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Thanksgiving and Beer Pairing Guide

Wed, Nov 01, 23  |  beer blog

It's November and the holidays are upon us! That means food. Lots and lots of food, especially if you're with my family. Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite meals of the year. A beer that compliments a course of the meal can be a game changer. These are some brews that I think pair perfectly with Thanksgiving dinner. 

PRE-DINNER SNACKS

Preemptive Statement: This is how my family celebrates Thanksgiving. We usually have a plethora of snacks during the day before we have Thanksgiving dinner that evening. These are a few snacks that we generally have at my house!

Chex Mix

Pair with: Rogue Dead Guy Maibock

 

Chex Mix is generally crunchy, salty, and sometimes a bit sweet. A maibock is malty but not over powering. You don't want to have something that has too strong a flavor to overpower the Chex Mix, and this beer accomplishes that.

Spinach Dip

Pair with: Saison Dupont

 

I love Saison Dupont and I think this goes great with something like an earthy dip like this. The high carbonation typical of saisons will help to cleanse the palate with each sip.

Cheese Dip

Pair with: Ozark Brewing IPA

 

Cheese dip and IPAs go great with each other. This is pretty straight forward! I chose the Ozark IPA because it is my go-to, but your favorite IPA would work perfectly!

MAIN COURSE

Chimay Rouge

 

A Belgian dubbel is an excellent food beer. Chimay Rouge (Red) is an awesome Belgian dubbel. I actually brought a Chimay Rouge with me to my last Thanksgiving! With the malty sweetness, it goes great with roast turkey and the higher alcohol content helps to cut some of the richness of the meat.

903 Brewers Sherman Bock

 

A bock is a German style amber lager, simply put, and Sherman Bock is a really great expression of the style. There is a nice, well defined malt profile without the traditional Belgian yeast or spice profile that some people may not like as well as others. This would be a great beer to compliment any meat dish.

DESSERT

Prairie Vape Tricks Cherry Sour Ale 

 

Ideally, I would recommend this pairing with a Belgian kriek lamic, but unfortunately, it is so sporadic when we get them. I think this beer is a great substitute. It may be a bit more sour than a traditional kriek but the cherry is the highlight. Pair this beer with your chocolate desert. The tart cherry in this will pair wonderfully with any chocolate!

North Coast Brewing Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

 

Now you might be thinking, “Chocolate cake with a stout would be great!” The chocolate in the cake and the chocolate notes of the stout just seem too redundant! However, if you're going the traditional route with pumpkin or pecan pie, a stout is excellent. Old Rasputin is a great choice. The chocolate and roasty notes that this will impart would go great with this. If you're willing to sacrifice a bottle, you could even use one of these in your pie recipe! 

Thanksgiving is a time to be with your loved ones and appreciate the year you've had. These beers are sure to help remember the good times and pair well with good food! Happy Thanksgiving!

By Josh Liddy

Tags: thanksgiving