Thanksgiving Beer Pairings

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we have you covered for beer suggestions! Which beers pair well with your Thanksgiving dinner? It can be overwhelming and time consuming to pick the perfect brews for your friends and family, especially if you’re busy with cooking and entertaining. But don’t let that stop you from including some fun beers on your Thanksgiving menu. Here’s a list of styles and suggested pairings that are sure to wow you and your guests.

Turkey Pairing: 

Try a Amber or Brown Ale. Brown ales taste great with turkey and are diverse enough to pair with all of the typical Thanksgiving side dishes. The browning during the brewing process is similar to the caramelizing that happens to a turkey while roasting in the oven. If you like more of a light beer, try a Lager like an Oktoberfest. Our suggestion: Exile Forage Nut Brown Ale.

Stuffing Pairing:

We recommend trying a Milk Stout to pair with this traditional Thanksgiving side. The bread flavors in the stuffing really compliment the flavors in darker beer styles. Our suggestion: New Holland's Dragon's Milk

Potatoes Pairing: 

Since potatoes are usually lighter on flavor, they are great to pair with a heavier brew. A strong ale or spiced ale pair well. Our suggestion: Samuel Adams Winter Lager 

Cranberry Sauce Pairing: 

The outlier on the table of all savory is cranberry sauce.  Slightly tart, slightly sweet, cranberry sauce. A light sour has the light, fruity notes to perfectly complement the tartness of cranberries. Our suggestion: Sierra Nevada Wild Little Thing

Vegetable Pairing: 

Many vegetable dishes have a lot of flavors in them. We suggest pairing lighter bodied beers with your veggie dishes. Try out a Light Lager or a Hefeweizen. Our suggestion: Dogfish Head Slightly Mighty 

 Sweet Potatoes/ Marshmallow Pairing: 

This traditional Thanksgiving dish has some very sweet flavors. Try pairing this side with a hoppy IPA. The bitterness in a IPA will enhance the sweet flavors in the dish. Our suggestion: Goose Island IPA

Pumpkin Pie:

It's time for dessert! Pumpkin pie has a lot a sweet and spice flavors. Try out a chocolate or coffee porter. These strong flavors in these beers will help compliment and bring out the flavors of the pie. The smooth vanilla notes in our suggested porter  make it even more enjoyable and a perfect pair for the pie's spices and creamy texture. Our suggestion: Breckenridge's Vanilla Porter

Have a fun and safe Thanksgiving!