Here at Special Ingredient Laboratories, where anything is fair game to throw into a tun, pot, or tank, we have a special place in our hearts for the adjuncts that are tasty and fun to eat in their own right—pretzels, pickles, oysters, marzipan, marshmallows, and bacon are just a handful of the treats we’ve covered here.
We’re going to add to that subgenre, now, though we have a hard time imagining anyone actually managing to brew with tortilla chips—because, if it were us, we’d definitely eat them all first. Salty, crispy, and supremely addictive, the damned things just disappear around us.
However, we must admit: As a brewing ingredient, tortilla chips make more sense than most other tasty snacks. They’re made of corn, after all—the principal ingredient in the most ancient beers of the Americas and an important one for adjunct lager brewing. It’s also one that may be enjoying a renaissance, as American craft brewers reinvent those lagers and seek out flavorful corn varieties.