DRAFT Magazine

The holiday season is here and in full-swing. It’s likely that you’re planning a trip to see the family and stressing about last-minute shopping that needs to happen before the big meal and gift exchanges. With that in mind I wanted to take a moment to share some holiday beer ideas worth exploring.

The Holiday Dinner

First, let’s talk about dinner. Pairing a good beer with a meal is not rocket-science, but there are some essential rules to observe. If your family is making a baked ham, for instance, you likely won’t want to pull out that special bottle of Double IPA, the citrusy and spicy hops just won’t complement the meal. Instead, look for a bottle of doppelbock that is made locally, or even imported from Germany. I personally love the Celebrator Doppelbock with glazed ham, the caramel sweetness of the beer really draws out the buttery and sugary flavors of the meat and scrubs the palate between bites. There’s some wonderful domestics available too, like the special edition put out by Full Sail for their 21st anniversary — a truly splendid beer with a brighter peppery hop flavor than those from Europe. If doppelbocks aren’t readily available this is also a great time to pick up a well-crafted barleywine, but know what you’re buying as many American Barleywines can have more hop flavors than a double IPA. Here I’d suggest an English version, like J.W. Lees Harvest, Weyerbacher’s Blithering Idiot, or Heavy Seas‘ Below Decks. All of these beers will make a glazed ham meal more appealing and will lead to beery conversations with others at the table.

But what if you’re having turkey? Here hops are more appropriate, as turkey is more savory, especially if stuffed with herbs and aromatics. Bring a few bottles to the table for this and experiment a little; see how the hops in a Belgian Tripel compare to an American IPA or a German Pilsner. There is a misconception out there that Belgians don’t use a lot of hops in their beer, but try a Westmalle with a bite of turkey and see if you can’t detect the lemony bite that accompanies the beer. On the same token, a fresh pilsner with a poppy hops like are found in Trumer Pils will really draw out the herbs and spices of the bird. Finally, bring out the West Coast IPA from Green Flash or Bell’s Two Hearted Ale and find a new appreciation for the woody, resinous hop notes within. Be warned though, a big American IPA may not complement the side dishes as well as other styles listed, so put out extra glasses if you can.

There are a few styles that will complement both meals, like Belgian Dubbels and even a dunkelweizen. The Dubbel, of course, is a safer bet as the rich, sweet, and spicy components are enough to wow even the most hard to please in your family. Bring out an Ommegang or Flying Fish and impress your father-in-law, even if only for a second. Dunkelweizens are a bit trickier, but if you have a bird that has been smoked (or fish, for that matter) you’ll really want to take a sip of a fresh Bavarian dunkel — the smokiness that it can pull out is astounding, all thanks to the yeast’s phenols that are typically described as clove. There are a few great imports to choose from, Weihenstephaner and Hopf come to mind, with some domestic versions popping up at places including Chicago and Missouri.