Beers to be thankful for

Published 12:00 am Thursday, November 24, 2016

The holidays have arrived — or perhaps more accurately, the holiday feasting season has arrived. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and in addition to celebrating with family and friends, I always look forward to sharing great beer with the meal. We always have a number of specialty beers to sample throughout the day and to find a great accompaniment to the food.

Here are some beer and food pairing ideas to try out this holiday weekend, along with specific suggestions from our local breweries:

As a first course, salads and soups that are suitably light call for something light and crisp to whet the appetite. Pilsners are always a solid choice, though my preference leans toward Belgian-style witbiers. These spritzy, bracing wheat ales are frequently seasoned with coriander and orange peel, and some may even exhibit a tart note.

Suggestions: Worthy Brewing Sweet Ride Wit, Juniper Brewing The Milkman Wit, Monkless Belgian Ales Shepplekofeggan

What to select for the main course depends on the protein. Turkey is the traditional option, and pairs well with brown ales and amber ales or lagers. The moderate maltiness of these styles can have a nuttiness and even a spicy sweetness that complements poultry.

Suggestions: Cascade Lakes Brewing 20 Inch Brown, Wild Ride Brewing Mount Up Maple Brown, Riverbend Brewing Boxcar Rapids

Opting for beef instead this year? Pair your roast or prime rib with a classic pale ale, the style that beer writer Michael Jackson called the beer world’s answer to claret and cabernet wines. Bready malt body, light hops and a dry finish enhance the savory qualities of the beef.

Suggestions: Deschutes Brewery Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Silver Moon Brewing Get Sum, Boneyard Bone-a-Fide

Ham is a succulent meat that stands up well to big, rich, malty beers such as Belgian dubbels and German doppelbocks. Dubbels in particular can offer up notes of dried fruit and spices such as cloves, a delicious accompaniment reminiscent of a raisin sauce.

Suggestions: Monkless Dubbel or Nothing, McMenamins Illustrator Doppelbock

Starchy side dishes such as stuffing, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes tend to be heavy and rich, so I suggest a floral, hoppy India pale ale to cut through the richness and cleanse the palate. With candied yams, consider an imperial IPA — the higher strength and intense hoppiness play well against the sweetness.

Suggestions: Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, Boneyard RPM IPA, Sunriver Brewing Vicious Mosquito

Vegetables present a variety of options ranging from the creamy classic green bean casserole to hearty roasted root vegetables. Accordingly you can go in several directions when choosing beer, and two style options recommended by craftbeer.com are sour, tart and funky, and dark and roasty. The idea behind these seemingly opposite stylings is to draw out savory umami notes while balancing sweetness and richness.

Suggestions: The Ale Apothecary Sahalie, Bend Brewing Pinnacle Porter, Silver Moon Snake Bite Porter, Deschutes The Dissident

Nothing says “dessert” on Thanksgiving quite like pumpkin pie, so naturally my recommendation is to pair it with a pumpkin beer. If that’s a bit too on the nose, opt for a dessert-like beer such as a chocolate or imperial stout or a barleywine. Barleywines in particular pair well with nearly any dessert, with intensely rich, sweet, syrupy malt flavors tempered by warming alcohol notes. They are also a terrific after-dinner drink.

Suggestions: Silver Moon Twisted Gourd Pumpkin Ale, Sunriver Coca Cow Chocolate Milk Stout, Three Creeks FivePine Chocolate Porter (Barleywines tend to be released later in the winter, but you can find a good selection at the beer stores; good examples available now include Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn and Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws.)

If you can only pick one overall style of beer to enjoy with your meal, I recommend saison. This Belgian-style ale exhibits a range of character from fruity to spicy and tends to finish dry. The Belgian yeast complexity is a great foil for a variety of dishes, and the style serves as a satisfying digestif afterward.

Suggestions: Crux Farmhouse, Worthy Farm Out Saison

But Thanksgiving doesn’t necessarily end after Thursday — there are always leftovers to look forward to. Obviously, there are too many options involving leftovers to cover every scenario, but here are some ideas to get you started.

• Turkey sandwiches: Personally, I enjoy a “loaded” turkey sandwich, which includes cranberry sauce and even a bit of stuffing, but there are many directions a sandwich could take. Accordingly, you want a versatile beer to match — how about a stout? Stout beers will pair well here, holding up to a variety of sandwich styles.

• Turkey pot pie / casserole: An amber or dark lager-style stands up well to the rich melange of flavors in the pot. I would favor an Oktoberfest or marzen, though any darker lager with rich depth of malt character would be a great fit.

• Beef and sweet potato hash: Rich comfort foods such as hash call out for a cream ale or Kolsch-style beer. These easy-drinking, clean styles offer a crisp, bright counterpoint to the hearty dish.

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong when it comes to beer pairing, particularly with so many options. Whatever beer you decide to drink for the holiday will be the right one for you. Cheers, and happy Thanksgiving!

— Jon Abernathy is a local beer blogger and brew aficionado. His column appears every other week in GO!