Colorado Beers to Pair with Thanksgiving

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With Thanksgiving coming up, we’re thinking about drink pairings that will elevate a grand meal around the table. Colorado beer, with its bold, hoppy or malty flavors, make excellent pairings for the holiday feast. Below, we’ve rounded up a few from some of our favorite Colorado breweries that can be enjoyed while you’re prepping the bird, eating the stuffing, or digesting the dessert. In other words, these brews will get you through the day, no matter what topics come up around the table

Goat Patch Brewing Co.

This Colorado Springs brewery started the same way a lot of great businesses do: a few good friends with a common passion sitting around a table dreaming about the future. They wanted to build a brand based on three core values: balanced brews, community engagement, and adventure. And then they decided to name it after head brewer Darren Baze’s beard. And whatever Baze and his team are doing is working. Goat Patch has a growing number of accolades attached to its brews, including a few medals from GABF. At the brewpub, Goat House not only offers a stellar selection of quality beers but also a variety of events, like brewhouse tours, game nights, goat yoga, and a bunch of philanthropic events. Here’s what they have on tap for the holiday:

Tart Cranberry Ale

Releasing on Friday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. Goat Patch’s version of a draft-only holiday beer is this tart, refreshing ale made with orange peel and lots of cranberries. This beer was created to pair with large family meals that are perfect for the upcoming holiday season. ABV: 6.1%.

Horse & Dragon Brewing Co.

This small brewery makes a wide variety of very delicious craft beers, with as many as 12 pouring on any given day at the Tasting Room in Fort Collins. The family-owned and -run independent craft brewery was founded in 2014 by a craft-beer-loving couple who turned their dream into a community reality. As of July 2022, H&D brewers have created over 220 unique beers and brewed over 1,200 batches. And they’ve got some delicious stuff to pair with your stuffing this year.

Winter Lights

Bid farewell to autumn and welcome winter with this full-flavored, complex winter warmer. Sweet and spicy aromas of candied orange, citrus and spice start this beer off with a bang. As you sip, pleasant hop bitterness and spicy rye flavors temper initial caramel and alcohol sweetness. Full-flavored yet smooth-drinking, this winter warmer lives up to the style’s name, keeping you rosy-cheeked through any weather a Colorado winter can concoct! ABV: 8.1%

LUKI Brewery

This family- and dog-friendly brewery located in Arvada centers itself on a circus theme. LUKI brewer and co-owner Jeffrey Smith has family ties to the Ringling Bros during the golden age of the circus in the 1920s, and the brewery’s vibe and its beers honor that connection in all sorts of fun, unexpected ways. The seasonal brown ale offering is no exception.

Grammy’s Pumpkin Pie

Available now, this seasonal 6.5% ABV brown ale uses a hand-blended spice blend from an old family recipe, as well as roasted butternut squash with brown sugar and lots of pumpkin puree, that will remind you of your favorite family gatherings and Grandma’s awesome pies.

Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co.

This small brewery and taproom in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood makes world-class beer using local ingredients whenever possible. OMF opened in 2012 with the goal of creating community, forging relationships with Colorado hop and barley growers and leading OMF into offering as many 100% Colorado-grown beers as possible, so you can add something locally grown and brewed to your holiday table.

Centennial Weirding Way

OMF’s Weirding Way series features a foeder-fermented brett Saison that showcases a different hop for each release. This version is dry-hopped with Centennial, to provide notes of funky, candied lemon and a dry finish. Centennial Weirding Way releases at OMF on Wednesday, Nov. 23 so that you can snag a 500-milliliter bottle to enjoy during Thanksgiving. The beer will also be available on draft.

Porch Pumpkin

For those that need something a bit more substantial as their choice of beverage around the dinner table, OMF’s Porch Pumpkin should do the trick! This Imperial Porter is brewed with pumpkin and vanilla bean that will pair perfectly pre- or post-meal. It’s available now in 16-ounce cans and on draft. 8.8% ABV.

Stem Ciders

This craft cidery is known for its adventurous exploration of flavors, and its seasonal offering will alter your perception of how fruit-based beverages can taste.

Carrot Ginger Turmeric

Looking for a lighter, less filling cider to pair with Thanksgiving dinner? Stem Ciders’ Carrot Ginger Turmeric rings in at only 100 calories and zero grams of sugar per 12-ounce can. Perfect for pairing with the best part of Thanksgiving, the sides, CGT includes carrot juice, ginger juice, and turmeric spice- ingredients found in popular healthy juice combinations. This botanical blend of juices is joined by Stem’s meticulously fermented dry cider base resulting in an incredibly refreshing apple cider featuring carrot sweetness, earthy and spicy turmeric, and a zing of ginger. Buy the cider here.

WeldWerks Brewing Co.

Do you enjoy your dessert in liquid form? Look no further than two of WeldWerks’ dessert-like beers.

Peach Pie

Tastes just like the real thing. This sour ale is brewed with peach puree, graham cracker, cinnamon, milk sugar, and vanilla. It’s available on draft and in 16-ounce cans. ABV: 5.1%.

Little Man Salted Oreo

This is an indulgent, creamy 6.5% ABV stout brewed with Little Man Ice Cream’s signature Salted Oreo ice cream, Oreos, vanilla, milk, sugar, and a touch of sea salt that brings the beer-version of the ice cream to life.

Featured photo credit: WeldWerks Brewing Co.