For the Stew:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large pot or Dutch oven, crisp the bacon over medium heat. Remove from the pot and set aside.
2. Increase the temperature to medium-high and add in the oil. Pat the pieces of beef dry with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on all sides (I use roughly 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper). Add the beef to the pot in batches. Sear for 2 minutes per side, or until a golden brown crust forms.
3. Remove the browned beef from the pot and set aside. Reduce the temperature to medium again.
4. Add in the onion, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt and sauté for several minutes, or until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute or until fragrant.
5. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the veggies and toss to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the flour is golden brown.
6. Add in the whiskey, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot, and bring to a simmer.
7. Add in the beer, stock, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, bay leaf, and potatoes, along with another teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
8. Return the beef and bacon to the pot and stir to combine everything. Return the liquid to a simmer.
9. Cover the pot and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 2½-3 hours, occasionally checking on the beef and stirring things around. The meat is done when a fork easily pierces it and it sort of falls apart.
10. Add in the frozen pearl onions and peas and stir to combine and return the pot, uncovered, to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool slightly while you bake the biscuits.

For the Biscuits:

1. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the grated cheese until it is coated in the flour.
3. Melt the butter in a heat proof mixing cup in the microwave. Once it has cooled slightly, whisk in the buttermilk and beer. If the mixture looks curdled, this is OK! It will incorporate once mixed with the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until the mixture comes together and is no longer crumbly.
5. Dollop ¼-cup scoops of the biscuit mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a couple inches of space between the biscuits.
6. Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little buttermilk and place the baking sheet in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden and puffed.

To Serve:

1. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the stew.
2. Ladle the stew into serving bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Top each bowl with a biscuit and serve.