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November 19, 2012
Beer Diary:
Put The Grease In Your gravy
Power through the big flavors of Thanksgiving dinner with big ass beers.by Eddie Glick
Once again, this year for Thanksgiving I’ll be relegated to the basement, dining on a fine bowl of oatmeal for America’s much hallowed dinner. Which, actually, is fine by me. Oh, sure, I could tag along with the parental units and go to the relatives’ for Thanksgiving dinner, but that means a good chance of getting stuck sitting at the kiddie table (alone) and a better chance of me punching a cousin or uncle in the nose (or crotch, those kiddie table chairs are pretty low). Plus, the beer selection will suck shit.
Truth be told, I’ve never been that big a fan of turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and all that other food jazz that’s traditionally served with Thanksgiving. In fact, when I was a kid I tried to persuade Ma to make the meal Snoopy prepared on the Peanuts Thanksgiving special: popcorn and buttered toast. Needless to say she didn’t even humor my suggestion with a negative response. I was one deprived kid.
But since most of you readers will be sitting down to ham and gravy and rolls and pumpkin pie, you’ll need a good craft beer (well, several) to enhance the flavors of your annual big meal. In the past, I’ve recommended Belgian beers to pair with your Thanksgiving main courses, the stronger the better to stand up against that fatty gravy, starchy taters, and sweet, sweet applesauce. And then last year I suggested using an all out frontal assault on those taste buds with imperial IPAs.
Well, I’m revising things a bit this year: just go big. Doesn’t have to be an IPA, but it better be big. Dopplebocks, imperial stouts, barley wines—these are the beers you must lay out onto the table for you and your guests to enjoy with your Thanksgiving meal. Otherwise there is a 100 percent chance the whole thing will be an unmitigated disaster. (Well, if the apple pie is homemade and really good, it might be a mitigated one.) You just gotta trust me on this. Peruse the quick rundown of some of the more common beers to grab below. That’ll help get you started on saving Thanksgiving—just like Snoopy did.
Imperial/Double IPA
Hop Juice, Two Brothers Brewing Company
Apocalypse Cow, Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Hop Whore, Tyranena Brewing Company
Double Trouble, Founders Brewing Co.
Satisfaction Jacksin, Ale Asylum
Hopslam Ale, Bell’s Brewery, Inc.
Double Crooked Tree I.P.A, Dark Horse Brewing Co.
IIPA, New Glarus Brewing Company
American Strong Ale
Cane and Ebel, Two Brothers Brewing Company
Ard Ri, Upland Brewing Company
Bridge Burner, Lakefront Brewery, Inc.
Imperial Stout
Satin Solstice Imperial Stout, Central Waters Brewing Company
Expedition Stout, Bell’s Brewery, Inc.
Blackout Stout, Great Lakes Brewing Co.
B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher, Hoppin’ Frog Brewery
Night Tripper, New Holland Brewing Co.
Northwind, Two Brothers Brewing Company
Mr. Mephisto’s Imperial Stout, Lake Louie Brewing
Doppelbock
Perkulator Coffee Dopplebock, Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Consecrator Dopplebock, Bell’s Brewery, Inc.
Dopple Bock, Sprecher Brewing Co.
Voodoo Vator, Atwater Block Brewery
Autumnal Fire, Capital Brewery
Barley Wine
Winter Warmer, Upland Brewing Company
Bare Tree, Two Brothers Brewing Company
Pilgrim’s Dole, New Holland Brewing Co.
Behemoth, Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Barley Wine, Sprecher Brewing Co.
Old Ale
Third Coast Old Ale, Bell’s Brewery, Inc.
Curmudgeon, Founders Brewing Co.
Nosferatu, Great Lakes Brewing Co.