Well friends, we’re quickly approaching the holiday season. All around us, the signs are there. You see people running around in a harried and hurried state – planning travel, parties, meals, and combinations of all those things. You’re probably more like us… aware that all of these things are happening, but mostly wondering what type of beer you should bring to your Thanksgiving meal. Don’t worry guys, we’re going to provide you with a fool-proof plan.

First of all, we’re assuming that you’ve got a long day of family and friends ahead of you. Thanksgiving is a multiple beer style kind of day. We’re going to break it down for you into the different blocks of time; pre-meal, main course, dessert, and night-cap.

Your pre-meal beer is the beer you’re going to start out with. It’s your football/parade watching beer, the beer you drink while stealing bites of food as you’re prepping it for later. For this, we’re suggesting you start with a lighter, easy drinking style such as a Pale Ale or a Saison. You’ll want something that’s light and refreshing… something that doesn’t linger for too long on the palette.

For your main course beer, we suggest a well-balanced beer. At Thanksgiving, the food is the star of the show, and choosing a well-balanced beer like a Brown Ale or a Red Ale will compliment your feast. These beers aren’t too malty and they aren’t too hoppy. They can contribute some complimentary nutty and bready characters to the mean. They’ll add to your enjoyment of your meal without being overpowering.

When you get to your dessert beer, or pie beer, we’re suggesting you go for a Porter, Stout, or an English Style Barleywine. The Stouts and Porters will bring out the sweetness with their roasty chocolate notes. The English Style Barleywine brings out hints of toffee and caramel. You can’t go wrong with any of these as you dive into your pies.

Finally, as you’re working on cleaning up the kitchen- or relaxing in your post-meal bliss, we think you’ve earned one last beer. The night-cap is not the time to go light… this is your high-alcohol beer. We’re suggesting you go with a Imperial Stout – preferably barrel aged. A nice beer to sip on as the night winds down. Not only is this the perfect way to end your day, but we’re almost guaranteeing a good night’s sleep.

Now that we’ve armed you with a style plan, we’re anxious to hear what specific beers you’ll bring with you to your Thanksgiving! We’d love to see your picks and your pics on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Bonus points if you share them in your awesome Trek Brewing pint glass!

Happy Thanksgiving Friends! Cheers!