Tasty Beer Chips

He devised new surgical instruments and food packaging before he moved into adult snack foods.

Then he created Beer Chips, a brand of potato chips made with beer.

He since has come up with two other types of chips: Hot Potatoes, a Bloody Mary-esque flavor; and Chip Shots, with a lime and margarita taste.

Of course, the alcohol is cooked out, leaving just the "essence" of tequila or beer.

His creations are coming to Arizona soon via Whole Foods and Albertsons. Until then, you can order them at www.beerchips.com.

A 9-ounce bag of Beer Chips costs $3.79; a deli-size 2-ounce bag is $1.19.

Smith, a 50-year-old resident of Portland, Ore., debuted them about 1 1/2 years ago.

While you don't have to be 21 to eat his chips, Smith said that they are designed and created for adult palates.

Beer Chips get their start with 1,000 gallons of beer that's reduced to a powder before the other ingredients are added.

Smith, who drinks hefeweisen with an orange slice in the summer and enjoys stout beers in the winter, recently answered some questions by phone.

After you decided to develop a type of chip that contained beer and was to be consumed with beer, did it take a long time to come up with the product name?

"Actually, the product name came first.

"From 2003 to 2005, I had a Walden Pond existence. I was living in a turquoise trailer next to a cornfield . . . . I was sitting watching a food show called 'Unwrapped.' . . . I was trying to think of ideas (for potato chip flavors). I told my brain, 'OK, think of something.' I took a sip of beer to lubricate the process . . . and I thought of Beer Chips.

"I wish I had that bottle in my hand. It was like a genie bottle."

What other ingredients do Beer Chips contain?

"Sugar, salt, honey and beer."

Are any Light Beer Chips in the works?

"I think that's a contradiction that I don't want to participate in."

These have a slight sweetness to them. What kind of beer do you use when making these?

"A bock style. . . . We actually grow our own beer trees."

Describe their taste compared to other chips.

"All other chips are just salty with just another flavor. We're doing a sweet-salty base with a blend of the hoppy nose."

You make three varieties of chips: What's your favorite?

"You're asking me which is my favorite child. I actually like the (Hot Potatoes) because they're spicy. I like the horseradish and Worcestershire in them."

How long does it take to make a Beer Chip?

"The truck dumps them out, and 22 minutes later it's in the bag. No more, no less.

"(In that time), the (potatoes are) washed, sliced, fried, cooled and covered with spice."

Is there a born-on date for Beer Chips?

"There's a 'best buy' date, which is about six months."

Will I get carded for buying these?

"No. In fact, you can operate heavy machinery and eat Beer Chips at the same time."

What will my blood-alcohol level be after consuming a bag of Beer Chips?

"Whatever it was before. There's no alcohol left in the chips in the end. You'll be much smarter, though."

OK, I just tried the Beer Chips today, and it's official: I'm addicted. Are there BC meetings I can attend to work through this?

"I think you just need to get more bags and share them with your friends."

Is it best to tell a police officer who pulls you over that you've just had two Beer Chips?

"A serving is actually 12 chips, so I would go for the full amount. You can eat and drive."

Is it safe to go into a bar if I have a beer chip on my shoulder?

"I think a bar is a perfect place to be eating Beer Chips."

How did you come up with the other types of alcohol chips?

"After spending much time consuming Beer Chips and beer, I wondered what other adults and semi-adults would drink. Certain flavors seemed more obvious."

Is it better to start with the Spicy Bloody Mary Potato Chips before moving on to the Beer Chips?

"I think you should start with the Margarita first, then Beer Chips, then the Bloody Mary. That's the most intense flavor."

Do the Margarita with Salt Potato Chips taste better in the blender or on the rocks?

"It depends if you take them out of the bag before you put them in the blender."

Is this a gateway snack? Will you be more likely to become addicted to, say, Pringles, after eating a lot of them?

"I think it will just lead to more fun."

Would you like a Beer Chips T-shirt? E-mail caliente@ azstarnet.com by 5 p.m. today. Put "Beer Chips" in the subject line, give your full name, age, phone number and describe your idea for the best chips that would contain alcohol. The winners will be picked at random.