Thanksgiving is filled with flavor. Seasoned turkey, savory sides, and indulgent desserts fill our plates. And while most people think about what craft beer to serve alongside all those flavors, there’s an even better way to bring it to the table – in your Thanksgiving recipes!
At The Growler Guys, we’re all about the creativity, nuance, and bold character of craft beer. And we know that Thanksgiving is the perfect time to capitalize on those qualities. Cooking with craft beer works to deepen flavors, tenderize meats, and add complexity to classic holiday dishes. Whether you’re brand new to cooking with beer or you’re looking to experiment with some fresh combinations, keep reading for ideas to level up this year’s holiday spread.
Why Cook with Craft Beer in Your Thanksgiving Recipes
Craft beer brings three things to the kitchen: flavor, body, and balance.
Flavor: Hop-forward IPAs add notes of citrus or pine, while malty ambers and browns add a caramel depth, and dark stouts bring a rich chocolate flavor.
Body: Beer can alter the texture of your dishes, making sauces silkier and breads fluffier.
Balance: Bitterness cuts sweetness, sweetness tempers spice, and carbonation helps cleanse the palate.
Five Holiday Recipes to Try
Just like choosing the right wine, the beer you pick to use in your Thanksgiving recipes matters. Brewmasters create beers with layers of character, and using them in recipes lets you tap into that artistry. Here are five ideas to get you started.
1. Beer-Brined Turkey
A craft beer brine can help transform the star of the show. The beer’s carbonation helps tenderize the meat while the malts and hops work to season your bird from the inside out. If you typically roast your turkey uncovered for the last hour, the sugars in the beer help give it a beautifully browned, slightly caramelized skin.
The best beer styles to use for your turkey brine are pilsners, wheat beers, and brown ales. A pilsner brine is clean and crisp, perfect for highlighting herbs like sage and thyme. A wheat beer brine adds citrus and spice notes. Using a brown ale for your turkey brine deepens the savory flavor without overwhelming the meat.
2. IPA Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is known for being bright and tart, and adding a hop-forward IPA kicks it up a notch. The IPA’s grapefruit, orange, or tropical notes enhance the cranberries’ fruitiness while also cutting through their natural sweetness.
To include craft beer in this classic Thanksgiving recipe, simmer your cranberries with sugar, orange zest, and about half a can of your favorite IPA. As it reduces, the beer’s bitterness mellows, leaving a subtle citrusy complexity that guests will notice but not quite be able to identify. This is one of those recipes that quickly becomes a secret family recipe.
3. Stout Gravy
If you like rich, silky gravy, a pour of milk, oatmeal, or chocolate stout is your best friend. Stouts bring notes of roasted coffee, cocoa, and toasted malt that enhance the turkey pan drippings. The beer reduces into the gravy, adding depth without turning it bitter. Serve it once, and you’ll never go back to plain stock again.
4. Amber Ale Stuffing
Stuffing is where you can really have fun using beer in your Thanksgiving recipes. Amber and red ales are your best bets, as they add warm caramel notes that pair perfectly with sausage, sage, onions, and rustic bread.
To make the stuffing, use the amber or red ale for part (or all) of the liquid when softening your bread. The ale’s maltiness creates a deep, comforting backbone, and the hops keep everything from tasting too heavy, taking your stuffing to a whole new level of comfort food.
5. Porter Pumpkin Pie or Cheesecake
Beer in dessert? Absolutely. Porters (especially porters with vanilla, coffee, or maple notes) elevate pumpkin-flavored desserts by adding a subtle roasted sweetness. Add a splash to your pie filling or cheesecake batter to make the spices bloom. You can also reduce the beer into a syrupy drizzle for the top. Either way, the flavor payoff is huge.
Swing By The Growler Guys for the Perfect Thanksgiving Beers
Ready to take your Thanksgiving dinner up a notch? Head to your local Growler Guys. With our extensive rotating tap list, you can explore seasonal brews, discover new styles, and find inspiration for your holiday menu. Whether you’re experimenting for the first time or perfecting a signature holiday recipe, our certified Beer Stewards will have no problem helping you find the right beer. Stop in, grab a growler (or two), and bring a little craft beer magic to your Thanksgiving recipes.
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