One of secret ingredients in this recipe is the beer, so don't leave it out. All of the alcohol will cook out but the unique sweet flavor remains. If you must, non-alcoholic beer can be used. You can make this chili as mild or hot as you like by adjusting the chili powder and cayenne pepper. I've actually won a chili cook-off with this recipe, and another JAP member won 2nd Place! Don't let the list of ingredients discourage you, it's a very easy recipe. This can easily be converted to a slow cooker dish. Brown off the meat and throw everything in the slow cooker, 8 hours on low, you're done!