trap

Another innovative use for beer is to trap fruit flies. If you are experiencing an infestation of fruit flies inside your home, try opening a bottle or can of beer and leaving it on the kitchen counter for a couple of days. The sugars and chemicals in the beer naturally attract fruit flies. And once a fruit fly makes its way down into the beer, they won’t be able to escape.

#3) Meat Marinade

Looking to add some flavor to your meat but don’t have any marinade left in the kitchen? Rather than making a special trip to the grocery store, you can use beer as an alternative. Simply fill a large one-gallon plastic bag with your favorite beer, place your meat inside, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. This is more than enough time to infuse the meat with the delicious beer flavors while making it more tender.

#4) Settle an Upset Stomach

No, this isn’t a typo: beer can be used to settle an upset stomach. If you’re experiencing gas, bloating or other minor digestive issues, try drinking a 12-ounce bottle or can of beer. Its carbonated content works to settle upset stomachs much like ginger ale, Sprite or similar carbonated beverages.

#5) Furniture Polish

A fifth ‘surprising’ use for beer is to polish wooden furniture. Its natural caramel coloring helps to revive faded antique/vintage furniture. The important thing to remember is that you want to only use a minimal amount of beer and not saturate the furniture. Using too much of any liquid can ruin wooden furniture.