The yearly "what beer to have with the turkey" post

Duvel comes to mind.

It probably comes to mind, because it is in the glass in front of me, but it would go zestfully with turkey, sublimely with stuffing, and rainbow effervescently with cranberry.

Katherine Wolfe ( snipped-for-privacy@aracnet.com) wrote: : : Hi guys - : : Being a recent convert to the wonders of beer, this will be my first : Thanksgiving where I'll want to serve beer with the turkey, stuffing, etc. : So, I was wondering what suggestions everyone would have for what beer(s) to : serve? :

I'd recommend Chimay Grand Reserve -- it's full flavored yet light enough to go well with a bird.

Read this first:

A nice malty Octoberfest.

Brian

Victory Prima Pils for appetizers, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale for Dinner & Boonville Oatmeal Stout for desert. Leo

Doppelbock with turkey. Caramelized melanoidiny malts meld right in with the dry meat and caramelized/roasted skin. Oktoberfest/Marzen works well too.

On Christmas when I'll go with a standing rib roast, I go for something like Fuller's Vintage Ale.

Nice story but I don't understand the conclusion! He should follow the advice of those he asked, and go with something malty like the Ofest or low-in-hop porter. Even a quality cider as recommended there at the end, would be nice. I don't think he'll be satisfied with the choice of pilsner.

Okay, here's a story with a happier, beery conclusion:

Personally I'd go for one of the Indian brews - Kingfisher or Cobra. Not too gassy, good flavour (for a lager), and good enough to stay on for the rest of the day. For afters maybe one of the dark French/Belgian offerings - Leffe perhaps, or better still Ch'ti Brune.

Here's what one Baltimore-area sales agent and former brewer sent out:

"As to a choice, I steer from Abbey-styles, hop-happy Americans, and weizens. They are too potent for the poor turkey, leaving it left behind in the flavor trub pile.

So, I champion Belgian Saison - an untraditional choice, Saison usually being a summer ale. But its ur-wheatiness, gentle fermentation character, hints of citrus fruits, and subtle spice bring interest to the bird without stealing from the meal. It delivers contrast to the traditional side dishes of cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and, in my household, kugel. And its somewhat higher alcohol (in the 6-8% range) accommodatingly cooperates with turkey's post-meal tryptophan induced euphoria.

My favorite selections are Saison Dupont, La Chouffe, and Ommegang's Hennepin, in that order.

If I were forced to slum it, and drink wine with the feast, I'd open a good Austrian Gruner Veltliner. (This was recommended to me last year by Mitchell Pressman of Baltimore's Chesapeake Wine Company.) A delightful white with turkey, it's similar to Riesling but spicier and richer.

But again, the better mate with the meal would be beer.

Brewer/writer Garrett Oliver calls it the "flavor hook". It's the toasted, biscuity, caramel, and browned flavors which are all inherent to beer and to many cooked foods.

So, continuing, a hearty alternative choice for a turkey beer would be a complex Flemish Red: simultaneously tart and sweet, bringing cherry fruit, oaky vanilla, buttery malt, mineral, and spice. The acidity enlivens the bird (even as it lies dormant on the plate) while the cherry fruitiness mates well with the sweet accoutrements.

Here: Rodenbach (if you can find it now that Palm has hidden it from distribution), Verhaegge's Duchesse de Bourgogne, or even Liefman's Goudenband (though this would be more accurately described as a Belgian Sour Brown).

If you must, the wine world's answer to a Belgian red would be Moulin-a-Vent Beaujolais (or other cru Beaujolais) or a Burgundy Passetoutgrain, a zesty cepage of Pinot Noir and Gamay. Beaujolais' combination of sweet red cherry fruit and high acidity is ideal for the bland turkey. It's an underpriced wine as well.

And yes, I've, personally, resolutely, followed this beer-only course of action. And yes, the beer invariably resides only in front of me. The prophet may preach in the desert, but he is not thirsty!

