Beer can chicken is the dish that defies its own science. The most credible American barbecue scientists tested it and concluded the beer in the can does almost nothing the cook thinks. Backyard chefs from Memorial Day to Labor Day have kept doing it anyway — and so will we.

Today, we dig into the contested origins — including a 1993 Houston Chronicle article that puts the technique in former President George H.W. Bush's kitchen — the science that quietly buried it, the geometry that actually makes the bird crisp, and a thought experiment about a Mexican spirit at the right strength.

We pair it with Coq au Can — a beer-cocktail highball in light and dark.

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Thanks to all of this week’s partners:

Asil Raicilla de la Sierra: https://pkgdgroup.com/#our_brands/

Underberg: https://underbergamerica.com/