First Course - Appetizer
"Start light, finish heavy" is our motto so we are going to start with a Goat Cheese Salad.. We recommend Hoegaarden as a light, refreshing delight to begin the day of decadence. The oh-so-slight citrus and light texture do not overpower the delicate flavor of the cheese. Make sure the you pronounce the beer name the Dutch way (Hoo-garten) and correct everyone when they pronounce it the American way (Hoe-garden).
Should you wish to support your local producer, we heartily recommend Community Wit to fulfill your needs.
Second Course - The Feast
Turkey is such a delicately flavored meat that it is easy to overpower the flavor. You hop heads are reading this and yelling "Double IPA!", which is, of course, the exactly wrong answer. If you are a hop monster your palate has already been destroyed and you can stop reading now.
There are two ways to consider this pairing .... if turkey is the star of your show, you should consider something light and slightly citrus with ample carbonation. Unibrou's Ephemere is very slightly sour with the classic holiday flavors of cranberry, coriander and orange peel. The effervescence is light and friendly on the tongue, cleansing the palate as you progress through the meal.
If the turkey less important to you and you live for the dressing and sides, let's talk brown ales. Actually, let's go super geek with this one and suggest Westmalle Trappist Dubbel. This magnificent brew is so superbly crafted that none of the flavors are identifiable. It is slightly sweet and malty with a clean dry finish and so complex that almost any food will match perfectly. It has the added bonus of being a trappist ale, which means that you can drone on and on for hours about the history of the monks toiling away in their monasteries and creating these wonderful beers as a food substitute during fasting. So very snobby, so very annoying.
Your local substitutes would be Rabbit Hole Rapture or Revolver Bock
Ham or roast beef instead of Turkey? Think British Pale Ales or Belgian Tripels.
Vegan or Vegetarian? As that the fats are missing and that flavors are .... muted, let's recommend that you go big. Heck, in this case drink anything you want.
Third Course - Dessert
So many desserts ..... so many flavors. For conversations sake, let's make this easy. Try to match the flavors based on the type of dessert. For example a pumpkin ale to accompany a pumpkin pie, a chocolate stout for chocolate cake, a lambic for a fruit pie, etc., is the easiest way to go. However, you may choose to skip the food part altogether and just have a dessert beer....that is a decision that we can stand behind. May we suggest the Buffalo Bayou Gingerbread Stout? Or perhaps Sam Adams Imperial white? Jolly good.
We hope that you are able to enjoy your holiday with family or friends and wish you health and happiness. Cheers - Bon
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