Ben Heller

When it comes to craft beers and their remarkable flavors, one typically drinks them straight to savor the nuances and distinctive qualities that brewers coax out of their ingredients, like the foraged and farm beers produced by Scratch Brewing Company in Ava, Illinois. By the same token, those same attributes can be used to a bartender’s advantage to infuse cocktails with a fizzy twist and fun mix of flavors.

Amy Mills and Ben Heller, owner and operations manager, respectively, of Illinois’ legendary 17th Street Barbecue, offer a few of their favorite summertime cocktails with beer taking center-stage as the main ingredient.