The table is filled with countless casseroles, your grandma's stuffing and that fried turkey your uncle spent all afternoon with out in the backyard. Wondering what to drink when you're faced with such a spread? When Turkey Day finally rolls around on Nov. 24, skip the vino for what's sure to be your new favorite Thanksgiving tradition — seasonal beer.
To start out, avoid choosing a hoppy IPA or other bitter beer — the taste will clash with the sweet and earthy flavors of most Thanksgiving dishes. Instead, stick to styles like Belgians, Ambers and Winter Warmers to play on the flavor combinations found in classic sides.
In honor of returning home to celebrate family and give thanks, we're stocking our Thanksgiving beer guide with only Florida-made brews. Check out our picks and rep your hometown.
Tampa
Want something to balance out those casseroles and desserts? Reach for Cigar City's Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale, a rich brown ale that combines Cuban-style roasted espresso beans, sweet caramel and toffee with hints of dry nuttiness.
Or, if you're a pumpkin fan searching for something that matches the bliss of a slice of pumpkin pie, try the brewery's Good Gourd Imperial Pumpkin Ale, a fall-inspired brew that mixes Ceylon cinnamon, Jamaican all-spice, Zanzibar cloves and nutmeg.
Jacksonville
For a brew that balances notes of fruit with mild dark malts, try Intuition Ale Works' Quiet Storm, a special release Belgian Strong Dark Ale that is being made in celebration of the brewery's first birthday.
If you want something lighter to pair with, try Mercury's Wings, a lightly hopped, malty beer with a fruity yeast character.
Gainesville
Swamp Head's winter witbier, Hoe Hoe Hoe, was released Tuesday at a special brewery event and is now available for your Thanksgiving feast. Witbiers, often referred to as "white beers," are spiced Belgian-style ales with high wheat content and a kick of crisp carbonation. Hoe Hoe Hoe is a fine example of the style with a scramble of seasonal ingredients like cranberries, ginger and orange blossom honey to round out the best meal of the year.
For those not able to make the launch, the tasting room will be filling 32 oz. growlers of the seasonal brew from now until the day before Thanksgiving. For just $10 a growler, you can bet I'll be there to pick one up before I head home for turkey.
Have a beer you'd like to suggest for pairing? Comment or tweet me your top picks.
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Posts in Beer for Breakfast appear on Thursdays.
