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Lana Del Beer's 2017 Thanksgiving Picks

11/9/2017

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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.
My heart flutters just thinking about it!

As you all know, every year I compile a list of beers that will pair with your Thanksgiving meal. So, I'm excited to present to you my picks for 2017!
Note: these are beers available in middle Tennessee. You can always find the same style by a different brewery if need be. Here we go!

A 2016 gold medal winner at GABF, Two Brother's flagship beer Domaine Dupage is a biere de garde style beer with notes of caramel malt & toast with a crisp, clean finish clocking in at 5.9% abv. There's enough malt to compliment everything on the table but a little bitterness to cut thru any richness and/or fat in order to cleanse your palate for another bite. A very quaffable beer!

It tastes just like the name suggests....Blueberry Pie! With a 7% abv kick, this brown ale collab between Braxton Brewing and Graeter's Ice Cream is a fun, fruity, malty beverage that I think would be fun to pair with the ham and turkey! If that's not your thing, wait till after dinner and pair this beer with a dessert....or just have it AS dessert. Either way works. We won't judge you.

Collective Arts Basil & Cranberry Gose....it just SCREAMS "Thanksgiving"! Some of you may be wondering, "A gose with Thanksgiving food?" Absolutely! This beer is divinely refreshing and only 4.7% abv....so don't be afraid to quaff this one! Cranberries, basil, pink Himalayan salt & coriander with a spritz of bright acidity will add depth to the meal and also cut thru the richness. It will brighten up the whole table! Give it a try!

Blackberry Farm 'Blueberry Rhubarb' Farmhouse Ale brewed with Blueberries, Rhubarb, and Ginger. I have not tried this one yet, but I love everything Blackberry Farm releases. This is personally what I will be taking home for the big day! It sounds like it will be fruity, dry, spicy and slightly tart, so I am certain it will pair nicely with my Thanksgiving dinner! I will report back.

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

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Lana Del Beer's 3rd Annual Beer + Candy Pairing 2017

11/2/2017

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It's the most wonderful time...

FOR A BEER!

The beginning of October kicks off the holiday season around my house and that meant it was time to plan my annual craft beer and halloween candy event! I had to schedule it later than usual due to my schedule, hence why the blog post in only now showing up in November! But fear not, kiddos. I will give you the low down on the get down, you know what I'm saying!? (I'm drinking bulletproof coffee as I write this, so forgive me).

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....

Side Project Saison Nouveau by Shared + Starbursts

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!

B. Nektar NecroMangoCon + Candy Corn

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!

3Floyds Alpha King + Skittles

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!