Ditch Wine And Drink Craft Beer At Thanksgiving This Year

A depiction of early settlers of the Plymouth Colony sharing a harvest Thanksgiving meal with … [+] members of the local Wampanoag tribe at the Plymouth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1621. The drink of the moment for them? Hard cider, although they would have rather had a pint. (Photo by Frederic Lewis/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

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Wine is excellent for certain things but when your family gathers for Thanksgiving, beer most assuredly deserves a seat. Beer’s vast range of flavors, alcohol strengths, and color profiles make it an ideal drink for every facet of your feast.

This isn’t a newfangled idea. The Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts originally because they were out of beer and couldn’t continue their voyage further south. Although they would have loved a pint of ale at the first Thanksgiving, hard cider and water were served.

Here are a few pairing suggestions for the big day that include the turkey, sides plus (and most importantly) the pies!

Belgian ales like a spritzy tripel work really well with the flavors of turkey.

Pints and Panels

Turkey and Tripel

Belgian beer styles are perfect for turkey and I like tripel best for it is highly carbonated and those bubbles clean your mouth after each gravy rich bite. Belgian tripels are golden in color with flavors of spice and pear so it’ll add a salty/sweet flavor contrast as well to the main dish. Lastly, they are higher in alcohol (around 9.5% ABV) so not as boozy as wine, but close!

Recommended beers: Chimay Cinq Cents Tripel (White Cap), Westmalle Tripel

The humble brown ale is great with sides like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and stuffing.

Pints and Panels

Stuffing and American Brown Ale

The salty/nutty flavor of stuffing is great with an also nutty but sweet brown ale. American brown ales don’t get a lot of attention nowadays, which is a shame because they are wonderful paired with many foods, especially during the harvest season and into the colder months. Try with the mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese as well.

Recommended beers: Avery Ellie’s Brown, Bell’s Best Brown

Belgian saisons work wonders with many parts of Thanksgiving but I like it most with cranberry … [+] sauce.

Pints and Panels

Cranberry Sauce and Saison

Saisons are my second favorite beer to bring to Thanksgiving because, you guessed it, those Belgians sure know how to make beers that pair well with food. Saisons are a broad beer style and in America, they are usually golden in color with high carbonation and a spicy component that makes them dry and refreshing. The tart zip of the cranberry sauce on a nice piece of turkey mingled with the peppery quality of the saison is a home run. For a nice presentation on the table, opt for the 750mL bottle of Saison Dupont, which comes with a cork/cage topper like champagne.

Recommended beers: Saison Dupont, Boulevard Tank 7, Ommegang Hennepin

Want to add fruit, caramel or other flavors to the dish? Beer can add this layer to many dishes.

Pints and Panels

Pumpkin Pie and Scotch Ale

A Scotch ale (also known as a “Wee Heavy”) is usually a higher ABV dark beer style originally from Scotland that is pure caramel/toffee. The caramel notes of this beer is a great contrast to the spice of pumpkin pie, like adding straight caramel to each delicious bite. The beer cuts the spice level and the sweetness of the beer harmonizes with the flaky pie crust.

Recommended beers: Oskar Blues Old Chub, KettleHouse Cold Smoke

Barleywines are a great way to end the day and pair very well with many desserts.

Pints and Panels

Apple Pie and Barleywine

The undisputed queen of Thanksgiving desserts, apple pie is one of my family’s favorites. To pair with this classic, choose a high ABV beer like a barleywine, a style of beer that originated in the United Kingdom. There’s no wine here, the beer is called barleywine because it can be as boozy as wine, sometimes even higher!

Barleywine has flavors of toffee, caramel, and/or dark fruits like fig and plum. It is similar to a Scotch ale, but higher in ABV. These flavors harmonize well with the apples and cinnamon. Barleywines are a great way to wind down the festivities.

Recommended beers: Firestone Walker Sucaba, Fox Farm Copestone, Revolution Straight Jacket

Here’s to you this holiday season and remember to celebrate responsibly and surround yourself with people you care about. Cheers!