Devon and Jeff Drink Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving Beer Recommendations
So, once a year, we here in the United States gather with family and friends to celebrate how thankful we are for a good harvest... OK, so nowadays, it's more just to celebrate everything we're thankful for... OK, so Thanksgiving is a good excuse to stuff yourself with good food, watch football (for those of you who choose to) and drink craft beer with family and friends. Well, we can't help you with football, and we don't focus that much on the food, but we can help you make sure you tie a buzz on with good craft beer so you can tolerate all the family time! We realize there's a few stages to the day, so we've made a few picks that we strenuously taste tested for your satisfaction. Remember, these are just recommendations and most craft beer has only a limited distribution range. Because of that, after each of our picks we've included alternatives that we endorse. Or, just find something by your local craft brewery in the same style. In the end, as long as you're drinking good beer on Thanksgiving, you'll probably have a good day!
Football Time (AKA What You Drink During the Day Before the Meal)
This is a beer you're going to want to be able to drink a lot of. Whether you're watching football, the parade or just hanging out, you'll probably want something light and crisp that won't fill you up. More taste, less filling? Yes please, but we're not talking about any beer with commercials and an ad agency behind it. Our recommendation on this is Stoudt's Pilsner. Made in Adamstown, PA, this is a great pilsner made by people known for making great craft lagers.
Stoudt's Pilsner
Appearance: Light pale color with a whispy white head
Aroma: Nice light malt tones with a hint of hops.
Taste: Crisp clean, refreshing with perfect bitterness. The hops come through but are not overwhelming in any way, you can, and probably should, have more than one... and enjoy each as much as the one before it.
Other options: New England Brewing Company Atlantic Amber, Offshore Brewing Co. Amber Ale, Victory Prima Pils, Brooklyn Lager or Pilsner, etc...
Salad/Soup Drink
For this first course, you'll want something light and crisp that can go well with a vinaigrette dressing or something with a little bite to it. We think something with a decent hop bitterness will counter pretty well... just don't overdo it with a crazy Double IPA and kill your taste buds. A good pale ale or IPA should do it. Our recommendation:
Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop Ale (From Craft Brewers Get Fresh With Your Hops)
Appearance: Redish amber, thick off white head
Aroma: Hoppiest of them all very fresh smelling, piney aroma
Taste: No doubt this is a Sierra Nevada beer. What up cascade?! While very good, it doesn't have that fresh hop feel that the Great Divide did. That aside, $5 for a a 24oz beer this good is a deal and it still has a more complex and rewarding flavor than a typical pale ale or ipa. In Sierra Nevada Fashion it is a bit more bitter than most on the backend, but it's exactly what you'd expect.
Other Options: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Dale's Pale Ale, Wachusett IPA, New England Brewing Company Sea Hag IPA, Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale or Finest Kind IPA or if your local craft brewer makes one along these lines, check it out. You shouldn't be too hard pressed to find something good in this style. Seemingly everybody makes one!
Main Course Drink
For dinner, you'll want something with enough flavor to stand up to the slightly gamey turkey, tart cranberry sauce, buttery mashed potatoes and stuffing. But, you also don't want it to fill you up too much. Almost anything Belgian style will work. The spice of the yeast and bold flavors will stand up fine to the meal, even in lighter Belgian beers that won't fill you up. Our recommendation:
Ommegang Hennepin Saison
Appearance: Golden straw, hazy, light white head
Aroma: Citrusy, sweet, hint of spice
Taste: Smooth, a light sweetness, spicy hop finish, and a the tell tale earthy spicy finish you'd expect from a saison. Bold enough to stand up to a hearty meal, without making you too full to eat it.
Note: This particular example of a Saison is a little sweeter than usual. There are many other saisons that are less sweet and more spicy. If you want something drier, try anything by Fantome from Belgium, Red Barn by Lost Abbey in California or Bam Biere by Jolly Pumpkin in Michigan. Or, if your local craft brewery makes a saison, give it a shot. Basically we're just recommending this style for the meal... a good saison, at least, that is.
Other Options: Anything by Fantome, Red Barn by Lost Abbey, Bam Biere (or almost anything) by Jolly Pumpkin, Allagash White or Dubbel, or something local. Just remember, not to filling, full flavored and spicy.
Dessert Drink
For dessert, you'll want something sweet to match up with pie, chocolate or what have you. A chocolate stout on Thanksgiving can be the perfect finish to a meal. Which you choose is really up to you. It will go great with vanilla ice cream (on pie), anything chocolate or a myriad of other sweet desserts. (For a special treat, try making a beer float... Basically just a scoop of ice cream in a chocolaty stout). Our recommendation:
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Appearance: Dark, frothy head that dissipates quickly
Aroma: Sweet, light chocolate, notes of sweet pipe tobacco.
