The Texas State Fair has yielded its share of bizarre deep-fried concoctions over the years (fried Coke, guacamole, lattes…). This year, the fair's gift to the nation's nutritionist community is deep-fried beer, which, if you think about it, may actually be an improvement on last year's piece de cholesteresistance — deep-fried butter (no, seriously).

The brewcentric brainstorm was supposedly the result of three years of labor by inventor Mark Zable. It consists of a pretzel-like ravioli pocket filled with beer that is deep fried for less than half a minute (so that the alcohol doesn't evaporate). The result is supposedly crunchy and salty on the outside (like a bar snack designed to keep you thirsty and drinking) and bubbly and alcoholic in the middle.

We hope it satisfies some sort of craving because at five bucks for five pieces, it's much pricier by volume than a sixpack…or even ballpark beer.

Perhaps next year the ante will be upped with martinis…fried, not stirred…