Caramel and straw bars

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle (0.33 ml) brown ale
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 1 and 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1.5 cups crushed pretzels

Preparation:

1. Pour the beer into a glass and let it sit until the foam subsides, about 1 hour.
2. Grease a 20cm square baking dish with butter. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring half the beer to a boil; simmer until reduced to 2 teaspoons, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining beer, brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, and butter in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 230°F (113°C) on a candy thermometer, 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the beer syrup and pretzels.
4. Place into the prepared pan and refrigerate until set, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cut into pieces.