Taste: Lighter than most, which will be nice after a big meal when many of us barely have room to fit in dessert as it is... An excellent compliment to a chocolate dessert, a fruit tart or vanilla ice cream. The oats really help this beer's mouth feel; it has a great smooth body that goes down great. In the finish of this beer, you can taste a slight hoppy taste, but it's not bitter. Just a nice slightly piney hop taste that compliments the chocolate as the beer warms.
For those of you that have been reading for a while you might recall we drank this in summer as a chocolate stout float made with vanilla ice cream.
Note: Make sure to let this beer warm up before you drink it. If it's too cold, it definitely doesn't taste as good as it can. Seriously, drink this around 50-55 degrees F. You'll lose so much flavor if you drink it too cold.
Other Options: Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Young's Double Chocolate Stout (from England), Stone Imperial Russian Stout or many others. Any good chocolaty stout will do. Check to see if your local craft brewery makes one!
This brings us to the end of Thanksgiving. Go take a nap or just lie on the couch and watch TV. It's a restful time, haha. Digest the food. Just remember, never Drink Craft Beer and drive! Have a good Thanksgiving everyone!
Add a commentSierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale Review
In Sierra Nevada's 30 years of brewing, they've brewed a lot of beers. Most of them, though, have been focused on the hoppy stylings of the West Coast craft beer scene. This is a bit of a change up for them, though, with a malty brown ale for their Autumn seasonal.
When you think of Autumn craft beers, you normally look for either an Oktoberfest Märzen style beer or a Pumpkin Ale. In 2010, though, Tumbler is just one of a few non-typical fall seasonal ales. So let's disperse with the talk and get to the drink!
Appearance: A fairly light head, given the beer which is a brownish ruby and crystal clear. The head is large at first and dissipates to a thick, craggy foam on top.
Smell: Mild malt sweetness leads on this one. Almost a hint of brown sugar and a clean finish.
Taste: Just like the smell, mild malt leads on your tongue. The beer is far from sweet, even finishing quite dry, but feels full and coats your mouth; the effect is aided by light carbonation. The only issue with this beer is a bit of mustiness on the end of the taste, but this goes away as the beer warms and a little more fruity, sweet chocolate comes through. If you like Oktoberfests, check this one out... it’s got a bit more toastyness and cocoa and the yeast character is a bit stronger, but we think it’s a good progression.
Beer of the Month Club Review - September 2010 - Gourmet Monthly Clubs
If you're thinking of joining a beer of the month club you've found the right place. Each month we review a beer of the month club shipment to give you an idea of what you really get. This is from Gourmet Monthly Clubs.
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Appalachian Brewing Company Mountain Lager
Appearance: Mountain Lager pours a deep golden with a white, airy head that quickly disappears into a thick film of bubbles.
Smell: We have to be honest... there’s not much going on in the aroma here; that’s not unusual for this style, though. Lagers are brewed to be clean.
Taste: Wow. There’s some tasty, bready malt in this one! The lager is clean and crisp, the solid yet mild malt shows through while the yeast is only noticeable if something was done wrong. The grain is the major star here! It’s a little like chewing on some 2-row barley.
Abita Brewing Company Wheat Beer
Appearance: For a wheat beer, this is oddly clear. There’s a hint of haze if you look for it, but for the most part this is a clear, golden beer with a 1 1/2 finger head if you pour it hard. These are usually not what you think of when you think “wheat beer.”
Smell: There’s definitely some wheat in the aroma, but it’s mild and there’s not much else going on here. It’s mild aroma in a different way than the Appalachian Lager, though, as that smelled crisp. This smells just muted.
Taste: Wow. This is one of the cleanest and crispest beers on the front of the tongue we’ve ever tried. On the back of the tongue there’s some chalky wheatiness, though, and the beer finishes with a bit of fruitiness after you swallow. As for carbonation, the head tells the whole story: it’s mild.
Appalachian Brewing Company 80 Schilling Scottish Style Ale
Appearance: While some beers call themselves red ales, this one is a brick/garnet red. A thin, light brown head forms on top but disappears quickly
Smell: This smells great! Sweet malt and the Scottish Ale yeast go great together! There is definitely some brown sugar in the aroma, although we bet it’s just from the malt.
Taste: Sweet, but not cloying. The malt has some serious body, in a great way. The light carbonation works great and this beer comes together very well. It’s definitely a bit light for style, but we enjoy it! Just to reiterate, sweet malt and the Scottich Ale yeast Appalachian uses go great together!
Abita Brewing Company Turbodog
Appearance: This is one dark brown ale! We would’ve guessed it was a porter if not for the label on the back of the bottle. A two finger head puffs up and then thins out.
Smell: Lots of chocolate in the aroma here, it smells sweet but yet there is something else. The earthy fragrance of English hops finish out this brew.
Taste: As good as this beer smells the taste is only pretty good. It’s a little thin and lacking the chocolate and roasted malt that the aroma promised. It’s dry, but the aftertaste is a little sour. It’s a good enough beer, but not one that we’d seek out.
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