Snack Review: Beer Chips

Beer and food. A tag-team combination enjoyed throughout the world, and the stuff of comedic genius captured on film in such modern day classics as Beerfest. Sure, we have Beer Nuts, beer cheese soup, beer-can chicken, and beer-battered-anything-you-can-fry. But chips?

Finally, an idea whose time has come. Beer + Chips = Beer Chips. So simple. So Zen. Right there in front of us all along and we couldn’t see it.

Available in three flavors, these thick-cut kettle style chips are bold, hearty, obnoxious and fun, just like your hard-drinking college buddy. These chips are your wingman and might even take a bullet for you. (Okay, that was really over the top - it’s just the beer chips talking.)

BEER CHIPS

The company’s signature chip, these resembled standard chips in size and color. The first bite revealed the unique flavor in a high note for the olfactories: a sharp essence of strong pilsner. The flavor receded quickly, replaced with a rather sweet and malty potato taste (ingredients include barley, hops, and yeast, of course).

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Snack Review: Guiltless Gourmet Chili Lime Tortilla Chips

When a label reads “certified organic” I know I’m in for an expensive snack, but one that’s bound to taste fresh and satisfying. These low-fat, low-calorie chips lived up the the guiltless moniker, and the only guilt I felt was in spending close to the price of a gallon of gas for a 7 oz. bag. The generous serving size of 18 chips is twice that of regular tortilla chips, while fat content is half of other chips, and there are no saturated or trans fats. Guiltless indeed, but watch out - these chips contain nearly double the sodium of standard ‘guilt-full’ chips. Oh well, everything’s a trade-off. Moderation, my friends, right?

I admit they are delicious, but the oven-baked crunch is a bit overwhelming. Apparently, some of the stone-ground corn had not been completely ground and I found myself crunching hard grains of corn between my front teeth long after finishing the chips. For those of you with dental work or “iffy” crowns, I would advise cautious chewing.

The natural lime flavoring was subtle with just enough of a citrus essence to be noticeable and not overbearing or artificial-tasting (hence the “natural” label). The chili pepper was a touch heavy-handed and too salty, but spicy enough to tweak the tongue while dissipating within two minutes.

I wouldn’t recommend these for your everyday tortilla chip needs, but if you’re looking for something different or want to impress your friends at your next South-of-the-Border-themed party (even though these chips are manufactured in Secaucus, New Jersey), the Guiltless Gourmet Chili Lime tortilla chips are a delightful alternative. Ole!

Guiltless Gourmet

Buy Guiltless Gourmet Chili Lime Tortilla Chips Online:

• at Amazon.com