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Guinness gravy

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Adding this delicious stout as a key element of your gravy significantly elevates its flavour and aroma

Guinness gravy is a dark, malty gravy built around stout rather than wine. The bitterness of the beer works particularly well with beef, sausages, roast onions and rich meat juices, while a little sweetness prevents the finished gravy from becoming harsh.

The important thing is to reduce the Guinness properly. If it is added at the end, the gravy tastes of beer. If it is reduced into the base, it tastes like gravy.

The plan

When What
Up to 3 days ahead Make the Guinness stock base and chill it
Up to 3 months ahead Make the base and freeze it
While the meat cooks Prepare the onions and measure the Guinness
Meat comes out Finish the gravy in the roasting tin — about 15 minutes
Before serving Adjust bitterness, sweetness and seasoning

Stage one: the Guinness base

Makes about 1 litre

  • 1 tbsp oil · 2 onions, sliced
  • 1 carrot, roughly chopped · 1 celery stick, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
  • 2 sprigs thyme · 1 bay leaf
  • 500 ml Guinness
  • 1 litre beef stock
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dark brown sugar
  • 6 black peppercorns
  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions over medium heat until deeply browned, around 15–20 minutes.
  2. Add the carrot, celery and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
  3. Pour in the Guinness and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Bring to a steady simmer and reduce by roughly half. This removes the raw beer flavour and concentrates the malt.
  5. Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and peppercorns.
  6. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 45–60 minutes.
  7. Strain, pressing lightly on the vegetables, then cool and refrigerate or freeze.

💡 Chef's tip

Do not skip the reduction. Guinness added directly to finished gravy can taste thin, bitter and obviously alcoholic. Reducing it first makes the flavour darker, rounder and much more integrated.

Stage two: the finish

  • 3–4 tbsp beef dripping, roasting fat or butter
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • 200 ml Guinness
  • 750–900 ml warm Guinness base
  • Roasting juices from the meat
  • 1 tsp redcurrant jelly or dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and black pepper
  1. Remove the cooked meat from the roasting tin and leave it to rest.
  2. Pour the contents of the tin into a jug. Let the fat rise, then return about 3–4 tbsp of fat and all the dark roasting juices to the tin.
  3. Put the roasting tin over medium-low heat and stir in the flour.
  4. Cook the flour for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly.
  5. Add the Guinness and scrape the bottom of the tin thoroughly.
  6. Let the Guinness bubble for 3–5 minutes, until reduced by at least half.
  7. Gradually whisk in the warm Guinness base.
  8. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until thick and glossy.
  9. Add the resting juices, redcurrant jelly and Worcestershire sauce.
  10. Taste, season with salt and black pepper, then strain into a warmed jug if you want a smooth finish.

Controlling the bitterness

Stout brings bitterness as well as roasted malt, and the balance changes as the gravy reduces.

If the finished gravy tastes too bitter, add a small amount of redcurrant jelly, dark brown sugar or caramelised onion. Add only a little at a time — Guinness gravy should not taste sweet.

If it tastes too rich or heavy, a few drops of red wine vinegar can sharpen it.

If it tastes too mild, reduce it further rather than adding more Guinness at the end.

💡 Chef's tip

Salt can exaggerate bitterness. Adjust sweetness and acidity first, then add the final seasoning.

Using the roasting tin

Guinness gravy is particularly good when made in the tin after roasting beef, sausages, lamb or onions.

The dark residue stuck to the bottom of the tin is fond — concentrated browned proteins and caramelised juices. Deglazing it with Guinness dissolves this back into the gravy.

Very black, burnt patches should be avoided. They contribute bitterness without useful flavour.

Variations

Onion Guinness gravy — cook two extra sliced onions slowly until dark and soft, then leave them in the finished gravy rather than straining it.

Mustard Guinness gravy — whisk in 1–2 tsp English or wholegrain mustard at the end. Particularly good with sausages.

Guinness and mushroom gravy — fry 200 g sliced mushrooms until well browned and add them after the gravy has thickened.

Guinness and blue cheese gravy — crumble in 50–75 g blue cheese over low heat just before serving. Best with steak or beef.

Guinness and bacon gravy — cook chopped smoked bacon first and use the rendered fat for the roux.

Guinness and onion marmalade gravy — stir in a spoonful of onion marmalade near the end for a sweeter, darker version.

Quantities

Allow around 100–150 ml per person when Guinness gravy is the main sauce on the plate.

A litre will therefore serve roughly 7–10 people, depending on what it is served with and whether Yorkshire puddings are involved.

Leftover Guinness gravy keeps for about three days refrigerated and freezes well. It is particularly good in steak pie, sausage casserole, cottage pie, or reheated with leftover roast beef.

See also