Home's a Brewin': Give Thanks for Beer

Photo by John Anderson

Thanksgiving commemorates the rosy twilight after a rough arrival for our country's first immigrants. For the first time, with neighborly help from the locals, the pilgrims could dare to imagine a bright future here. I love to remember my country this way, with a table full of food from very different cultures, blessed with prayers of gratitude to their respective gods. Thanksgiving, therefore, is a food holiday, though water would hardly cut through the bounty.

The drink recommendations under each recipe enrich the flavors of the food, rather than overshadow them. Yogi, the spiced amber by Rogness, for example, tastes like a gingerbread cookie. Its cardamom notes washing over the turnips will feel like eating a Christmas ornament – in a great way. Jester King's sour saison Das Wunderkind! brightens the Asian dumpling sauce. The Pecan Porter from (512) Brewing dovetails on the savoriness of the turkey and pecan stuffing just as Karbach's double IPA Bodacious showcases the casserole's ample cheesiness. Independence Brewing Co.'s ale, Bootlegger Brown, deepens the sweetness of desserts.

These beers have little in common with each other, which is probably like the cornucopia of palates you'll be accommodating if you are having more than two people over for Thanksgiving. How do you please everyone while keeping your gratitude? Simplify your shopping, and stock up on wildly different drinks, including the ones that are only sold in growlers like Circle Brewing Co.'s amber ale Envy and its wheat beer, Blur. To make sure you don't overbuy, multiply the number of guests times the number of hours your gathering will last, minus one sobering hour. Heavy with Thanks­giving fare, people won't be able to drink much more than one drink per hour. (Find more info on calculating on our food blog, austinchronicle.com/blogs/food.)

Thank you, Austin, for being a welcoming city. This Thanksgiving, keep calm and be grateful.