Beer for Thanksgiving 

Celebrating with BEER this Holiday Season
by: Alstrom Bros - BEERADVOCATE.com

It's been documented in voyage journals that the Mayflower abandoned its voyage and landed in Plymouth due to running out of beer. 

It's been documented in voyage journals that the Mayflower abandoned its voyage and landed in Plymouth due to running out of beer. That one of the first establishments constructed within the Pilgrim colony was a brewery, and that most of its passengers were also separatist farmers, poorly educated and without social or political standing. Given these facts, do you honestly think that they drank wine at the very first Thanksgiving in 1621? Hell no! They drank beer! 

So as the holiday season creeps up yet again, some of you will ask your hosts what to bring to Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can go ahead and be that same boring person that shows up with that cheap bottle of Chardonnay, thinking that it will help you swallow down hunks of dry turkey. But that's just plain rude, man. Cheap and boring is not the way to go. 

What you really need is some quality craft-brewed beer to liven up the festivities. Impress the hell out of everyone when you whip out bottles of intriguing beer and reel off brief explanations of what they are. Fortify the ancestral tradition of feasting by complementing it with beer. Suggest a beer pairing with dinner. Hell, make it an all-day event, and remember there's nothing wrong with drinking at 10am. Beer goes with every meal and minute of the day! 

Here are some brief suggestions ... 

Apéritif (before dinner)
Try not to kill palates too early in the day, by starting off with a nice light-bodied (not lite in soul) Pilsner or Lager to introduce the evening and guests with. Offer something that will arouse appetites and slowly awaken the senses. 

* Brooklyn Lager or Pilsner 
* Otter Creek Vermont Lager 
* Sam Adams Boston Lager 
 

You could even try a Belgian-style Strong Pale Ale along the lines of Duvel. Its light-bodied fluffiness and higher alcohol will loosen minds into conversation. 

Hors d'oeuvre Hour
Kick things up a notch with a moderate level of hops. The hoppy characters in Pale Ales will pair nicely with salads, a slew of cheese varieties, fruits, and many hors d'oeuvres, without overwhelming any flavors. But don't go too bitter. 


* Smuttynose Shoal's Pale Ale 
* Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 


Dinner
Eating poultry, gravy, stuffing, etc? You could kick the day up a notch by pairing your meal with some strong Belgian-style ales. Their higher alcohol percentages cut through fats and starches, provide an edge of sweetness, and boast very diverse and complex flavors that lend themselves very well to this pairing. 

* Allagash Grand Cru 
* Russian River Damnation 
* Ommegang Rare Vos 

Another recommendation is to reintroduce more Pilsners and Lagers, as they will not only act as a palate cleanser in-between bites, but their lightness and spicy tones complement poultry and the contrast with gravies and stuffing is often welcome. 

Dessert
In our opinion, the best course in which to pair beer with. However, the last thing you want to do is kill a beer with a pairing that is too sweet, so ensure that your beers are sweeter than your desserts. Rich and big Stouts are our favorites, and tend to work very well. 

* Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 
* Founders Breakfast Stout or Kentucky Breakfast Stout 
* Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout or Oak Aged Yeti 
* Stone Russian Imperial Stout 

Digestif (after dinner)
Time to kick back and let that food digest. No doubt you are bloated at this point, so the moment calls for something smooth and numbing. Enter Barleywine-style ales, or a similar, big, complex, malty and alcoholic beer. Simply decant some into a snifter, sip, and appreciate life, and your swollen gut. 

* Dogfish Head Immort Ale or Raison d'Extra 
* Barley Wine Style Ale 

Now our examples are certainly not the bible in pairing beer with food, but they should give you head start. In time, you will find that nearly every beer pairs with most types of food, some more than others with certain styles of food, and others less. Just remember to be experimental with your pairings and make sure to have fun doing it. And with that, we'll leave you with a 16th century English proverb: 

Wine is but single broth, ale is meat, drink and cloth.

Respect Beer. 
                                                                       ----------------------------------------------
Give That Turkey a Brew!
By Sean Z. Paxton, from BeerAdvocate magazine (Nov 2007)

Are you tired of dry turkey? Is the canned cranberry sauce not what it used to be? Bored with the store-bought cheesecake? Well then, keep reading. Here are some updated classic recipes, perfect for the homebrewer, beer connoisseur and everyday foodie.

