Summers gone and most grills are winterized; not mine, rain, sun or snow I still BBQ!

Beef burgers are the staple of most BBQ, especially for children - so why not add some bold flavor to the traditional burger with a dram of Guinness - don't worry, the alcohol burns of so your kids can still enjoy the burger.

If you really must, leave out the Guinness - the resulting burger is still really good.

• 1 pound of chopped or minced beef - for the best results always use beef with a fair amount of fat in it (90% beef) - the fat adds to the flavor and helps the burger to cook. If you are health conscious then you can grind up your own beef and use less fat.
• 1/4 cup Guinness  - for a more bitter taste you can use more - but I suggest you reduce the Guinness by simmering so you only have 1/4 cup.
• 2 teaspoons mustard - any mustard will do - I tend to use a mild mustard such as French mustard, but you can add a stronger mustard if you like a bite to the burger
• Minced Jalapeno peppers (Optional) - if you really want to add a lot of bite to the burger then add some Jalapeno peppers.
• Bacon (Optional) - to add an additional texture and flavor, some smoked bacon adds a nice touch.
• Cheese (Optional) - while you can simply add a slice of cheese to the finished burger, sometimes mixing the cheese into the burger adds a different and subtle cheesy flavor - I tend to use cheddar, but you can use your favorite cheese.
• 1/4 teaspoon ground herbs - I like to use rosemary or sometimes sage - but it's really down to personal preference.
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional) - the garlic really enhances the flavor of the burger.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or cooking oil (Only used if frying burgers)
• 1/4 cup finely minced onions  - you can fry these separately or add them to the mixture to add texture and flavor.

• In a bowl, mix the beef, beer, mustard, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. (and onions if desired) -  make sure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together to ensure a consistent burger.

• Form into 3 to 4 patties - I usually try and get 4 patties and tend to make them about 1/3 of an inch thick - it's down to preference, but I prefer a thicker burger.

• For frying, melt the butter in a skillet on a low to medium heat and then cook the burgers for 4 to 5 minutes on each side - this generally gives a medium burger so amend the time to suit your preference.

• For grilling, heat the grill to a medium heat and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side - this generally gives a medium burger so amend the time to suit your preference.

• For boiling - this is the best way to cut out a lot of fat - boil a pan of water and add the burgers - cook for about 8 or 9 minutes - this generally gives a medium burger so amend the time to suit your preference. I find that this does take a lot of flavor from the burgers.

• If you didn't add the mushrooms to the burger: While cooking the burgers, fry the onions on a low heat in the melted butter or oil - depending on how you like them, cook them until translucent. Add these to the top of the burger when preparing.
  

• Traditionally a burger is served between a 'bun' (toasted or non toasted) with some salad, some dressing (ketchup, mayo etc) and often a slice of cheese.
• For the more health conscious, serve the burger without the bun but with some healthy pasta or a salad.
• Serve the burger with gravy, chips or mashed potatoe (and a vegetable of choice)
  

Vegetarian Version

There are plenty of 'meat' alternatives such as soy beans, tofu etc. Additionally, you can mince up some of your favorite nuts with some carrots, broccoli or your favorite vegetable.

Guinness is not suitable for vegetarians, therefore you will have to replace the Guinness with one of the stouts below:

• Alloa Stout - bottle
• Bell's Stout (Various)
• Black Isle Brewery Porter Stout
• Bridge of Allan's Glencoe Wild Oat Stout (bottled)
• Hopback Entire Stout
• Isle of Skye Oyster Stout (bottled)
• Linfit English Guineas Stout - bottle
• Cropton's Scorseby Stout (bottle)
• Dublin's Darcy's Dublin Stout
• Samuel Adams Stout (Various)
• Titanic Brewery Stout - bottle