After disappointing munchies sullied yet another beer at a local bar, friends and avid cooks Erin Patinkin and Agatha Kulaga decided to remedy the situation. The result is Ovenly, their Brooklyn-based snack factory that specializes in irresistible, ingenious bites, salty and sweet (and often both). Imagine a bar where, instead of chips and peanuts, you’re greeted by bowls of Spicy Bacon Caramel Corn and Maple Thyme Pecans. There’s a place you’d stay for another round.

Several treats incorporate beer as an ingredient, like their Chocolate Stout Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting. Ovenly’s goodies are available at East Coast bars, grocers, hotels and eateries, and a new Brooklyn retail shop, but if you’re not out East, try your hand at these Lemon Ginger Beer Cupcakes that use hefeweizen in both batter and frosting. Ginger and black pepper lend a hint of heat, copious amounts of lemon zest add brightness, and the wheat beer lends a fruity, spicy tang. –Debbie Koenig