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.