A Toast!
To all the people and things that make us happy to be alive. Cheers!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s hard not to enjoy a day dedicated to eating and drinking with people we love to show how grateful we are for what we have. Rather than travel this year, I’m hosting a potluck with friends, including some fellow homebrewers. Even though I was saving a special bottle of wine to share, the reality is that we’re a beer-focused group. Beer will be the beverage of choice. But in true potluck style, we have no theme so we’ll be enjoying a variety of commercial and home brews, drinker’s choice.
Normally, I’m a big fan of doing at least a bit of pairing. Thanksgiving is also a great time to introduce non-beer drinkers to the variety within craft beers. There are already a number of good articles available on how to pair beers with the traditional Thanksgiving meal, and I don’t feel the need to weigh in this year. Here are a few articles I found interesting, but let me know how you choose (and what you’re drinking this year).
- A local beer director’s practical advice on how to select beer or wine
- Local beer experts provide different perspectives on pairing
- Cider vs. beer, plus some great tips for selecting the right flavor profile
- Incorporate beer into your menu
I also love how a few local businesses are joining in on the celebration. Many of the local breweries opened for growler hours today to ensure the community could enjoy their local beer of choice as part of the feasts. A few bars are also open tomorrow evening, offering specials and, in one case, an inexpensive Thanksgiving dinner as a thank you to customers.
No matter how you celebrate or what you eat and drink, remember that Thanksgiving is for enjoying what and who we have in our lives. So relax, have a homebrew (or not), tell your loved ones you love them, eat what you like (and as much as you like), watch the game (or don’t), and be thankful for what you have and what you love. Happy Thanksgiving!