Thanksgiving, or as my husband, poodle and I have dubbed it, "Drunksgiving", is just the best, right? You can eat and drink all day long, and if you don't take that afternoon turkey nap, you're not doing it right! Not to mention taking the day to be thankful for that food, drink, that nap, and FAMILY. |
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What's for dessert!? Well, whether you have an actual dessert or not, nothing beats finishing the meal with an Imperial Stout. Specifically, New Heights Navel Gazer. A big, rich stout clocking in at 9.4% abv, this bad boy is not for the faint of heart. It's bursting with mouth filling flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, and licorice that would pair nicely with any chocolate based dessert or just an after dinner cigar. One of my favorite local beers! And if you can find the coconut variant....jump on it. This beer is great to drink now or age. But I suggest living in the now. ;) |
That's all folks!
Lots of great beers to pair with the bird this year, it's hard to narrow it down to just 5! I hope you will let me know what you're drinking.
Tag me in your photos @LanaDelBeer
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for all of you who read this blog.
Makes my heart smile.
Cheers,
Lana
It's the most wonderful time...
FOR A BEER!
If you'd like to throw your own beer and candy pairing party (hey, there's Christmas candy too), search my blog for "beer and candy". The "how-to" guide should pop up!
Here are the lucky six, YES I SAID SIX, pairings of Halloween 2017:
Drumroll please....
Thank goodness I have another bottle of this beer, because it was one of my favorites of the evening (Thank you, Max)! A very light kiss of tartness, this dry yet fruity beer was complimented by the fruity candy yet could cut thru the chewiness with its dry effervescence. A fun way to start off the evening!
Oh! Now I've thrown you for a loop, huh? Technically not a beer, but fun nonetheless! We have recently gotten these meads at Red Dog and they are damn delicious. Necro is a mango mead with black pepper, making it an off-dry mango dance party in your mouth. Since mead is made from honey, I paired it with candy corn made with real honey. This allowed the mango to shine thru while cutting the marshmellowy goodness of the candy. This was a crowd favorite!
Alpha King is a pale ale with a caramel malt backbone that supports a juicy, bright hop profile with an abv of 6.66%. I had to use this one, right? I chose skittles to compliment the juicy hops letting the caramel goodness of the beer to come forward. Nom!
Upland Vinosynth Red + Nerds
Vinosynth is a lambic style ale that has been aged in Oliver Winery red wine barrels giving it a tart, cherry pith sourness. This will wake your guests' tastebuds back up! Pairing the beer with Nerds will take the tart edge off the beer while complimenting the candy and preparing your palate for another sip! This would also work with Pop Rocks for a fun palate teaser!
Southern Tier Cinnamon Roll + Dark Chocolate Grand Marnier Pecans
I just got goosebumps. This was my personal favorite pairing of the night. Southern Tier Cinnamon Roll taste like a straight up cinnamon roll. No joke. I could drink a small cordial glass of it, but paired with the dark chocolate grand marnier pecans......I am moved. Emotionally. It helped take the sweet edge off the beer, leaving the cinnamon and caramel to play with the nutty orange flavors of the candy. You can buy both of these at Red Dog, fyi!
Perennial Abraxas + Dove Sea Salt Caramel & Dark Chocolate
Abraxas. I've been cellaring this beer for a long time, so I was excited to share it with my guests! The lovely folks at Perennial brewed this 10% imperial stout with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs and cinnamon sticks to create a mouth filling, dry, yet flavorful stout with a pin prick of heat. Pairing it with the chocolate allowed the adjuncts to play with the caramel and add a little salt to your sweet. A big finale to a great tasting!
The beer and candy pairings just get better year after year!
This was my largest party yet. Can't wait to see what next year holds.
Is it too early to start planning? ;)
Happy November! Be on the lookout for my 2017 Thanksgiving picks coming up in the next couple of weeks.
Cheers!
Lana
Author
Welcome to my blog! I want to show the world a simple meal paired with craft beer can elevate their dining experience to unique levels. Cheers!
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