For post-toughing, I sip a sweet, strong, Dragon Stout. (The late, glossy, "Beer, The Magazine" once published an article recommending sweet stout as the only beer that could compete with and complement a good cigar.)

As well, I've drunk German Neuzeller Klosterbrau's wacky, low alcohol (3.4%) Black Abbot to while away the food haze. It's dark and sweet, laced with lactose like a milk stout, and very roasty.

Working for Legends, Ltd. as I do, I would be remiss if I failed to mention Heather Ale.

To quote beer cookbook author Susan Nowak: "Fraoch Heather Ale is flavoured with ling and bell heads of heather in full bloom

-12 litres in every barrel to produce this distinctive floral and herbal, delicate beer, wonderful for both cooking and sipping."

She has a recipe for Grouse Seared in Heather Ale and Honey but it appears as if this would work well with turkey.

She recommends marinating the bird with Heather Ale and then making gravy with the beer: "Stir plain flour into remaining fat/juices in the roasting tin and cook for a minute. Slowly stir in about 1/2 pint reserved beer stock to make smooth, slightly thickened gravy. Strain into a clean pan and reheat gently, adding a little heather honey, just enough to flavour the gravy without smothering the gamey taste." "

Alexander D. Mitchell IV ( snipped-for-privacy@bcpl.net) wrote: : : Here: Rodenbach (if you can find it now that Palm has hidden it : from distribution), Verhaegge's Duchesse de Bourgogne, or even : Liefman's Goudenband (though this would be more accurately : described as a Belgian Sour Brown). :

Duchesse de Bourgogne is more adequately classified as an Oud Bruin. A good bottle would be a wonderful accompaniment to the main course of a traditional turkey dinner. Beware, though -- I've been having an affair with the Duchesse for quite a while and she's a bit unpredictable. There is always a good deal of sourness but this beer seems to go vinegary as well. It's inconsistent, even when opening two bottles at the same time from the same 4-pack. If Forest Gump's mother had been a beer geek she'd have told him "Life is like a case of Duchesse." Of course, I'm getting Duchesse after a long trip to California -- YMMV, esp those of you lucky enough to live in Belgium!

Alexander D. Mitchell IV ( snipped-for-privacy@bcpl.net) wrote: : : She recommends marinating the bird with Heather Ale and then : making gravy with the beer: "Stir plain flour into remaining : fat/juices in the roasting tin and cook for a minute. Slowly : stir in about 1/2 pint reserved beer stock to make smooth, : slightly thickened gravy. Strain into a clean pan and reheat : gently, adding a little heather honey, just enough to flavour : the gravy without smothering the gamey taste." " :

I do this reqularly with Cantillon Geueze or Rose de Gambrinus using medallions of chicken or veal.

Marinate the meat overnight in the beer -- optionally add a bit of balsamico and / or soy sauce to the marinade but it should be 90% Lambic,

-- then lightly dredge the meat with a combination of flour, sage, thyme and marjoram. Optionally, add a tiny hint of mint, basil and red chile powder. Pan fry the medallions in grapeseed oil (extra virgin olive oil will do fine as well) and then lift the pieces out of the pan leaving the oil behind. Use the leftover flour/spice mix to make a roux with the oil that is left in the pan and then add in the beer from the marinade to make a nice smooth gravy. Mushrooms can be added to the gravy if you want to.

I experiment with this recipe and consistently change the nuance, but the dominant flavor always comes from the Lambic.

