The team at Wicked Weed Brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, is almost as passionate about food as they are about beer. When I asked Wicked Weed Head Chef Cardiff Creasey, Head Brewer Luke Dickinson, and PR/Marketing Director Abby Dickinson to share their suggestions for Thanksgiving food and beer pairings, they practically set the table for me. And then they suggested what might be the mother of all turkey-day pairings, the quintessential Thanksgiving food item, ironically one that doesn’t even get eaten until the next day: the leftover-turkey sandwich.
For many, the leftover-turkey sandwich means simplicity. It calls for white bread and maybe just a dash of salt and pepper. Keep it simple with the addition of a beer style that’s light, crisp, and refreshing: the pilsner. Brighten up the turkey’s earthy tones with a hops-forward pilsner such as Firestone Walker’s Pivo Pils or Left Hand Brewing Company’s Polestar Pilsner.
Another easy drinking, hops-forward beer style to pair with a leftover-turkey sandwich is the session IPA or American session ale, such as Wicked Weed’s Sir Ryan the Pounder.
Here are some session IPAs to try (from Editors’ Picks, Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine™, Issue 2, Summer 2014):
- Lagunitas Brewing (Petaluma, California) Daytime
- Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, California) Go To IPA
- Boulevard Brewing (Kansas City, Missouri) Pop-Up Session IPA
Beyond the basic turkey sandwich, the many renditions of this post-holiday meal make for a wide variety of beer pairings. Cheers to livening up your leftovers.
The BLT
Add smoky bacon, crisp lettuce, and fresh tomato to that turkey sandwich and pair it with a beer that’s complex enough to stand up to those flavors but still light and smooth in mouthfeel. Try it next to one of these dark lagers.
- Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner, Texas) Shiner Bock
- Full Sail Brewing Co. (Hood River, Oregon) Session Black
- Saranac/F.X. Matt Brewing Co. (Utica, New York) Saranac Black Forest
Open-Face Sandwich with Gravy
Re-create that Thanksgiving magic with an open-face sandwich smothered in gravy. Depending on your gravy choice, try these pairings.
With brown gravy, try one of these full-bodied brown ales to add the complexity of dry, nuttiness to the plate.
- Carolina Brewing Company (Holly Springs, North Carolina) Carolina Nut Brown Ale
- Shmaltz Brewing Company (Clifton Park, New York) He'Brew Messiah Nut Brown Ale
- Lagunitas Brewing (Petaluma, California, and Chicago, Illinois) Brown Shugga’ (while not considered a brown ale stylistically, this beer still fits the rich, nutty profile for this pairing)
An open-face sandwich with white gravy might just remind you of biscuits and gravy. Pair the dish with the sweetness and creaminess of these oatmeal stouts.
- Alaskan Brewing Company (Juneau, Alaska) Oatmeal Stout
- El Toro Brewing Co. (Morgan Hill, California) El Toro Negro Oatmeal Stout
- Big Choice Brewing (Broomfield, Colorado) #42 Poblano Stout
Turkey Sandwich With Cranberry Sauce
Turkey day relish becomes the ultimate condiment when added to a leftover-turkey sandwich, not to mention that it adds a sweet, zesty kick that yields endless beer pairings. Try it next to one of these refreshing farmhouse ales for a bright pairing.
- Jester King Brewery (Austin, Texas) Le Petit Prince
- Mystic Brewing (Chelsea, Massachusetts) Saison Renaud
- Upright Brewing (Portland, Oregon) Four
Photo: Cristie Guevara