Beer-Injected Turkey
Outside of the occasional turkey and avocado on sourdough, how often do you have turkey, let alone cook a whole one? Just once a year—so do it right! Here are two different cooking techniques to ensure a succulent bird for your holiday centerpiece.

Ingredients
1 Turkey, fried (10–12 pounds) or roast (14–16 pounds)
12 oz. Oktoberfest or Märzen
1 Syringe
1 dash Sea salt and black pepper

Deep-Fried Turkey Ingredients
5 gal. Peanut oil
40+ qt. Heavy duty pot
1 Propane burner and tank

Roasted Turkey Ingredients
1 Roasting pan
1 bunch Thyme
1 Yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 head Garlic, cut in half

Turkey Prep
Place the turkey in the sink and remove from plastic wrap. With cold water running, rinse the inside and outside of the bird well, removing the neck and giblets (reserving for the stock or gravy). Once clean, dry the turkey thoroughly. This is very important, as the drier the bird is the better the skin will be in roasting, and also safer when frying. Place the turkey into a large bowl. Fill the syringe with your beer of choice (Märzen flavors help bring out the natural flavors of the turkey). Locate the center of the right breast, poke the needle through the skin and into the meat and start injecting the bird. Pull the needle from the meat, but keep using the same hole and change direction of the needle and inject again. Do this same procedure 4–5 times on each breast. Repeat this process on each leg and thigh. Season cavity and exterior with salt and pepper. Let turkey marinate for 2–4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Directions for Deep-Fried Turkey
When deep frying a turkey, to make sure that it cooks evenly the size of the bird should not be more than 14 pounds, anything larger will overcook on the outside, while the inside will not be fully cooked—and could be a safety hazard with the oil displacement.

Fill a large 40-quart (or more) brew pot with peanut oil. Place on a propane burner outside, on level and preferably concrete ground away from the house or anything flammable. Bring the temperature up to 375°F.

Remember safety: Wear a long-sleeved shirt, closed-toe shoes, pants and gloves—hot oil splatters! Using a metal coat hanger or twine, make a large loop and create a hook to insert into the turkey so it can be easily removed from the hot oil. Using a rolling pin, wooden dowel or similar, dip the turkey into the hot oil like a tea bag. This will help eliminate water from the bird and prevent the turkey’s moisture from creating excessive and hazardous steam.

This may take 4–8 dunks, before you can fully submerge the turkey. The turkey will take 3–4 minutes per pound. Continually monitor the temperature of the oil and hold above 350° until the internal temperature of the turkey is 170°. This should take about 38–45 minutes. Remove from the oil and let rest 15 minutes before carving.

Directions for Roasting Turkey
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place the prepped turkey in the roasting pan, stuffing the cavity with thyme, onion and garlic. Place the turkey in the center of the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 325° and continue to cook until the internal temperature is 170° in the breast, about 3 ½ to 4 hours for a 14–16 pound turkey. Baste the bird periodically with any juices in the pan, checking to see if the skin gets too dark. Once a golden hue is reached, tent the bird with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.



Cranberry Wit Sauce
A traditional side dish with a twist.

Ingredients
2 Blood oranges, zested and sliced into rings
2 cups Witbier
1/2 cup Belgian clear rock candy sugar, or regular sugar
2 tsp. Ground coriander
1 pinch Sea salt
1/2 cup Orange blossom honey
12 oz. Cranberries, fresh (1 bag)

Directions
In a large saucepan, add oranges (giving a good twist to release the juice), Witbier, rock candy, coriander and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring about 4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the sliced citrus, and add the honey, orange zest and cranberries; reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. The sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.


Vienna Lager Wild Mushroom Gravy
Wild mushrooms not only add texture and flavor, but give this gravy an earthiness that complements any turkey dinner.

Ingredients
4 oz. Unsalted butter
2 Shallots, peeled and diced
2 lb. Mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced or quartered: cremini, button, chanterelle, oyster, black trumpets, morel, puffballs, portobello, porcini
12 oz. Vienna lager
2 qt. Stock, chicken, turkey or mushroom, preferably homemade
1 dash Sea salt and pepper

Directions
Prep and clean all the mushrooms, using a wet paper towel to help remove any of the dirt, pine needles or other debris. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add butter. Once melted, add the shallots and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Add mixed mushrooms, a pinch of salt and sauté for 8–10 minutes or until the mushrooms have released their liquid and start to caramelize. Deglaze the pan with the Vienna, stirring until the beer has reduced by half. Then add stock, bring to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and cook until reduced to 3 cups, approximately 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

