Besides its enormous circular bar, The Schaefer Center featured a restaurant that served rather run-of-the-mill cuisine (it's quite surprising how mundane the tastes of Fair goers seem today).
But to celebrate the opening of the Center, her employees were treated to a thank you dinner on May 16, 1939. The menu from that occasion is preserved in the New York Public Library's collection.
All of the courses served were made, according to the menu, with Schaefer Beer as an ingredient. Including the dessert, frozen beer pie.
Well, guess what? The recipe for the pie is given in Crosby Gaige's Food at the Fair. It was, according to Gaige, a contest-winning recipe submitted by an employee. It is doubtful that it ever actually found its way onto the regular menu, though. So of course I had to try it. As part of a Fair-themed dinner party which I threw for myself for my birthday in February.
It wasn't bad. It wasn't good, mind you, but it wasn't bad. It tasted like a custard pie made out of, well, beer. The recipe is below, should you care to give it a shot. (Tomorrow we're making Canadian Cheese Soup with Schaefer Beer.)
Beer Frozen Chiffon Pie (Schaefer Center)
3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon gelatine
6 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup cold water
1 cup Schaefer Beer 1 cup cream, whipped
Beat egg yolks, combine with sugar and beer; cook over hot water until thickened.
Soften gelatine in cold water; add to hot beer custard and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat; cool.
When beginning to thicken, beat until light; fold in whipped cream.
Pour into baked pie shell and chill until firm.
Cover top with additional whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed grape nuts.
Makes one 8-inch pie.
