Thanksgiving Day Beers

Here are our recommendations for beers for you to pair with your Thanksgiving Day feast.  Most are readily available in the DFW area.

Appetizer - Let's start out with something light, shall we?  You don't really want to fill up on beer before the gluttony begins do you?  Or do you? 
     - Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale - Lightly hopped so as to not overpower your taste buds, malty, caramel and nutty.  Delightful.
     - Revolver Blood and Honey - A bit sweet and a bit citrusy this one will prep your taste buds for the savory delights to follow.

Main Course - I must admit that I often pair wine with turkey and a light, fruity Beaujolais Nouveau often fits the bill ("Gasp!  Did he say wine?!?  Hypocrite!") but there are a few beers that are perfect pairings with your feast.
     - La Socarrada Cervesa Artesanal De Xativa - La Socarrada may the be the finest beers that I have ever paired with roasted meats.  It is created as a winter ale and made with rosemary and rosemary honey, but lightly flavored and not overpowering in the least.  Superb with Turkey.
    - Saison DuPont - The classic Belgian farmhouse ale.  Perfectly balanced and stunningly complex flavors complements any food that you put in front of it.  The dry finish keeps your tongue prepped for your second and third rounds of feasting.
     - Chimay Grande Reserve - What?  You don't like Turkey and are serving Roast Beef?  Dandy. I promise you that you will never find a better beer to pair with beef than the Grande Reserve.  Dark, powerful, complex and stunningly delicious.  Look for the blue label.

Desert - There are two schools of thought with desert pairings:  Complement vs. contrast.  The bitterness of an IPA to cut through the sweetness vs. the that of a desert beer that mimics the flavors of the deserts.  As that desert is my favorite course, let's try several.
Contrast
     - Dogfish 60 minute IPA - Probably the classic example of an American IPA.  This is a powerfully hopped but balanced IPA contains a lot of citrusy character from the hops and will cut through all of that cloying sugar.
     - Lakewood Brewing Hop Trapp - Want to go local?  This IPA is a Belgian style IPA this doesn't have the face puckering power of many other IPA's.  The malty and yeasty background makes this one very complex, but delicious.
Complement
     - Southern Tier Pumking - This Imperial Pumpkin Ale really doesn't contain any pumpkins, but it is loaded with pumpkin spices and will complement that pumpkin pie perfectly.
     - Sam Adams Merry Maker - "This rich dark gingerbread stout entices with the aromas of the holidays.  The flavor of gingerbread comes alive, beginning with the smooth sweetness and heartiness of dark roasted malts and a touch of wheat.  But it’s the intensity and spices of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, & ginger that add a wicked kick for a jolly playful brew full of merry mischief."
     - Martin House There Will Be Stout - This thick, rich, chocolaty, malty delight will pair right along with Aunt Ethyl's chocolate cream pie.  Trust me on this one and go local.  On tap only so you will have to haul a growler with you, darn.

Enjoy your holidays and we will see you soon. - Bon