Happy Thanksgiving! Beer Pairings!

Well, due to Thanksgiving break in a college town, just about every beer bar is on hiatus as far as beer events are concerned... Momo's might put out a beer this Sunday, since they didn't last weekend, but as always... who knows?

So instead, I thought I'd offer up some beer pairings for your Thanksgiving holiday. I have to admit, I'm not really awesome at pairing beer with food, because I always tend to drink something new and/or drink what I like... so I just don't worry about it. So, I've browsed a few sites, pulled some information, and put it all together here for you. I've also made sure that every beer I suggest is available in Tallahassee so if you want to give them a try... you can! I've divided my recommendations into categories to make your life a little bit easier.

Are you having non-beer guests?

Many websites recommend Sam Adams, and I can't say I disagree. Most non-nerds will think they're really cool and drinking something special if you throw a Boston Lager in front of them. They'll swoon back to that special Wednesday night a few weeks back at Applebee's with their co-workers when they scrolled past a Busch Light for a pint of Sam Adams. For something a little more adventurous, throw other entry-level craft breweries at them like Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, and Stone. They probably loved their commercials and TV shows.

Many websites also recommend ambers and brown ales. If you want to push your guests a little bit, go for Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale. Approachable, but perhaps a little more robust than other browns, you can make your guests stretch their palates a bit. Plus, since our local breweries don't distribute, that's about as close as you can get to drinking local since they're from Tampa.

Beer nerds or brave guests?

Well, Tallahassee may not be a crazy utopia of beer, but you have some options, and here are some tasty suggestions divided by food.

In general: Generically speaking, a lot of sites seem to recommend farmhouse beers, saisons, etc. Apparently the herbal, earthy, and sometimes slightly spicy quality of these brews make them a perfect match for turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and many other Thanksgiving dishes. Right now Dupont's Avec les Bons Voeux is in town, and it's one hell of a saison. If you want to support 'Merica (fuck yeah!), go with North Coast Le Merle.

For plain ol' turkey, most sites go for ambers and brown ales. This is a bit of a simple style, but I think one of the best go-to ambers is Bell's Amber, which I know is available in town. I say go for it, as you'll enjoy it, and you can probably push some off on your guests as well!

If you want to explore a bit, or if you're tossing some cranberry sauce on or around your turkey, go for Rodenbach Grand Cru. This tasty Flemish red has all the tartness you need to complement that weird slice of reddish goo. Another benefit is the wood, acid, and vinegar you can find in this brew, which is sure to please the winos in the group.

Not a turkey fan? Going with ham? Most sites seem to recommend bigger brews that have a touch of sweetness to supplement the salty sweetness of this pink God. Go with a doppelbock like Ayinger Celebrator or a weizenbock like Schneider Aventinus - both top of the line brews in their style and easily obtainable in Tallahassee.

If you want to match your brew with your sides, the aforementioned farmhouse brews work well. You can also go for something malty, a little sweet, and unoffensive for some added flavor that won't overpower your favorite sides. Brooklyn Winter is a decent Scottish Ale that is pleasantly unoffensive, and Anchor Porter is a somewhat lighter, sweeter porter that will give you nice touches of chocolate and coffee without killing the flavors in your sides.

If you're like me, you've just been waiting for dessert. Don't get me wrong - I freakin' love all the food - but deep down I've got a sweet tooth like a mammoth. The beer you drink can depend a bit on your dessert, but in general sweeter, maltier beers work here as well. I like to toast the season with a nice winter warmer, and Sam Smith's Winter Warmer is decent enough and available in town. Beware some winter brews, though, as they're often unclear on what they are. If you're not sure - look it up on RateBeer or Google the brew and find out what's in it. For instance, if you don't want to drink a beer with mace, you may want to stay away from Sweetwater Festive. The spice may kill delicate desserts, but may also complement something like pumpkin pie.

Love pecan pie? Do you shudder in ecstasy thinking about that crunchy, crispy, roasted bite of pecans on top of the diabetic-coma inducing layer of gooey sweetness? Give Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan a shot. Not only will the nuttiness pair well with the sweet, syrupy pie, you'll also be supporting a brewery from a state that is struggling when it comes to craft beer - Mississippi. Don't even get me started on that crazy state. Similar malty, nutty brown ales will get the job done, too, but I know this gem is available locally!

Love hops?

Sadly, most sites say that uber-hoppy brews like IPAs and double IPAs can really kill some of the food you're enjoying. Instead, you may want to go with a nice English IPA to get your hop kick out of the way. The hops will be a bit more earthy (matches the food better), as well as simply subdued more than most American versions. Sam Smith's India Ale comes to mind as a locally available standard version. Not convinced? Go with Bell's Two Hearted. This is one of my all-time favorite brews, and it happens to be single hopped with Centennial hops. This type of hop is a bit more sweet and floral than some super bitter American hops, which complements the solid malt backing of this brew... plus... it's just an awesome beer.

That leads me to my next point. Do you disagree with these pairings and suggestions? It's not like my blog to admit this, but... AWESOME! It makes me want to reiterate my favorite advice:

DRINK WHAT YOU LIKE!

Seriously though, please do comment with other suggestions you may have, as I'm all ears, and people may like to try your suggestions!

Enjoy the holiday weekend, drink plenty of brews, and as always...

CHEERS!