Serve local brews at the Thanksgiving table

Our local breweries can supply your Thanksgiving table with a variety of beers perfect for all stages of your holiday feast. Whether by the bottle or by the growler purchased at the pub, fresh craft beer pairs extremely well with food. Let’s run through some of the possibilities.

Salads and appetizers

With lighter fare, think of lighter beers that won’t overwhelm the delicate flavors. A nice American wheat, such as Wench’s Westside Wheat from Wolverine State Brewing Co., would fit the bill nicely with its mild wheat tang and clean finish on which rides just a kiss of herbal hoppiness. Another wheat beer possibility would be Archangel by North Peak, which may still be available in bottles either at Jolly Pumpkin Café & Brewery or at Grizzly Peak. The touch of cherry in Archangel would make a nice complement to dried cherries or cranberries in a salad or, just like those fruits, would provide a pleasing contrast to bleu cheese.

Other options include an English-style mild, such as Big Ben House Mild at Arbor Brewing Co. It’s a delicious, balanced brew that’s low in alcohol but offers a lot of flavor. Brasserie Blonde, also from Arbor Brewing, is a bigger beer, but if you have a robust salad, perhaps with fruit, nuts, and cheese, this brew’s spicy, fruity character will complement it nicely. Another option here would be Jolly Pumpkin’s Bam Biere, which would give you a tart and subtly spicy experience that still leaves room for other flavors on the palate.

Also, always keep in mind amber ales and pale ales. They work with most any savory dishes. Examples include Red Snapper at Arbor, which combines American hops with the toasty, malty, nutty quality of an amber/brown ale hybrid. Grizzly Peak offers an all-Cascade pale ale that also would work with most savory dishes, and Grizzly's Steelhead Red ale is a pleasantly malty brew. Jolly Pumpkin has North Peak Siren Amber on tap as well.

Turkey and the trimmings

This phase of the meal has so much going on, it offers a lot of directions for beer pairings. There are caramelized flavors in roast turkey that are mirrored by the sweetness of sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and the breadiness of stuffing. Stuffing, turkey seasonings, and other dishes also have herbal notes. You can always turn to the amber and pale ale options, particularly the herbal and sometimes citrusy qualities of a pale ale thanks to the hops, but also don’t be afraid to stretch out.

Wolverine’s Pride of Biscuitville would be a good choice here. It’s toasty and biscuity, almost like beer’s version of a delicious, fresh-baked, flaky dinner roll, and it would go really well with turkey and stuffing. Arbor’s Olde Number 22 German Alt is another option; a dark ale with roasty notes and a bit of smokiness, it’s super-smooth to drink. A different approach is to cut through the heaviness and fat of this part of the meal with a sour beer, and we happen to have great options for this here in town. Jolly Pumpkin offers a lot of mouth-watering, sour options, including the Bam Biere mentioned above or Bam Noire, which is a dark, delicious, tart brew with notes of dark fruit, spice, and leather. It always makes me think about a warm fire in an old-fashioned, wood-paneled library crammed with classic books and big, leather chairs. So, keep it in mind for an after-dinner drink as well. You can also look into Jolly Pumpkin’s bottled options. Stop by the café and see what they have. Last year, I had the pleasure of drinking their Oro de Calabaza with Thanksgiving food, and the spicy, peppery notes blended beautifully with the turkey and other dishes; it would go well with a flavorful salad, too. Or try the Fuego del Otono, an amber with nice hints of caramel to complement the roast turkey and sweet potatoes. Arbor Brewing also has Belgian-style, sour offerings by the bottle, such as Biere Divette, a farmhouse blonde that is subtly spiced with coriander and bitter orange. The variety of flavors in a robust Thanksgiving meal can hold their own with these big, luscious beers.

Dessert

The chocolaty, coffee character of a robust porter or stout works well with desserts, even desserts that aren't themselves based around chocolate. Arbor’s Mackinac Island Fudge Stout is a chocolaty, smooth delight and may still be available on tap at Arbor’s Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti, or find it by the bottle in stores – I saw some recently at Arbor Farms on W. Stadium. Jolly Pumpkin offers Tortuga Ale Co. Chocolate Stout on tap, which also promises a deliciously bittersweet, chocolate experience. Or take a different approach and go with a lager. Wolverine’s emOATable Lager is a dark, roasty, chocolaty brew with a creamy mouthfeel and smoothness provided by oats in the mash. 

The bottom line is that you should have fun picking beers for the meal, and it’s hard to go wrong if you go with things you like. That said, the variety that is the Thanksgiving feast offers an opportunity to stretch out and try some new brews, too. The beer riches crafted right here in Ann Arbor and its surrounds have more than enough amazing possibilities to grace your holiday table. 

Have a happy, safe, and satisfying Thanksgiving!

For more info

If you’re looking for growlers to go, you might want to call ahead and see what’s on tap before you make your run:

Arbor Brewing Co.: 114 E. Washington St., downtown Ann Arbor, (734) 213-1393

Corner Brewery: 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti, (734) 480-2739

Grizzly Peak: 120 W. Washington St., downtown Ann Arbor, (734) 741-7325

Jolly Pumpkin Café and Brewery: 311 S. Main St., downtown Ann Arbor, (734) 913-2730

Wolverine State Brewing Co.: 2019 W. Stadium, Ann Arbor, (734) 369-2990

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