A Time For Giving Thanks

It’s the time of year for giving thanks, thanks for all of the wonderful things that we have. Family, friends, hope, and love. Let’s try to be positive and look for the good things in life. And, one of the good things we have is beer.
In the week to come, as you plan out your holiday meal and prepare to give thanks, you’ll likely notice articles in papers and magazines or recommendations from friends or even experts on what wine to pair with your Thanksgiving meal. Do you go with Beaujolais or chardonnay, or something spicier like a zinfandel? Sure, that fermented grape juice can go well with the bird, but I suggest you make your friends (and yourself) happy and serve beer with the meal.
It’s rumored that the pilgrims cut their trip short due to a dearth of beer, so that fine spirit is perfect for the banquet. However, while there are Christmas ales, summer brews, fall fest beers, and spring offerings, there’s no such thing as a Thanksgiving seasonal. Yet, many quality crafted beers with impeccable ingredients and flavors will work in conjunction with your fowl and fixings.
Of course, there’s no rule saying you can’t have a cadre of brews, one for each portion of the dinner. This would be a brilliant suggestion. You can pair a beer with every part of the meal, and what a feast it would be.
Something light with apps and salads, stay crisp, go for a beer that will offer some zing and awaken the taste buds of your guests. Czech and German pilsners are great lighter, spicy and clean finishing beers,
You have the most options for the main course. With so many diverse flavors, heavy and light items, it can be tough to pick only one beer. Belgian ales are always a great option with the meal, as their typically higher alcohol levels will help cut through fat and heavy foods. Also, these beers are complex enough to settle in with a variety of flavors.
In the past, I’ve had much success pairing bigger, less-sweet pumpkin beers with my Thanksgiving feast.
As for dessert, many types of beer go great with sweets, and can compliment your last course. If you are offering the traditional pumpkin pie, a sweeter pumpkin ale is just what you need. The stronger stouts, Imperial and double, are also great options for the dessert course. Some of these beers are so powerful and filling, they can serve as the dessert itself.
This year, I’m calling an audible on the standard fall gourd beer and going with Autumn Maple from The Bruery. “Brewed with 15 pounds of yams per barrel (in other words, a lot of yams!), this autumn seasonal is a different take on the “pumpkin” beer style. Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, maple syrup, and fermentation with our traditional Belgian yeast strain, make this bold and spicy beer perfect for a cold autumn evening.” Autumn Maple checks in at 10 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), which is more than enough fire to cut through any big, brawny flavors you can throw at it. The problem is The Bruery beers, which once were available in South Carolina, are becoming increasingly tough to find in the Palmetto State. Like the pilgrams on that journey across the Atlantic all those years ago, it might be worth a trip across the state lines to try and find this autumn gem.
At time of writing, I’m planning to grab several bottles of this Beligan-inspired autumn/holiday ale and sample it throughout the meal. Beer is very versatile, find a perfect match to any food this holiday. Have a great one. Enjoy the brews. Cheers …
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. While they don’t have every beer the Beer Snob writes about, they probably have most. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.