You may also use a mixture of dried mushrooms. Prior to use, dehydrate in stock to help add flavor, leaving behind any dirt or sand in the bottom of the container



Pumpkin Barley Risotto
Made with Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws

Instead of the classic stuffing, here is a recipe that brings brewer’s ingredients to the dinner table. Using barley will add flavors of caramel, toffee and a light sweetness to the finished risotto dish. Serves 10–12.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Unsalted butter
1 cup Shallots, peeled and chopped
1 Leek, white and light green part only
1 Small pumpkin*, about 2 1/2 pounds, peeled, seeded
3 Tbsp. Fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup Sage leaves, chiffonade
2 cups Pearl barley
12 oz. Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2006(sierra Nevada celebration ale)
2 qt. Chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
1/2 cup 60° lovibond crystal malt, ground to a powder in a coffee grinder
1/2 cup Dry Jack cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. Sage honey, optional (if risotto is too bitter)
1 dash Sea salt and black pepper

Directions
In a 12-quart stock pot over medium heat, melt butter until it starts to foam, then add shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the shallots are transparent. Add leeks and season with a good pinch of salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add pumpkin (cut into half-inch cubes) and cook for another 5 minutes. Add sage, thyme, pearl barley, 1 teaspoon salt and mix well, coating the barley with the butter and toasting for 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the Doggie Claws, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then top off with 8 cups of stock. Turn heat to low once a boil has been reached. Stir every 3–5 minutes, to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. After 15 minutes, add crystal malt and cook for another 25–30 minutes, until the barley is al dente. Turn heat off, mixing in Dry Jack, butter and parsley. Cover with a lid and let sit for 5 minutes, to absorb any remaining liquids. Taste the risotto; if the bitterness is too strong, add a tablespoon of honey, adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish with sage leaves.

* Butternut or Acorn squash can be substituted for Pumpkin.



Holiday Ale Cheesecake with Barley Malt Crust
This recipe is very versatile—substituting a Kriek, Belgian Strong Dark, Grand Cru or Russian Imperial Stout for the Holiday Ale will give excellent results. Makes 10 Servings.

Crust Ingredients
3/4 cup pale malt*
1/2 cup Melanoidin malt 30L*
1/2 cup Munich malt*
1/4 cup Honey malt*
1/2 cup Dried malt extract*, pale (DME)
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
7 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, melted

Filling Ingredients
12 oz. Holiday Ale, homebrew or commercial
16 oz. Cream cheese (two 8 OZ. packages)
16 oz. Mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Dried Malt Extract*, pale (DME)
5 Large eggs
1 tsp. Bourbon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

For crust: To gather ingredients for the crust, go to your local homebrew store just as you would for a beer recipe. Once all the malts are measured out, have them ground fine in the shop mill, or use a coffee grinder and grind each grain separately at home. Add the ground malt to the bowl of a food processor, adding Dried Malt Extract, sugar and salt. With the motor running, drizzle the melted butter in until the mixture comes together, resembling a graham cracker crust. If the malts above are not available, substitute 2 cups of barley flour. Take the crust mixture and add it to a 9-inch springform pan. Using the tips of your fingers, evenly press crust into the bottom of the pan. Bake in the center of your oven for 13–15 minutes, or until the crust is light golden in color. Remove and set on a wire rack. Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan in 1 piece of aluminum foil.

Lower oven temperature to 325°F.

For Filling: In a medium-size pot, add Holiday Ale and cook over low heat until reduced to 4 ounces. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add room temperature cream cheese and mascarpone cheese (adding cheeses at room temperature helps eliminate lumps and makes for a smoother filling), sugar and DME. Whip until smooth, scraping down the sides to make sure mixture is evenly blended. Add one egg at a time, mixing well between each addition. Next add vanilla and salt. Pour half of the filling into the pre-cooked crust. Add beer reduction to the remaining filling and mix well. Pour the remaining beer filling in a spiral pattern, using a knife to further marble the filling. Place the foil-wrapped pan into a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water three-quarters up the side of the cheesecake pan. Place in the center of the oven and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the cheesecake is light golden on top and the filling has set. Remove pan from the water bath, cool for 1 hour on the counter, then another 3–4 hours in the refrigerator to fully cool and completely set.


Copyright 2007 BeerAdvocate. All rights reserved. Do not reprint w/o permission. Illustration by Meg Hunt.

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