Éphémère cherry beer crème brûlée

• 50 ml milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 5 egg yolks
• 90g fine sugar ( or about 7 tablespoons )
• 350 ml 35% cream
• 50 ml Éphémère Cherry beer from Unibroue, lukewarm and flat (or any other light and white fruity beer)
• 6x 1 tablespoon of sugar, for the crust

• Preheat the oven at 325°F.
• In a small sauce pan, heat the milk at minimum. Scrape the seeds out of the bean and add it to the milk. Cut the bean in 3 chunks and add it to the milk as well.
• Infuse the vanilla for about 5-6 minutes then remove the bean chunks. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a big bowl, whip vigorously the sugar and the egg yolks together for about 5 minutes. After some time, the mix will change color and get whiter. Then, add the cream and mix well.
• Incorporate slowly the milk in the egg mix and mix well to melt the sugar. Add the beer and mix.
• Distribute the mix into 6 ramekins.
• Cook in a bain-marie. In a baking dish that has high sides, like a pyrex or a drip tray, put in the ramekins and fill abcking dish with boiling water until reaching 3/4 the height of the ramekins. Cook for 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven then from the hot water and let cool down for 30 minutes. The mix will not be 100% frozen and it is normal. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours so that they can be very cold! For optimal results, leave in fridge for 24 hours!
• When ready to serve, remove the crèmes brûlées from the fridge. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon on top of each and do a little round motion to spread the sugar evenly. Ideally, use a torch to obtain a fast crust! Then, let cool down the crust about 3-4 minutes. You can also put them in the oven at broil but it might get your desert a bit warm. The crème brûlée should be eaten cold inside and warm on top!

***Cooking time may slightly vary depending on oven and ramekin size***