Ingredients

  • 1 chicken about 4 lbs.
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces ginger beer oz. good quality, Reed's or similar in an emptied 12 soda can
  • 1 teaspoon rub
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • chicken
  • beer
  • ginger beer

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Be sure the oven rack is low enough to allow the chicken to stand on end while baking. While the oven is preheating, rinse the chicken, inside and out, with cold water, and dry using paper towels.
  • Rub half the spice rub under the skin on the chicken breast meat. Rub the other half inside the chicken's body cavity. Coat the skin with olive oil.
  • Cover the outside of the soda can with foil and punch two or three extra holes in the top using a can opener.
  • Insert the can into the cavity and place the chicken, standing up, in a disposable aluminum pie pan (serving as a drip pan) on a baking sheet, using the drumsticks to balance the chicken.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325 and bake until internal temperature in the thigh meat is at least 180 degrees (about 90 minutes), basting every 20 minutes or so.
  • Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes, then carefully extract and discard the soda can.
  • Use a gravy separator to remove the fat from the pan drippings. Slice the chicken and serve with the pan juices.