On Pairings With Apple Pie

Fall weather means fall activities and fall food which is what brought me last weekend to an apple orchard where I picked up an entire bushel of apples. Now, since I live alone using all these apples has been a challenge. Between apple butter, apple bars, and just plain eating them, I have done a good job at conquering the 20+ lbs of apples. But of course you can't have fresh picked apples at your disposal and not make apple pie. While most people agonize over whether to use golden delicious, Jonathan, or Fuji, my main concern was beer pairing. 

My thoughts first turned to a nice, thick stout. Stout is a classic pairing with deserts. The thick, creamy texture of a nitro-poured stout complements many dessert textures, while the bitter, roasty flavors contrast and play off the sweetness. While this is a nice thought, stout is still more of a winter beer. Perhaps this beer is more for leftover pie after Christmas dinner. My second thought (which was actually Karen's thought) was for an unconventional choice: heffeweisen. The spicy clove and banana phenols could play well with the cinnamon and nutmeg in the pie. But again, wrong season. Fourth of July, yes; first Autumn chill, not so much. The search continued with IPA. Something in the British region, perhaps. A bitter backbone to stand up to the sweetness of the pie. Some floral and mild dark fruit aromatics. But no, American pie¹ and British beer just doesn't feel right.

I finally settled on Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale. This beer gives the hoppy bite of an IPA without being too overwhelming and lends a nice caramel sweetness that complements the apples quite nicely. Plus, it's seasonally and culturally relevant, and tastes amazing. Score. Now that I had my beer I could make my pie. The beer was integrated into the pie in two different ways. I replaced the water in the crust with the beer and also added a tablespoon to my whipped cream topping. I thought about soaking the apples in the beer but thought that it would make things too bitter and be a waste of a perfectly good beer. I don't think the beer added much to the crust, but it gave the whipped topping a subtle bitterness that I didn't quite enjoy at first, but ended up liking in the end.

Crust:

Not exactly homemade... let's just say it's a secret recipe from my Aunt Betty.

1 egg for egg wash

Filling: 

6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced. (I used Fuji and golden delicious)

3/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

juice and zest from 1/2 a lemon

Whipped cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 cup sugar

For the pie:

Form the pie crust according to the box's Aunt Betty's instructions replacing the water with the Harvest Ale. Combine filling ingredients and place them in the pie. Cover with the top crust and crimp the edges with a fork. Beat the egg and brush over the top crust for a nice golden brown crust. Cover the top of the pie with aluminium foil and bake in a 400°F oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the crust turns golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the whipped cream:

Chill your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Add the heavy cream and whisk on medium high (7 on a Kitchenaid) until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, vanilla, and beer. Whisk on high until stiff peaks.

¹ Yes, I'm aware that the all-American apple pie isn't American at all... it's British, but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel American... at least to most of us on the left side of the Atlantic.