Step Your Peach Cobbler Up With A Boozy Ingredient

Nostalgic, sweet, and filling, peach cobbler is reminiscent of summer memories when fresh fruit is taking over the shelves. Bright, juicy peaches married with a buttery biscuit topping are a simple, yet undeniably classic combination. While you may have previously considered elevating your peach cobbler with warm spices like cardamom, the time has come for a slightly boozy addition — pass the beer.

Beer in peach cobbler may sound like a recipe for a bitter mouthful, but with the right kind, it'll simply balance out some of the more robust notes in the dessert. Once the flavor of the beer develops between the layers of soft stewed peaches, you get this slightly hoppy flavor that subdues the naturally electric sweet taste of the fruit. When mixed into the biscuit topping, it adds a hint of sourness that pairs well with the bright peaches. The most significant advantage is that you can tailor this ingredient to precisely fit the beers you prefer or the flavors you want to accentuate.

The only questions left to ask are: When can you incorporate the beer, and which beers are most suitable? Let's get to work.

There are two simple ways to add beer to a cobbler, and with the use of craft ales and beers in desserts still on the rise, feel free to get creative. The first method incorporates the beer into the biscuit topping or base dough. The second is to drizzle beer over the stewed fruit before placing the biscuit lid over the top and into the oven. Of course, if you want to double down on beeryness, you can always use both methods simultaneously.

While adding the beer is straightforward enough, there are some common pitfalls to avoid succumbing to. A common mistake when making cobbler is incorporating extra sugar into the filling or biscuit topping. The fruit should be sweet enough; however, if your cobbler doesn't come out quite as sweet as you'd like, you can always add a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream on top when serving. Alongside this, peach cobbler is supposed to be remarkably juicy, but there's a fine line between peachy sauce and a wet peach puddle. If you're pouring the beer over the fruit before layering the topping, consider stirring a little cornstarch through the filling; this will ensure your cobbler's filling thickens wonderfully.

Now for the fun part: When pairing beer with peach cobbler, the beer world opens its doors and rolls out the mat. Choose a light, zesty, and sweet beer if you want to pair your cobbler with other bright, fruity notes. We're looking at you, sour beers! These beers typically lack the intrinsically hoppy bitterness of pale ales or IPAs. For this reason, they are ideal if you want to enhance the fruitiness of the peaches. A sour beer with hints of peaches would be sublime, as this will complement the already juicy notes in the cobbler. 

Other types of beers work well with cobbler, too. Amber and brown beers or ales tend to bring nutty aromas to bakes and desserts. The use of these may lean into warmer, winter-esque notes, which is ideal if you want the cobbler to feel fuller-bodied, with complex and rich flavors. While a fuller beer can create a heartier cobbler, it's best to avoid stouts or dark ales that are exceptionally bitter or strong in flavor. These could take away from the peaches — which you still want to be the star of the show.

If you have a few fruity beers spare, why not add them to your peach cobbler? This boozy ingredient has more to give than just an alcoholic kick.