Giving thanks with rare beers

When it comes to holidays, I am, to my family, the one in charge of the beverages for holiday gatherings. This year, the wine drinkers out number the beer drinkers, so I decided on four delicious, beers brought up from the depths of my cellar to complement our Thanksgiving feast this year. I also decided to share them with you, so if you feel the need to crash our party, you know what to expect. Some of these beers are available right now, but some are pretty rare.



We usually start out with the usual cheese and crackers, but since my Mother has gone gluten free, the usual butter-flavored club crackers have been replaced with rice crackers. Not too much of a loss, but I had to tailor the beer to fit the slightly diminished cracker choice.

My pick: Thanks to the Rare Beer Club, I have a bottle of NoDa Brewing Company's Tart Attack, a blackberry berliner weisse. Being only 4.3%, it is a perfect warm up beer, and the tart qualities of the berlinerweisse style meld nicely with the cheese and crackers, while also not ruining our palates before the turkey is even carved.

Now we move on to salad, greens, and the usual lighter fare that helps signal to your stomach that the good stuff is coming. To keep our beer-appetites going, I've chosen Paradox Beer Company's Pepitas Grande, an ale brewed with pepitas(pumpkin seeds) and chimayo red chili(my dad's favorite chili). The intricate flavors that the guys up the pass have woven into this beer will help our stomachs prepare for the onslaught that is ahead!

What's going to go with the turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes? Being the heaviest part of the meal, we need a beer that can withstand being paired with three delicious staples, and one that will not drown in the gravy. For this, I picked Boulevard Brewing Company's Rye on Rye, a delicious rye ale aged in Templeton Rye whiskey barrels. The alcoholic notes in this beer will help cut through the spices, drippings and dark meat, providing an excellent backbone for more gluttony!

We're not done yet! After everything has subsided, it's time for dessert! You might have thought I should have used the "pumpkin" beer for the dessert, but pumpkin pairing with pumpkin would have just been overkill. Instead, from a couple hours south, Santa Fe Brewing's Kriek will do just the trick! This sour ale has cherries added, relinquishing a smooth, sweet and slightly tart nightcap that will be sure to finish our holiday feast off in style.

What are you drinking with your family or friends this holiday season? Anything better?

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