In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together onion, carrots, celery and garlic.  Stir in hot sauce, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Add chicken broth and beer and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.

In a large stock pot over medium-high heat add butter and once softened add stir in flour with a whisk constantly stirring to keep from burning and cook until the rue mixture is a light brown color about 4 or 5 minutes.  Gradually stir in the half and half or heavy whipping cream and constantly whisk to prevent burning and cook until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and gradually stir in the shredded cheese.  Keep warm.

Stir the beer and vegetable mixture into the cheese mixture adding the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard. Adjust any seasonings as needed and bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes.  Serve with oyster crackers or your favorite cracker.

This recipe is a favorite soup of the colder Northern states and has made its way southward as well.  A search of the internet revealed many generic recipes for beer cheese soup and the above recipe is pretty much generic.  You could just as easily call this recipe a chowder but chose to stay with the soup nomenclature.  I tend to think of a chowder being much thicker than a soup but it is like asking, "Is it beef or meat?"   Below pixs of this rich, creamy and hardy beer cheese soup cooked on 03-22-09 and it was excellent!