Thanks for all the great suggestions for beers to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. After some consideration, I've realized that I really can't decide what to serve - so I went to our local beer store, Belmont Station, and grabbed one bottle each of this rather long list of beers:

Weihenstaphaner Hefe-Weissbier Ayinger Marzen Paulaner Oktoberfest

Alaskan Smoked Porter Celebration Ale Rogue Honey Cream Ale

Hoegaarden Wittekerk N.B. Sunshine

Duchesse de Bourgogne Reinaert Flemish Amber Ale

La Fin du Monde

Corsendonk Dark Westmalle Double N. B. Abbey

Vapeur Cochonnette Petrus Oak-Aged Dark

*Ommegang

Chimay Cinq Cents N.B. Trippel

*Tripel Karmeliet

N. B. Frambozen

*Rogue Morimoto Hazelnut Transatlantique Kriek Lindeman Cassis

I have to admit I'm indulging myself in a bit of Bacchanalian revelry with this list, since they're all beers I like, or have wanted to try. I don't think we'll really get through all these beers, but it'll sure be fun trying. ;-)

Katherine

I just had my first bottle of Duchesse this past weekend, and it had a distinct taste of balsalmic vinegar along with everything else that was going on. Is this what you're talking about? If that was an "off" bottle, I can't wait to get my hands on a good bottle, because that was a true peak beer experience. ;-)

Katherine

: > Duchesse de Bourgogne is more adequately classified as an Oud Bruin. A : > good bottle would be a wonderful accompaniment to the main course of a : > traditional turkey dinner. Beware, though -- I've been having an affair : > with the Duchesse for quite a while and she's a bit unpredictable. There : > is always a good deal of sourness but this beer seems to go vinegary as : > well. : : I just had my first bottle of Duchesse this past weekend, and it had a : distinct taste of balsalmic vinegar along with everything else that was : going on. Is this what you're talking about? If that was an "off" bottle, : I can't wait to get my hands on a good bottle, because that was a true peak : beer experience. ;-) :

I never used the word "off" - I just think it's inconsistent. The vinegary flavor will always be there but the overall flavor profile definitely varies from bottle to bottle. I expect some will taste better than others and I'd love to hear from you after a few months go by to find out if you've been able to duplicate that "peak beer experience" or if you're consuming bottle after bottle in an attempt to do so.

The rest of your list is awesome. Sounds like a superb Thanksgiving dinner.

The bottle we had yesterday was a little bit different than the one I had last weekend. Not better or worse, just different. A bit less of the musty flavor, a bit more sour, but still very nice, and went fabulously with the chestnut soup we had for a first course.

We had a great time. Started off with Hoegaarden Wit to get warmed up, and the Duchesse with the soup. We split a bottle of Saison DuPont that I picked up at the last minute with the turkey, then switched to the Westmalle Double when that ran out. I think the Saison Dupont went wonderfully - it had enough effervescence and hop bite to stand up to the gravy and green bean casserole, but was light and fruity enough to play well with the turkey breast. The Westmalle Double was a bit darker, but that also worked, and would do a bit better, I think, with the dark meat.

After a bit of a break, we had the Morimoto Hazelnut with walnut pie and ice cream for dessert. Then we split the small bottle of Transatlantique Kriek, which was wonderful, but those first couple of sips were a real shock after all the sweetness of the pie. Probably I would have gone with a Lindemans Kriek or Framboise here instead because it would have been a bit less radical change but would still have made that emphatic "we're done eating for now" statement.

Much later, after the company had gone, my partner and I split the bottle of Vapeur Cochonette with some aged gouda and crackers while watching the cast commentary track to LOTR Two Towers.

There were a lot of beers we didn't get to, but that only leaves more for later! ;-)

Katherine

For at least the last 5-10 years, my turkey beer has been Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. The main reason is that I like it and it is released every year in the weeks before Thanksgiving, but I also think it's strong and hoppy enough to stand up to typical rich Thanksgiving fare, yet not so rich, malty, and strong to be overbearing.

Well, after several recommendations, I'm going to try this. I'm still working my way into the hoppier ales, but I had a Rogue Jubelale a few weeks ago and liked it, so I might be okay with the Celebration Ale, too.

Thanks again, everyone, for the suggestions, I appreciate it.

Katherine

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 12:48:24 -0600, snipped-for-privacy@voodoochile.org spoke thusly:

Not only did I drink it with my turkey, I basted the turkey in it this year. Came out real nice -- the most noticeable effect was a hoppy turkey, but that was a good thing!