I founded National Pie Day in 1975; so what does this have to do with beer?

Apple pie and missing barleywine ale

I founded National Pie Day in 1975 (or thereabouts).  What does this have to do with beer?  Actually there are quite a few connections.  Read on.
    

In the 70s I established myself as a pie-romaniac.  I loved pies and I prided myself in being able to get just about anyone to make me a pie.   As a kindergarten through second grade teacher I proclaimed to my students that my birthday, January 23 was going to be National Pie Day.   Sure enough I soon had dozens of pies on my desk.  From then things got out of control.  I connected with Chase's Calendar of National Events and all of a sudden the world knew.

I was interviewed about pies from Australia to Europe.  I was even featured on an interview with pie-in-the-face television legend Soupy Sales.

The pies kept coming.  

In 1978 I co founded the American Homebrewers Association.  A mingling of pies and beer delightfully ensued.  Great American Pie Festival?  Great American Beer Festival.  Remarkable similarities in name, hey?  Where there’s a fest there’s a competition.  Beer styles and pie styles were scribed and researched on the same kitchen table.   Nut pies, chocolate pies, fruit pies, cream pies and “experimental pies.”  

You can’t judge a competition without score sheets and guidelines.   Appearance, aroma, mouthfeel (texture), flavor, balance and overall impression.  I was a big proponent that the sign of a good pie was not how sweet it was but whether the flavor of the fruit, nuts, chocolate were highlighted and in balance with the overall presentation.   

Beer had its organization.  Now pie needed one too.  Pie buddies, we gathered together and rolled out the American Pie Council.  It was all about fun and promoting the art and culture of making homemade pies.  It just so happened that all of us who were into pies were also dearly connected to beer.  Coincidence?  Not really.

Now the American Pie Council has morphed into a pie industry trade association.   Our absolutely insane fantasy of someday establishing a Crisco Pie Pie Bake -Off – has happened.   Meanwhile the original founders of the pie council and all those children and friends who would bring me pies still occasionally do.  But I’m just as likely to get some great beer along with it too.  All the founders are retired happily knowing good pie is still accessible to those who make it themselves.   Hey, homebrewers can relate to this, can’t they?

Yes I can make pie.  So can my wife.  What’s the secret to the best pie in the world?   Relax, don’t worry and have a homebrew! 

The difficulty of pie-making is overrated.  Crust is simple to make.  3/4 cup butter, 2 cups flour and a bit of salt.  Mix well. Don’t worry.  Then add  4 tablepoons cold water, stir in with pie cutter or simple fork.  When evenly mixed roll out on pie cloth dusted with flour.  Easy.  Have another beer. Don't listen to anyone who tells you "you need to do this..."  or "you need to do that..."   It's their way of shrinking their domain and piefdom.  And being the king or queen of everyone's hearts.

My favorite pies are fruit pies.  God, do I love peach raspberry pie.  Blueberry is also number one.  80% apple/20% pear pie wow – you don’t need sugar!  Caramelized pecan bottom apple pie, I’ve died and gone to heaven many times.  My wife loves to experiment, so she’s substituted mangoes for peaches, add a touch of fresh ground coriander along with cinnamon and coconut flakes (and if you’re as bold as my wife, mince one seeds-removed habenero pepper into the mix) – it’s a house favorite.   Apricot pie with subtle spice of coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg – mmmm.   

All the above sugared with never more than 1/4 cup of honey.  That’s right – less than 1/4 cup of sugar/honey for all of the above.   When you have good ingredients let the fruit do the talking.   Excessively sweet pies are the heritage of “sugarsweetnation” recipe books.  Award-winning pies aren’t excessively sweet.  If you want sweet then drizzle a bit of honey, maple sugar or whatever on he pie as you serve it... and please don't put sugar in or on the crust.

Beer and Pie?  Try a Belgian-style dubbel brown ale with blueberry pie.  A barleywine ale with apple-pear pie is to die for.  Going for chocolate pie – treat yourself to an Imperial stout accompaniment.  A Belgian-style witbier with apricot pie.  

In crust we trust.  Let pie-gones be pie-gones.  There are tales of pie in the Pieble, you know the one about Jesus Crust and Pontius Pie Plate.  Then there are the Pieattitudes.  And if there is still any doubt in your mind, just remember that the best way to round out a square meal is with a triangle.