Blog Post

This idea popped into my head when I was tasting Kuhnhenn and New Glarus at the Great American Beer Festival.  The breweries had raspberry, cranberry, and cherry ales (respectively), and I was excited to see what I could make with those beers.  A sour ale tart was the first thing to pop into my mind.  Fresh berries topped with a beer sauce was the plan.  Unfortunately, Kuhnhenn and New Glarus aren't available in Texas right now.  Luckily, JB at Austin Homebrew happened to have some cherry porter on hand.  This is what came of it, and it is incredibly easy to make.  The dish doesn't have an official name yet, and "Dude, where's my fruit cup?" is the unofficial name for now.  Thanks for the Beer, @ JB!

Ingredients:

Crust: Mix all the ingredients together until it begins to stick together.

Filling: As you are whipping the cream when it is still at the soft peak stage, add the mascarpone and powdered sugar.  Do NOT over whip or else you'll  have chunky butter.

Topping: Bring the ale and powdered sugar to a simmer while whisking.  It should thicken up slightly as the sugar dissolves.  Allow to cool, and chill before use. 

Assembling:

Line the bottom of your serving container with the crust.  If I was serving at home, I'd use a pretty cocktail glass, but if I'm taking it to a party, I'd use clean plastic cups.  Press the crust into the bottom of the container with a spoon (for stemware) or by using the bottom of another plastic cup (disposable cups).  Fill each container with about 1/3-1/2 cup of the whipped cream mixture, and top with berries.  The berries should be whole fruit, fresh or thawed from previously frozen.  Spoon beer sauce over the top of the fruit and serve. 

All the ingredients. 

The crust - almond, butter, graham cracker crumbs, and nutmeg.

In a serving glass for fancy gatherings.

In disposable plastic cups.