You’ve labored to develop the perfect Thanksgiving menu, the house and table are magazine-worthy, and you even know what you’re thankful for. Now it’s time to line up the beers! Beers can keep you steady during long hours in the kitchen, spark conversation, and bring fractious relatives together over appetizers and toasts. Beers can showcase the main event, elevate dessert, and even help you refresh for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday marathons! Here are some of our favorite Beerwerks Trail Thanksgiving beer pairings designed to help you appreciate the harvest and embrace the holiday.
Kitchen Companions:
A day of chopping veggies and stuffing turkeys calls for crisp, low-alcohol brews to keep you sharp in the kitchen. Sip Czech or German pilsners for palate-cleansing bitterness that won’t fill you up. Session pale ales provide hop character and keep the alcohol low.
- PRO RE NATA+: Tapped Out Czech Pilsner
- Rockbridge Vineyard and Brewery: Pilsner
- Pale Fire Brewing Co.: Simple Man German Pilsner
- Seven Arrows Brewing: South River German Pilsner
- BrewHaHa Brewing Company: Just a Quickie Hazy Session IPA
- Basic City Beer Co.: Baby Bask Session IPA
Appetizer Hour:
What goes with cheese boards and conversation? Appetizer hour calls for something dry with lots of carbonation to prime those taste buds. We like Belgian-style witbiers that pair with soft cheeses and tart Berliner weisses that wake up the palate with bright acidity.
- The Alpine Goat Brewery: Wheat Beer Hefenwietzen
- Elkton Brewing Co.: Weizen Bar
- Stable Craft Brewing: Raspberry Heritage Berliner Weisse
- The Alpine Goat Brewery: Berliner Weisse
The Main Event:
The Thanksgiving table is a literal cornucopia of flavors ranging from savory to sweet. We like saisons and farmhouse ales with high carbonation that gets your tongue ready for the next bits. We also like Belgian dubbels for something darker with deep fruit notes and spices that are made to blend with a harvest menu. Malty ales like amber or American brown pair well with roasted turkey and cut through gravy.
- Great Valley Farm Brewery and Winery: Dark Saison Farmhouse Ale
- Cave Hill Farms Brewery: Belleflower Saison
- Stable Craft Brewing: Britchin Brown
- Redbeard Brewing Company: 221B Baker Brown
Beer + Pie:
Staring down a dessert table laden with five types of pie, chocolate cake, and vats of whipped cream? Serve some big, bold, boozy beers that can go the distance with decadent desserts. Roasty and robust imperial stouts contrast against sweet, spiced fillings. And creamy, sweet milk stouts compliment nutty and vanilla flavors.
- Cave Hill Farms Brewery: Anvil Stout
- Redbeard Brewing Company: Moriarty Eagle Rare Stout
- Rockbridge Vineyard and Brewery: Coffee Milk Stout
- Queen City Brewing: St. Lo Milk Stout
Pumpkin Spice, Etc.
Even though the end of October means the lederhosen are tucked away and the pumpkins are baked into pie, the magic of Oktoberfest and gourd season can still be savored in festive, seasonal brews.
- Devils Backbone Outpost Taproom & Kitchen: Pumpkin Spice Lager
- BrewHaHa Brewing Company.: Revenge of Peter Peter Pumpkineater: Imperial Pumpkin Pie Ale
- Restless Moons Brewing: Gourd Forgive Us (pumpkin/yam beer)
- Heliotrope Brewery: Guns and Hosen Festbier
- Pale Fire Brewing Co.: Festbier
Recovery Brews:
After that massive day of food and socializing, the Thanksgiving aftermath calls for simplicity. Drink lots of water, take a walk and enjoy the natural world, hunt for some bargains, and cleanse your palate with some light and hydrating sips before you heat up the leftovers! Ice-cold, low-bitterness Mexican or helles lagers are incredibly refreshing and won’t overwhelm folks with sensitive stomachs. And if you think you might have overindulged the day before, or you’re planning a long drive to hunt down bargains, non-alcoholic beers are a good way to enjoy a brew without worrying about the effects of alcohol.
- Elkton Brewing Co.: Helles or High Water Helles Lager
- White Oak Lavender Farm: Hause German Lager
- PRO RE NATA+: Mexipro Mexican Lager
- Feel the Rain Brothers Craft Brewing: Cerveza Hermanos Mexican Style Lager
- Great Valley Farm Brewery and Winery: Nobel Pils Non-Alcoholic Pilsner
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for family, friends, health, and all the feast-worthy beers you’ll find along the Beerwerks Trail.
