Best beverage for feast and football? Beer, of course

Published 1:30 am Sunday, November 20, 2016

By Aaron Swaney

Special to The Herald

Often, the Thanksgiving table is beset with bottles of wine, mulled cider and Martinellis, but why is beer left out in the cold? The food served at typical Thanksgiving celebrations pairs well with all kinds of beer, from stouts to saisons. And what goes better with football than beer?

I usually bring some beer to our Thanksgiving celebration. I like to shoot for a brown or a porter. For me, the nuttiness and roastiness of those styles pairs well with the turkey, dressing and other fare.

This year, I’m bringing growlers full of Foggy Noggin’s Butch’s Brew, a brown ale brewed with roasted hazelnuts, as well as Skookum’s Asesinato de Cuervos, an imperial stout conditioned on chilis, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks and cocoa nibs. The nuttiness of Butch’s Brew will pair well with the main course, while a tulip glass of the stout, which is described as a Mexican chocolate dessert beer, will be an amazing partner with pumpkin pie.

But there are plenty of other choices to bring to grandma’s this coming Thursday, so I asked some local brewers and bottleshop owners what they’re bringing to their festivities (you can find most of the selections at a local bottleshop).

Evan Watt, owner and head brewer of Watts Brewing near Bothell, said he’s bringing a vintage bottle of Rodenbach, a Belgian sour red, he’s been saving since 2001. He said he’s been saving it for a special occasion, and this year, having recently opened his brewery after years of hard work, counts as that.

Watt said that he looks for a beer that can provide contrast with the rich, savory and salty food served at Thanksgiving.

“The darker character and acidity (of Belgian ales) are a pleasant counterpoint to the meal,” Watt said. “They fill a similar role to the traditional cranberry sauce.”

Doug Hall, co-owner of Everett’s The Independent Beer Bar, felt a black IPA, such as Firestone Walker’s Wookey Jack, would have a solid malt character to complement the heavy, rich foods served at Thanksgiving and a strong hop finish to refresh the palate. Hall also pointed to a red ale, such as Laurelwood’s Free Range Red, as a beer that could do similar things without being too aggressively bitter and more approachable.

Not wanting to fill up too much on beer? Hall also mentioned a peppery saison as an option. He pointed to Elysian’s Saison Elyss as an earthy, floral saison to bring to the table.

American Brewing’s head brewer Adam Frantz said for the meal bring something that is malty or spicy to the table. In our divided times, Frantz said he usually brings Dogfish Head’s Pangaea, a spicy ale brewed with an ingredient from every continent in the world, to bring people together.

Last year, Frantz said he brought along a bottle of American’s oatmeal stout and made stout floats for dessert.

“It surprised most of the people at our Thanksgiving dinner that that is even a thing,” Frantz said.

Eric Schaffer, owner of Bothell taproom and bottleshop The Hop and Hound, said hands down his favorite beer style to pair with Thanksgiving dinner is a tart kriek.

Like framboise with raspberries, krieks are spontaneously fermented Belgian lambic sours made with cherries. Schaffer said he’ll be bringing a bottle of De Trouch Kriek to his celebration.

“The slightly acidic tone and cherry flavors meld nicely with all the courses and provide a perfect palate cleanser between bites,” Schaffer said.

Turkey and football beers

For Scuttlebutt head brewer Matt Stromberg, Thanksgiving means football. So he picked out beers that correlated with the three big games Thursday … oh, and the meal, of course.

Morning game

Something light and refreshing that doesn’t fill you up. Lagers, blondes and Kolsch styles fit the bill nicely.

Rainier. A wonderful example of a traditional American lager.

Scuttlebutt Blonde. Light and refreshing with traditional noble hop finish.

Chuckanut Kolsch. Crisp and clean with depth, just like they make it in Cologne.

Alpine Pilsner. If you haven’t had it you’re missing out. It’s on tap at Lombardi’s Woodfire Grill on the Everett waterfront.

Afternoon game

Something to sip and savor as the meal approaches; mid-bodied with flavor. Brown ales, pale ales, reds and ESBs.

Diamond Knot’s Brown Ale. This traditional brown is exceptional.

Skookum Three-Six-Oh Pale Ale. Big, bright-flavored, pale ale.

Whitewall’s Smokey Point Pale Ale. Nice balanced beer for every day.

Mealtime

Beers that complement food.

Lazy Boy IPA. Tropical notes with a hint of dank.

Scuttlebutt’s Tell Tale Red. Balanced, light and assertive, different flavors with every sip. Complements a broad variety of foods.

Justice White and Nerdy. For those who enjoy sours this will pair well with the protein portion of the meal. The acidity will balance out gravy nicely too.

Farmstrong NW Farmhouse Ale. Spicy, estery ale from our friends in Mt Vernon. Great complement to food and light as well.

Evening game

Big, rich beers to be shared and enjoyed. Gimme a stout!

Scuttlebutt’s 20 Year Anniversary Stout. Deep complex beer with strong chocolate notes. Very rich and velvety, high in alcohol (11.74%) but masked well.

Blackraven Grandfather Raven Imperial Stout. Rich and soft at the same time.

Pike’s XXXXX Stout. Chocolate, licorish and coffee.

Boundary Bay Imperial Oatmeal Stout. Rich, full-bodied stout with a silky smoothness.