Thanksgiving is traditionally done with classic wine styles like crisp sauvignon blanc or a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon. This year, shake things up a bit for Thanksgiving dinner and go with a proper beer pairing. Turns out, you can create an elevated pairing menu with sippers like lagers and stouts, too.
We spoke with the Moody Tongue’s brewmaster Jared Rouben on the subject. His restaurant touts two Michelin stars and delights in a good beer pairing. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that the brewer revealed some great beer and food tips to us. Now, we’re sharing his insights on Thanksgiving beer and holiday pairings for the ages.
Where to begin
For starters, Rouben suggests going with beers that excite you. Think pilsners, saisons, and stouts. And use glassware that brings out the aromatics of the beers. “My helpful hint on this, of course, is that you may already have wine glassware in your home that you can use, which both focuses aromatics and makes the experience fun and elevated — so try starting there,” he said.
Some beer styles have more flexibility than others in terms of pairing powers. “Saisons are very food friendly,” he said. “This beer style can be both dry and effervescent like Champagne. The high level of carbonation helps cut through rich foods like foie gras, and yet is still light enough to pair with your favorite seafoods like scallops, lobster and oysters.”
Read on for some of his favorite Thanksgiving dinner beer pairings.
Aperitif: Pilsner or rice lager
“We create an aperitif pilsner for the sole reason that I believe it is the perfect beer to start your culinary experience,” Rouben explained. “Another favorite of mine is our Toasted Rice Lager. Both are light and effervescent and refreshing — which can help wake your palate for delicious flavors and be enjoyed throughout your meal.”
Roast turkey and citrus Belgian-style blonde
“My secret trick when preparing our Thanksgiving turkey is adding orange slices inside of the turkey rather than lemon slices,” he told us. “I would recommend trying this to highlight notes of citrus, and then also create a fun ‘bridging’ pairing with the citrus notes within the Orange Blossom Belgian Blonde.”
Roast duck and Flanders brown ale
“The richness of duck pairs well with the sweetness and acidity of dark fruits like cherries, plums and blackberries,” continued Rouben. “I would recommend pairing your Thanksgiving duck with our Cherry Oud Bruin, a Flanders brown ale, which we brew with Balaton cherries from Mick Klug Farms in Michigan. While this beer is currently available on draft in our restaurants, also keep an eye out for a forthcoming holiday release as we have set aside a small portion of this batch, which is currently in the process of bottle conditioning, creating an interpretation of this beer more akin to Champagne.”
Ham and German doppelbock
“Ham in our home is typically sweet and salty, and so I like to pour a German doppelbock or marzen to pair,” he said. “These two styles showcase caramel and toffee flavors with residual sugar, which complement the sweetness from the ham.”
Oyster stuffing and pilsner
“Every year, my father and I create a rich stuffing with oysters, sausage and cream,” he told us. “Oysters and pilsners are a great pairing on their own — and here I use our aperitif pilsner as a light, effervescent lager to cleanse my palate between each indulgent bite.”
Sweet potato pie and chocolate porter
“I would recommend pairing your sweet potato pie with our Caramelized Chocolate Churro Porter, whose notes of chocolate, vanilla bean, and cinnamon perfectly complement the honey and bananas we incorporate into our pie,” he said.
Cranberry sauce and dark Belgian-style beers
Rouben thinks sides are the most fun thing to pair with beer on the Thanksgiving table. “Cranberry sauce is great with darker sour Belgian-style beers like our Cherry Oud Bruin or Cassis,” he said. “These beers showcase dark fruit notes, like cherry and black currant, respectively, which complement the tart profile from the cranberries.”
Green bean casserole and pilsner
What about a classic green bean casserole? Go with a tried-and-true beer style like pilsner. “The light body and carbonation help cut through the indulgent richness in each bit of the casserole,” Rouben explained.
Nightcap: Bourbon barrel-aged stout
“I like to finish the evening with a bourbon barrel-aged beer like our Bourbon Barrel Aged 12-Layer Cake Imperial Stout,” he said. “These beers showcase notes of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, coconut, and more chocolate. I think all meals should finish with dessert, and this dessert just happens to be poured into a snifter.”
When the evening comes to a close, don’t bother trying to hang on to open bottles of beers as it doesn’t keep like, say, wine does. “Rather, I would suggest inviting more friends to dinner so that no bottle is returned to the fridge,” Rouben said
