Makes: 1 pie
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 oz (283 g) butter, grated and kept in the freezer until needed
- 4 oz (118 ml) Reuben’s Three Ryes Men ryewine, cold
- 9" (23 cm) pie pan
In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt three times, then add the cold butter to the processor and pulse 10 times, or until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Add the beer and pulse in small intervals until the dough starts to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with plastic film and knead with hands until it’s smooth. Divide the dough into two equal balls, wrap with film, and smash into disks. Rest for 30 minutes.
Filling
- 8 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored, and sliced ¼" (6 mm) thick
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
- 4 oz (118 ml) Reuben’s Three Ryes Men ryewine
- 2 Tbs cornstarch
Mix the apples, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and spices and place in a colander over a bowl, then allow to sit for 30 minutes. Transfer the drained apple mixture to another bowl.
To the liquid that has collected in the bowl under the colander, add the beer. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and start to simmer. Whisk 2 Tbs of water with the cornstarch and pour into simmering liquid, then set the burner to low. Cook for 2 minutes, allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then mix with the apple mixture.
While the liquid is cooling, unwrap the dough disks and roll them into two rounds that are larger than your pie pan. Place one crust into the pie pan, center it, and make sure that there are no air gaps between the crust and the pan. Spread the apples evenly in the crust and roll the second crust over the apples. Trim and crimp the edge of the pie, cut three 1" (25 mm) slits into the top crust and place the pie in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and place the pie on a baking sheet on the middle rack. Bake until the crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling in the slits. Allow to cool for 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Serve with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle beer caramel sauce (see below) over both the pie and ice cream while serving.
Barrel-Aged Ryewine Caramel Sauce
- 8 oz (237 ml) Reuben’s Three Ryes Men ryewine
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 2 Tbs heavy cream
- 8 Tbs unsalted butter
In a 2-quart (1.9 l) saucepan, bring the beer and brown sugar to a low simmer. Avoid stirring, but remove from the heat if it begins to rise toward the top of the pot to avoid a boil-over. Reduce by one-third.
Remove from the heat and add the cream and butter, swirling the pan. Return to the heat, bring back to a simmer, and cook until the butter is melted and incorporated.
Pour into a heatproof container and allow to cool or pour over the pie and ice cream immediately.
You can store this sauce tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a month. To reheat, spoon some of the sauce into a microwave-proof bowl and pulse on high heat at 5-second intervals until hot.
Beer Tasting Notes: This big, rich beer features strong and characterful flavors of vanilla, oak, coconut, caramel, and dark fruits, balanced with just enough herbal-hop spice. Some similar beers rely on sugar to balance the alcohol and intensity, but Reuben’s keeps the body reasonably tight and well-structured.
What the Beer Does for the Dish: Normally, apple pie is made with classic tart apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of lemon for some acid, and a toasted crust. The rich beer with layers of savory spice and sweet vanilla and coconut flavors adds a curious but familiar depth to both the crust and the apple filling. In the crust, the beer focuses those toast-like flavors and adds just a bit of rich toffee. In the filling, the dark-fruit notes highlight the cinnamon and nutmeg. The tart apples are slightly muted because of the general sweetness of the beer, but the herbal spice in the beer stands in for some of that tart brightness.