Trim fat from ribs. Cut the ribs into 2 portions. Place ribs in a 4-quart stainless-steel Dutch oven or a very large bowl. Pour beer over the ribs. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

If necessary, transfer ribs and beer to a Dutch oven. Add the water and bay leaves. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add onions; cook about 12 minutes or until tender. Stir the brown sugar into the onions; cook for 2 minutes more. Remove half of the onion mixture; set aside. For sauce, stir the ketchup, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hoisin sauce, and balsamic vinegar into the onion mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Spoon half of the ketchup mixture into a food processor or blender. Cover and process or blend until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer, discarding solids; set sauce aside. Repeat with remaining ketchup mixture.

Drain ribs, discarding liquid and bay leaves. Brush ribs with some of the sauce. Place ribs, bone sides down, on the rack of the grill directly over medium heat. Grill about 10 minutes or until browned.

To serve, reheat remaining sauce until bubbly. Serve ribs with warmed sauce and reserved onion mixture. If desired, serve with ranch salad dressing. Makes 4 to 5 servings.