I’d like to tell you a story about a very mean chicken who we’ll call Clarence. Clarence was a big bully around the farm, and he liked to make other chickens cry by telling them that their cluck sounded like a hen and that their eggs smelled up the coop. Then one day Clarence got his head chopped off and got a beer bottle shoved up his rear.

The lesson to this story is this: Mean chickens get what’s coming to them—and when they do, they taste really, really good. Especially when they’re rubbed with a sweet and spicy mixture and steamed with an all-American brew.

Once you get over the sad step of placing a brew where the sun don’t shine, beer can chicken is a cinch to make. It’s always a crowd pleaser at summer BBQs since it’s guaranteed to turn out flavorful and juicy. And since it’s mostly hands off, you can sit back, relax and pour a beer down your hole (no not that one).

Beer can chicken
Makes 1 chicken (Serves 3-4)
Rub adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:
For the rub:
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the chicken:
1 4-pound chicken
1 can beer

Directions:
Mix rub ingredients in a small bowl. Remove neck and giblets from the chicken. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Rub mixture all over the outside of a chicken, in the cavity, and underneath the skin. Open beer can and take three big gulps so the can is 3/4 full. Remove the top of the beer can with a can opener. On a steady surface, place the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer to a grill. Cook the chicken over medium-high indirect heat for about 1 hour or until the internal temperature registers 165 in the breast. Remove from the grill and carefully remove the beer can (it will still contain liquid) from the chicken before carving.