Fire up your grill for two-zone indirect cooking. For charcoal, push your lit coals to one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty. For gas, light the burners on one side only. You are targeting a steady grill temperature between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit with the lid closed. While the grill comes up to temp, add two or three chunks of apple or cherry wood directly onto the coals, or load your smoker box with wood chips if you are on gas. That smoke is going to build serious flavor on the exterior of this bird.

While the grill heats up, mix together your dry rub in a small bowl: kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, dried thyme, and brown sugar. Give it a good stir to combine everything evenly. This blend is going to form the bark on your chicken, so do not be timid with it.

Pat your whole chicken completely dry with paper towels. This is one of the most important steps for achieving crispy skin. Any surface moisture will steam the skin instead of crisping it, and we are not in the business of soggy skin here. Get every surface dry including inside the cavity.

Coat the entire bird with olive oil or melted butter, working it all over including under the skin over the breasts if you can get your fingers in there. That fat layer is your key to both browning and moisture. Now apply your dry rub all over, pressing it into the skin firmly. Season the inside of the cavity as well. If you have time, you can let the seasoned bird rest uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours for even deeper flavor penetration, but this step is optional if you are ready to cook now.

Crack open your beer and drink or pour out about half of it. Do not skip this step. A full can is too heavy and will make the setup unstable, and you need room in the can for the steam to work properly. Drop your smashed garlic cloves and rosemary sprig into the open can. The aromatics will ride up with the steam and perfume the interior of the chicken as it cooks.

Carefully lower the chicken cavity-down over the beer can so the bird is sitting upright on it like a throne. The can should be firmly inside the cavity and the chicken should stand on its own with the two legs and the can acting as a tripod. If you are using a beer can chicken stand, seat the can into the stand first before placing the bird on top. This is much more stable and highly recommended.

Transfer the whole setup to the indirect heat zone of your grill. The chicken should not be directly over the flames or lit burners. Place your drip pan on the grate beneath the bird or on the charcoal grate below. Close the lid and let the grill do its work. Resist the urge to open the lid constantly. Every peek drops your temperature and adds time to your cook. Check in around the 45-minute mark.

After 45 to 50 minutes, probe the thickest part of the thigh with your instant read thermometer, making sure you are not touching bone. You are looking for an internal temp of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thigh and 160 degrees Fahrenheit in the breast. The skin should be a deep golden brown to amber color with visible bark developing. If you are not there yet, close the lid and check again in 10 to 15 minutes.

Once you hit your target internal temp, carefully remove the chicken from the grill using heat resistant gloves and long tongs. The beer can and all that liquid inside will be extremely hot, so handle it with serious respect. Transfer the whole setup to a sheet pan or cutting board. Let the chicken rest the meat for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes before removing it from the can and carving. This resting period lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat instead of running all over your cutting board the moment you cut in.

To remove the chicken from the can, grip the can firmly with a folded towel or gloves while using tongs to slide the bird straight up and off. Discard the can safely as the liquid inside is scalding. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and carve it up: separate the thighs and drumsticks, slice the breast meat, and plate it all up. Look at that gorgeous bark on the skin, the juicy meat pulling away cleanly, and if you added smoke wood, you should see a beautiful pink smoke ring just beneath the surface. That is the mark of a proper backyard cook.