Thanksgiving Beer Pairings

Thanksgiving Dinner Beer Pairings (Course by Course)

Happy Thanksgiving! Let's take a look at some common beer pairings for Turkey day. Why not turn the dinner into a beer tasting event as well. We are blessed to have such an abundance of beer options (and homebrew!) to choose from....

1. Appetizers / Nibbles: Think cheeses, charcuterie, roasted nuts, deviled eggs, veggie trays.

• Pilsner (German or Czech-style): Crisp, palate-cleansing, great with salty snacks.

• Festbier / Märzen: A malty but gentle lager—perfect with cheese boards and pretzels.

• Witbier: Light spice and citrus handle creamy appetizers and deviled eggs.

• KristalWeizen: The champagne of weisse beers

2. Soup Course: Butternut squash soup, pumpkin bisque, turkey noodle soup.

• Hefeweizen: Banana/clove balance matches sweet squash notes without overpowering.

• Biére de Garde: Lightly malty, rustic, and beautifully complementary to autumn flavors.

• Kölsch: Clean, subtle, refreshing; supports delicate soups.

3. Salads: Greens with vinaigrette, cranberries, nuts, blue cheese, apples, pears.

• Saison / Farmhouse Ale: Peppery dryness stands up to vinaigrettes.

• Gose: Light salinity and citrus notes pop with fruit-forward salads.

• Berliner Weisse: Tart acidity complements fruit and cheese.

4. Main Course: Thanksgiving Turkey: Roasted turkey with herbs, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and classic sides.

• Belgian Dubbel: Dark fruit, caramel, and spice echo savory stuffing and gravy.

• Amber Lager (Vienna, American Amber Lager): Toasty, light caramel fits turkey beautifully.

• Brown Ale (American or English): Nutty malt harmonizes with roasted flavors.

• Extra Special Bitter (ESB): Balanced malt and earthy hops are excellent with herbs and gravy.

• Bière de Noël / Winter Warmer (low-spice versions): Complex malt and subtle spice for holiday richness.

5. Sides (Cranberry, Sweet Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole): These vary widely in sweetness and richness.

• Cranberry sauce: Try a tart Saison, Fruit Gose, or even a Flanders Red.

• Sweet potatoes (roasted, casserole): Dunkelweizen or Bock embraces caramelized sweetness.

• Green bean casserole: Cream Ale or Kolsch keeps it light and refreshing.

6. Dessert Course: Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple crisp, cheesecake.

• Pumpkin Pie:

  • Spiced Winter Warmer

  • Pumpkin Ale (malty, balanced types)

  • Wee Heavy (rich caramel + roasted malt = perfect match)

• Pecan Pie:

  • English Barleywine

  • American Brown Ale

  • Imperial Stout (dessert-on-dessert decadence)

• Apple Pie / Apple Crisp:

  • Cider (semi-dry traditional hard cider is fantastic)

  • Bière de Garde

  • Golden Strong Ale for a champagne-like finish

7. After-Dinner / Digestif : Relaxing after the feast. These pair well with conversation, football, or just digesting.

• Barrel-Aged (Or Russian Imperial) Stout or Porter

• Old Ale or Stock Ale

• Belgian Quadrupel

• Brandy-barrel or Cognac-inspired ales

Here's a printable cheat sheet of this article:

thanksgiving_beer_pairings.pdf

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