When I was in college, my favorite snack was soda crackers slathered in yellow mustard and a Diet Coke.

(Sidebar: I used to be completely addicted to Diet Coke, going so far as to have them with my morning bagel at the dining hall. I don’t think I ever drank water in college. God only knows how I made it out alive. These days, I have maybe couple of Diet Cokes a month, but am completely addicted to sparkling water.)

Soda crackers and mustard? Isn’t that a bit…weird? Probably. But I loved how the crunchy blandness of the crackers contrasted with the salty, vinegary mustard. I could eat them all day.

These days, I’ve moved on to more sensible and refined snacks like salted chocolate covered graham crackers or homemade power bars, but I haven’t lost my deep-rooter affection for mustard. Especially for grainy, spicy mustard. The kind with a little bit of a kick. This mustard is just that. I used some Guinness to add a bit of malty flavor and some honey to sweeten it up. It will be the perfect compliment to the roast beef and pepper jack sandwiches I’m making tonight.

By the way, if you’re thinking, She’s crazy. Why would I make my own mustard? The answer is: because it’s easy. Just combine the ingredients, let them sit and blend. Voila! Mustard. The best part is that you can adjust the vinegar and honey to get it just the way you like it.

Homemade Guinness Mustard
There are many different kinds of mustard seeds – yellow, brown and even black. All mustard seeds are different. Some are spicier than others, so you might have to buy from a few different sources until you find your favorite.

3 oz. yellow mustard seeds
5 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup Guinness, or your favorite malty stout
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. honey

Place all of the ingredients in a non-metallic bowl. Metal bowls might react with the vinegar in not so tasty ways. Mix everything together and let it sit covered or uncovered for about an hour.

Place everything in a blender and pulse until your mustard reaches the desired graininess level. You can either use your mustard right away and it will have a little bit more “kick” or you can refrigerate it overnight for a mellower taste. Mustard will keep in the fridge for a very long while, but I would use it up within a few weeks if possible.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups mustard.

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