Weekly Newsletter

A Beer for Every Kind of Thanksgiving Celebration

Thanksgiving Beer Pairing Guide

 

Thanksgiving might look a little different in the post-pandemic era, but whether you are cozying up with a partner, setting out a full-on Friendsgiving spread, or even setting a sober table, we have the beers and some tasty recipe recos to make your menu. We asked Brewing Innovation Manager Bryan Donaldson to search his heart (and his palate) and give us the beta for a best-in-class Thanksgiving beer-pairing menu…

 

THE SOBER AF THANKSGIVING

Whether you’re trending health-conscious, setting up your guests for a safe drive home, celebrating years of sobriety, or just laying off the booze for the time being, we’ve got some no-fail festive fall pairings that are all flavor and sure don’t taste like a compromise.

LAGUNITAS IPNA

Pair it with:

• Wild rice with mushrooms
• Brussels sprouts with balsamic, bacon & almonds
• Cranberry tart

LAGUNITAS HOPPY REFRESHER

Pair it with:

• Cranberry sauce
• Rosemary & citrus turkey
• Mango Pie

 

THE FRIENDSGIVING

The beauty of Friendsgiving is the opportunity to keep the tastiest traditions and reinvent the rest with input from every party at the table. A communally curated menu should meld epicurean cultures and culinary highlights from everyone at the table. Think shareable crowd-pleasers and statement-making dishes. For your beer selections, take a high-low approach with Unrefined Shugga’ and DayTime.

LAGUNITAS UNREFINED SHUGGA’

Pair it with:

• Jamaican jerk turkey
• Smoky stir-fried greens
• Crème brulé pie

LAGUNITAS DAYTIME IPA

Pair it with:

• Jollof rice
• Charred, orange-glazed carrots
• Classic buttermilk biscuits

 

THE FAMILY REUNION

Classics are classic for a reason. If you’re gettin’ together with kin, whether of the blood or chosen variety, you can’t go wrong sticking with what’s tried and true. Try a mix of traditional and trendy for your beer pairings.

LAGUNITAS IPA

Pair it with:

• Roast turkey with citrus & thyme stuffing
• Candied yams
• Classic dressing

LAGUNITAS HAZY WONDER IPA

Pair it with:

• Green beans with pancetta & lemon zest
• Cornbread muffins
• Apple pie

 

THE MICRO CELEBRATION

A single-serving Thanksgiving doesn’t have to skimp on flavor. If you’re just cooking for one or two, try incorporating these creative variations and modern takes on traditional favorites. Just because you’re having a small meal doesn’t mean you can’t have big beers (and big flavors). Maximize your beer pairings alongside these scaled-down dishes for a flavorful full-send.

LAGUNITAS MAXIMUS COLOSSAL IPA

Pair it with:

• Roast butternut squash
• Cranberry orange relish
• Sauteed spinach with lemon honey dressing

LAGUNITAS LITTLE SUMPIN’ SUMPIN’

Pair it with:

• Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’-brined Cornish Game hens (1 per person)
• Twice-baked potatoes
• Pineapple upside-down cupcakes

Recipes

COOKING WITH BEER

Unrefined SHUGGA’ BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. (half a bottle) Unrefined Shugga’ (the beer, not the sucrose)
• 5 cups Brown Sugar (the sucrose, not the beer)
• 1 loaf of French Bread, Diced into Crouton-sized Bites
• 1/2 gallon Whole Milk
• 9 Eggs
• 3 Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 4 oz. Cinnamon Powder
• 3 tbsp. Vanilla Extract
• Get cookin’:

 

Bread Pudding

1. Take all of the ingredients (minus the bread) and mix together until it makes a tasty goo
2. Grease a large (~20×12 or equivalent) oven-safe baking pan and fill it with the cubed French bread.
3. Add the tasty goo mixture and press to ensure all the bread bits have soaked in the goods. There will be some of the mixture coming up in excess… that’s perfect.
4. Cover and bake at 375˚F/24˚C for 20 min.
5. Uncover and top with 1.5 cups brown sugar (the sucrose, not the beer).
6. Take the lid off and bake it uncovered for another 15 minutes, or until the bread bounces back at the touch. Test it by inserting a toothpick and, when removed, the toothpick should be clean.

 

Caramel Sauce

1. Remove the label from condensed milk cans, put them in a pot and cover with water. Partially cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Leave at a boil ‘til all the water has cooked away (about an hour-ish).
2. Open the cans (careful… they’re hot!), and mix in the Brown Shugga’ beer.
3. Let cool and smother it all over the Bread Pudding.
4. Serve it warm, best paired with a 4pk of Unrefined Shugga’

 

OOEY-GOOEY BACON & A LITTLE SUMPIN’-INFUSED CHEESE DIP

Everyone waits to hear those three words from their beloved… Beer. Bacon. Cheese. Show your friends just how much you love them with this recipe worthy of the most potted of potlucks. (Or just make it for yourself, because you do you, dammit!)

 

Ingredients:

• 18 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup Rotel
• 1 cup Little Sumpin’
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 lb bacon strips, cooked and crumbled, divided
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

 

Get cookin’:

1. In a greased 3-qt. slow cooker, combine cream cheese, sour cream, mustard and garlic powder until smooth. Stir in Little Sumpin’, Rotel, cheese and all but 2 tablespoons bacon. Cook covered on low, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 3-4 hours.
2. Take a sip of yer Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’
3. In last 30 minutes, stir in heavy cream. Top with onion and remaining bacon. Serve with your preferred gooey-food-scooping edible apparatus.

 

CHEERS!