11/19/07 By Chris Johnston

It's turkey time!  My family has always had a huge spread and we have a great time during the holidays.  In addition to the food, of course, there are the beverages -- great bottles of wine, sodas and the usual beers: Budweiser, Coors, Heineken and maybe Corona.  This year, Karolyn and I are hosting the festivities so I decided to find some better, more seasonal beers for this glorious Thanksgiving Day.

I found some seasonal beers that I haven't tried before: Samuel Adam's OctoberFest Lager and Winter Lager, New Belgium's 2 Below, Gordon Biersch's WinterBock and Anchor Brewing Company's Old Foghorn.  They all turned out to be good in their own right and perhaps have a little more alcohol than the typical beer.

Samuel Adams OctoberFest lager.  Clear, crisp golden red-brown color with a clean, dry scent – with every drink, the flavors are carried through beautifully.  I really enjoyed this one.

Samuel Adams Winter Lager. A nice warm creamy texture with a mild aroma. In short, a hoppy beer with a good finish.

New Belgium's 2 Below Ale.  Clean, bitter smell to start but a good blend of spices and fruit with warm, fun, fruity finish.

Gordon Biersch Brewing Company's WinterBock Dark Double Bock Lager, is a clear, dark red pour, with a slightly burnt smell, which was very inviting.  A rich creamy malt finish with a hint of chocolate…fabulous.

Anchor Brewing Company's Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale, is the strongest of the group with 8.8% alcohol.  Bitter smell with a hint of fruit.  A very cool silky finish.

If you’re feeling bold this year, be a little more seasonal with your beer selections.  The turkey and stuffing will match well with Gordon Biersch's Winter Bock.  The big taste will pair very well with turkey no matter how it’s prepared.  If a darker beer isn't your thing, you won't go wrong with Samuel Adam's OctoberFest.  The blend of spices go very well with turkey too.

Then comes dessert.  Take a couple deep breaths, you can do it.  Anchor Brewing's Old Foghorn with apple pie or pumpkin pie.... WOW!  New Belgium's 2 Below is another great Thanksgiving dessert beer too.

This Thanksgiving start a new tradition:  get your beer and then pick up one you never tried before. I wish you, your family and friends a very safe and Hoppy Thanksgiving!  And remember please don't drink and drive.  Or better yet, be a good host and have bedrooms ready.

Links:
Samuel Adams
New Belgium
Gordon Biersch
Anchor Brewing