How To Be A Great Thanksgiving Guest

The Thanksgiving Holiday is upon us, some of you will ask your hosts what to bring to supplement the repast. Will you be that boring person that shows up with a bottle of inexpensive vino? “Oh Yellowtail how lovely” … Just say no to Pinot! Those cognoscenti that have been reading this column regularly will be armed with the information you need to be that special guest that will be welcomed and remembered for that wonderful selection of beer that you arrived with!

That is the ticket lads and lassies a laundry tub sized assortment of some quality craft-brewed beer! It will liven up the festivities, tantalize the taste buds and lubricate the arid repast that is Roasted Turkey, Dressing and Mashed Potatoes. You can pique your dinner companion’s curiosity and be the hero of the day when you produce a selection of intriguing beers whilst effortlessly discussing some distinct features of each style. Add some personal anecdotes, some brewing history and you will be the life of the party. As an aside, humbly add some pointers on what the discerning taster should expect. No more boring talk of Finite Risk Transfer, Catastrophe Bonds and Eliot Spitzer. Beer shall set you free.

Here are my suggestions, by course:

Aperitif To get the digestive juices flowing, but without overwhelming the taste buds too early might I suggest a nice Pilsner? Consider these choices:

Brooklyn Lager - Brooklyn Brewing
Pennant Pilsner - Brooklyn Brewing
Victory Prima Pils – Victory Brewing

Appetizers/Snacks Consider a Pale Ale here, the spicy hop characteristic of this style pairs nicely with salads, cheeses, fruits, nuts and that new traditional favorite - Spicy chicken wings. These are some picks:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – Sierra Nevada Brewing
Dales Pale Ale – Oskar Blues Brewing
Dogfish Head 60 Minute Pale Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery

Main Course
Consider strong Belgian-style ales. Their higher alcohol percentage pairs nicely with the seasonal comfort food:

Allagash Grand Cru – Allagash Brewing
Lunacy - Heavyweight Brewing
Rare Vos – Brewery Ommegang

Dessert

Rich Stouts and Porters pair nicely with Pecan Pie, Shoo Fly Pie, Sweet Potato Pie and other sweets including chocolate. My dessert picks are:

Black Chocolate Stout –Brooklyn Brewing
Storm King Stout – Victory Brewing
Perkuno’s Hammer (Baltic Porter) – Heavyweight Brewing
Digestive (after dinner)

It’s now time to relax, sit back and let that meal fully digest. No doubt you are well and fully bloated at this point, time to sip coffee and take a TUMS?? No way! Get off your butt and grab something smooth, rich and numbing. Reach for the Strong Old Ales and Barleywine Ales. A rich, complex, malty and alcoholic beer will settle the stomach, rectify the humors and is ideally suited for sipping. Some excellent choices include:

Monster Barleywine – Brooklyn Brewing
Bigfoot Barley Wine Style Ale – Sierra Nevada Brewing
Old Horizontal – Victory Brewing
Holidale – Berkshire Brewing Company

Happy Thanksgiving!