Craft Beer for Thanksgiving!

Why pair your Thanksgiving meal with a wine when beer is far more food friendly?

Think about it.

Wine makers have essentially 2 ingredients. Grapes and yeast. However, brewers have a wide variety of different grains which can be malted, kilned and roasted to various degrees, hop varieties with wide ranging characteristics, an array of different yeasts to add even more character and flavors, and of course an endless number of additional ingredients which can be used to create nearly limitless flavors and diversity.

There are six main beer flavor categories: Crisp & Clean, Malty & Sweet, Dark & Roasty, Hoppy & Bitter, Fruity & Spicy, and Sour, Tart & Funky. There is virtually no food that can’t be paired and complemented with the right beer.

Now that the holidays are upon us, you might want to consider pairings that could make your holiday meal even better. Perhaps a different beer with each course of food?

The team of brewers at Virginia’s own Devils Backbone Brewing has put together a list of their craft beers that pair perfectly with some popular holiday foods. Here are some of their suggestions:

A Seasonal Salad and DB Gold Leaf Lager. The Gold Leaf Lager’s crisp notes pair wonderfully with the freshness of a seasonal salad made with dried cranberries, walnuts, and fresh spinach. The Gold Leaf is a light and mild 100% barley brewed lager with subtle bready notes and a clean finish, which gives your salad balance and makes it the perfect start to your meal!

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus and Dates with DB Vienna Lager. The Vienna Lager is a balanced, more approachable brew for any appetizers. The sweetness of an amber, German-style lager like Devils Backbone’s Vienna Lager melds perfectly with dates while complementing the saltiness of the bacon. Amber-style lagers have no heaviness or bitterness, leaving you with mild, toasted and caramel tastes.

Turkey and Mashed Potatoes and a DB Cran-Gose. The Cran-Gose balances the heaviness dishes like turkey and mashed potatoes have on your tongue with a bright and slightly sour note of a Gose. The Devils Backbone Cran-Gose is a traditional Gose style beer with heaps of pureed cranberry added for a fresh, light and tart taste. Who doesn’t love cranberry sauce beer with their turkey?

Pumpkin Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream with a DB Danzig. The chocolatey coffee notes of a Baltic-style porter blend with the spices of pumpkin pie and the sweetness of the ice cream to create an added level of decadence post-dinner. Devils Backbone’s Danzig is a robust, strong black lager that even has hints of caramelized sugar in it. Saving the boldest flavors for the last course leaves you feeling complete and won’t alter how you taste your food in earlier courses.

If you have never thought about beer and food pairings, do yourself a favor. There is a whole world of flavor combinations out there. Give them a try. You’ll be glad you did.