#monarchbeverage

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Cheers to Local Beers!

Cheers to my first release being picked up by the Indy Star.

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Feast Your Eyes on This - Beer & Wine Thanksgiving Pairings

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!

For me, that means seemingly bottomless servings of turkey, ham, stuffing, green beans, bread, mashed potatoes & pie.

For my mom and grandma, that means hours of planning, shopping & cooking.

Since I am in Indianapolis, and they are in NW Indiana, I thought I’d offer them, and you, a little help from afar.

So, mom, grandma, followers, here are my holiday drink pairing selections. You are welcome. 

First, I’ll talk beer. In my opinion, beer isn’t served enough during Thanksgiving. And with so many styles and tastes, it’s a shame. So, make sure to pick up one of these beers to go along with your feast.

Traditional Turkey – Pair your turkey with an amber ale or lager. My suggestion? Check out Bell’s Amber Ale or Sam Adams Lager. The carbonation will cleanse your palate!

Ham – Wash your ham down with Newcastle or Chimay Premiere. Newcastle brown ale adds a sweeter side to the ham, while Chimay Premiere adds a more fruity taste to it! Both are WONDERFUL pairings.

Pumpkin pie – Enjoy your pumpkin pie while trying great winter seasonal brews. I’d suggest New Belgium Snow Day or Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale. The sweet malty flavors of these brew goes perfectly with the taste of pumpkin pie.

(Yikes, this is making me hungry.)

Now on to the more popular holiday selection, wine. While there isn’t one wine you MUST have

with dinner, traditionally, Pinot Noir and Riesling are the red and white pairings for Thanksgiving.

Soft, fruit forward wines pair well with both the meats as well as the accompaniments like sweet potatoes and cranberries.

A few specific suggestions for your dinner are:

Pinot Noir – Red Rock Pinot Noir & MacMurray Pinot Noir

Riesling – Clean Slate Riesling

If you’re looking for a way to break out of the traditional mold, I’d suggest trying a sparkling wine. The carbonation will cleanse your palate and it pairs well with many foods. Try LaMarca Proscesso.

So, happy early Thanksgiving! Let the responsible drinking begin!