Now Beer This: Thanksgiving Day Beer Pairing Ideas

First, I should admit that we don’t do a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner at my house. Years ago we all admitted that the thing we looked forward to the most was pies — so we decided to only serve food in pie form, changed the name of the celebration to Pie Day, and we’ve been better for it since then.

Still, I am quite familiar with the T-Day faves and think they can all be made better by pairing a beer with each dish. So let’s get started!

Turkey

This dirty bird made its way onto our tables more for its girth, I think, than its taste. Admit it — you don’t really like turkey, you just eat it because you’re supposed to and you have to smother it into a sandwich to make it even moderately enjoyable. But maybe that’s just me. Still, like any dish, it can be improved by beer! So what would I drink with turkey? I would go with a Maibock (sometimes called a Helles Bock). Why? For this pairing, you want to stay somewhat low-key. Turkey has somewhat of a subtle flavor, so you want to match that low intensity with a subtle beer. Maibocks focus on cracker-like, almost biscuit-y, malt flavor, but they’re in no way overwhelming. Turkey is often over-cooked and dry, so the thirst-quenching nature of the Maibock will help to counter that. Even better, Maibocks have a little more ABV than normal beers (north of 7% generally) so you’ll get a little drunk and forget how nasty turkey is to begin with.

Sweet Potato Casserole

[Homer Simpson noises]

Now this is probably the one thing I miss about traditional T-day meals. Sweet potatoes with added sugar and condensed milk, topped with sugar and nuts, and often that’s further topped with marshmallows! Come on! This is a dessert in everything but name. But whatevs. I’m good with it, and I’m good with pairing it with a Red IPA. Both are somewhat high on intensity: Sugar on sugar, plus sugary goodness with a hoppier-than-average beer that has a more intense than average grain bill. That caramel-malt sweetness will meld with the sweet potatoes and brown sugar, but the hoppy bitterness will cut through that cloying sweetness to help you come back for seconds. I just convinced myself to go home and do this now, if that tells you anything about just how good this pairing is.

Stuffing/Dressing

Fine, I miss this stuff too. Dang it. Maybe I liked T-day more than I thought. Anyway, this stuff can be golden. Unless of course you’re one of those animals that puts too much celery in it. Don’t do that. Just don’t. As long as you make it right, I’d suggest you pair it with an ESB, or if you can find it, a British Mild. Both of these beers match the calm, bready goodness of the stuffing, and the light hop notes will work with the subtle spiciness of the stuffing. The ESB will give you more of a malt/hop/spice ménage à trois while the British Mild’s subtle roast notes will bring out the toastiness of the stuffing. But either way you win. Matched intensities, lots of harmony. These will work for sure.

Mashed Potatoes

Don’t @ me about this one. Just do it. Miller High Life. The Champagne of Beers! I repeat: Just do it.

Cranberry Sauce

Not my jam. This stuff is just a little too twangy for my taste. But I’d imagine that people who like this might like some subtle sours, so maybe a Berliner Weisse or Gose would work? That might be overwhelming, though, so if you’re looking to balance out the dish, I think you reach for a Belgian Strong Golden. There’s a little funky, esthery fruitness from the Belgian yeast that’s balanced by peppery phenols. The large Pilsner malt grain bill will serve as liquid toast for this jelly, and all of it will be made more palatable by the large does of ETOH carried by this high ABV beer. Get on it.

Pumpkin Pie

If you know me, or read this column, you know how I feel about pumpkin beers. Let’s just say I’m not the biggest fan. Having said that, there’s one that’s worthwhile. The annually released Warlock from Southern Tier is a no-brainer for this pairing. If you can find it, do it. If you can’t, that’s OK. There’s a lot you can do with this. A Scotch Ale would be a great match with it’s treacle-like sweetness and high ABV. For a slightly hoppier alternative to the Scotch Ale, you might try a Doppelbock. If you’re not looking to get all hammered, a Marzen or Sesson IPA would work fine, as well.

Got any other ideas? Hate mine? Let me know. But just make sure you’re drinking good beer when you do. Cheers!