I love Thanksgiving. Our whole family gets together, and my wife makes a killer sweet potato casserole. And of course, being the beer lover that I am, I love to figure out which beers pair well with the different dishes and courses of my Thanksgiving dinner. Here are some of my favorite duos.
Appetizers:
In spite of the fact that we’re about to consume a giant meal, we always have snacks like veggies and dip and cheese and crackers out beforehand. Cheese and beer actually pair better together than cheese and wine (according to a study that came out last November from The University of California) so sometimes we get a little fancy with the cheese platter.
- Smoked Gouda and Shiner Bock
- Fresh Mozzarella and St. Pauli Girl Dark
- Aged Cheddar and Bell’s Pale Ale
- Gruyere/Aged Swiss and Great Lakes Holy Moses White Ale
Turkey and all the fixings:
Because of its smoky and herbal flavorings, turkey tastes great with an Oktoberfest like Sam Adams Octoberfest, Leinie’s Oktoberfest or Paulaner Octoberfest. Or try an amber ale like Bells Amber Ale, Coors Winterfest or Murphy’s Irish Amber.
Pumpkin Pie:
Arguably the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the pumpkin pie. I don’t want the sweetness of my desserts to overpower my beer so I like a robust, dark beer with my pie. Try a stout like Murphy’s Irish Stout or Gray’s Oatmeal Stout. I also enjoy Anchor Steam Christmas Ale, Lakefront Pumpkin or Blue Moon with my final course (before leftovers, that is).
