Guest Post by Patrick Huff/Beer & Football – A Thanksgiving Pairing: #Beer

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fiindingourwaynow.comAs you know, Patrick from “Crafty & The Beast” and I shared a post a little while back.  We had so much fun with the last blog post swap that we thought it would be great to do it again a few more times.  So here we are with our second swap, and it’s not to be our last… :-). Just like the last time, he has posted about beer pairings for Thanksgiving on my site, and I wrote about a really great sparkling wine on his.  If you take a moment and go to Patrick’s site, you will find my wine post about Chandon Brut Classic from Domaine Chandon of Napa Valley.

Now, I’ll let Patrick take it from here.

findingourwaynow.comEnjoying the games on Thanksgiving Day is a big deal for sports fans. It has been since 1920. The first game to be televised was November 22, 1956 when Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions 24-20.

It is no secret football and beer pair together as well as pumpkin pie and whipped cream. And it surely is easy to put down a few brews while snacking on that pre-turkey grub. But instead of drinking your mass produced light beer, try a full flavored low alcohol craft brew. This way you can stay sober and enjoy your suds.

Low ABV (alcohol by volume) beers are sometimes referred to as session beers, and these easy drinking brews are gaining popularity. Leave it to the little guys to produce a low ABV beer with full flavor. Session beers aren’t limited to just one style but all sorts of styles from Wheats to Stouts.

How is a session beer defined?  According to Beer Advocate, a session beer is no more than 5% ABV. Lew Bryson, a writer and session beer advocate, promotes session beers as 4.5% ABV or less. Believe it or not, there will be a Session Beer Day on April 7th, 2013.  But back to football…

I have decided to pair some local Session beers to quaff while rooting or screaming at your favorite Thanksgiving Day team.

Thanksgiving Lineup

    • Houston Texans at Detroit Lions
    • Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

findingourwaynow.comSanto:  A black lager using a Kolsch  recipe with Munich and black malt.   Bronze Medal, World Beer Cup, 2012.  At 4.7%, ABV Santo has a dark roasted but refreshing pallet.  If you manage to have room for dessert, the light roasted flavors will pair well with the sweetness and richness of a pumpkin pie.

Saint Arnold Brewery: Located on Lyons Ave, Houston, Texas is the oldest craft brewery in the Lone Star state. Saint Arnold offers 14 different beers, 7 year-round and 7 seasonal.

Houston Texans Trivia: Andre Johnson, wide receiver of the Houston Texans joins superstars Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens in the 10,000 receiving yards club.

Detroit Lions

findingourwaynow.comAtwater Dirty Blond:  Made with un-malted wheat, coriander, and orange peel. At 4.5 ABV, this ale is crisp and refreshing. Save one for the feast! The orange and coriander will compliment the roasted turkey and cranberry sauce.

Located in Detroit’s historic river town district, Atwater Brewery was founded in 1997 and brews a nice selection of craft findingourwaynow.comales and lagers.

Detroit Lions Trivia: In 1970, soul singer Marvin Gaye tried out for the Detroit Lions. Some Lions players sang backup on his hit song “What’s Going On?”

Washington Redskins

findingourwaynow.comPort City Optimal Wit:  I know, another wheat beer but hey, at only 5% ABV, you can celebrate the Redskins by drinking a few of the crisp and refreshing ale. Brewed with wheat and oats, spiced with coriander and grains of paradise.  Sweet potatoes will love to keep company with this citrusy, spicy brew.

Located at 3950 Wheeler Avenue in Alexandria, VA, Port City Brewery has established itself as a well-crafted supplier for the DC area and Mid-Atlantic region. Port City Brewery produces about four-year round ales as well as a few seasonals.

Redskins Trivia: “Ok, you hogs, let’s get running down there.” This is what Joe Bugel hollered out to his “chunky” offensive findingourwaynow.comline in 1982. The nickname was embraced and stayed with them to this day.

Dallas Cowboys

Rahr and Sons Texas Red.  A well balanced, lightly hopped amber lager with mild caramel flavor.  Drinks easily so you can relax without worrying about overdoing it unless you drink four an hour. Texas Red hits a respectable 4.5% ABV. Go Cowboys. Pair the amber lager with your beautiful roasted bird or a sausage stuffing.

findingourwaynow.comRahr and Sons reside on 701 Galveston Avenue Fort Worth, Texas. Rahr and Sons brews about 5000 barrels per year. As an award winner brewery, they primarily brew craft lagers and offer a few seasonal ales as well.

Dallas Cowboys Trivia: The Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving Day since 1960 and only missed 1975 and 1977.

 Now you can drink craft beer on turkey day and still enjoy the game, the food, and the in-laws.

I do hope you enjoyed what Patrick had to share.  We would love it if you took a moment to leave a comment or two and let us know what you think.  Oh, and don’t forget to check out my “Chandon Brut Classic Wine/Winery review” on Patrick’s site, as well.  While you’re there, check out some of the great things he has going on. Enjoy.

Now let’s get ready for Thanksgiving…

As always, what are some of your favorite wines (or beverages)?  I would love to hear and showcase your suggestions.

25 Comments

  1. Jon Jefferson

    I love session beers. Of course, being from Michigan I have to support Atwater brewery out of the ones you have chosen here.


    1. Hi Jon, Thanksgiving Day, foot ball and a good beer are the perfect combination. I do get that about Michigan. I’m more of a wine drinker, but I do love a good beer, as Patrick recommends, every now and then.

  2. Julie

    I’m not much of a beer drinker but some of these sound cool. I kinda agree that beer and football on Thanksgiving is a great pairing. Me, I’m more for the champagne choice. 🙂


    1. Hi Julie, I actually like both at different times. Sparkling wine for dinner and beer for football… LOL.


    2. It is amazing how many choices we now have. Something for everyone.


  3. Beer, football and Thanksgiving always go togher on Americian tv shows but I have often wondered if it was really like that so this post has answered that question

  4. Elizabeth Sott

    Susan, great guest post. I will admit that our family is not really football fans but I love the pairings. Great job Patrick.


    1. I’m not so much either, but my Husband is. So the beer pairings work well for both of us for different reason. 😀


  5. Sounds like anyone wanting to enjoy the football and have a great beer should follow Patrick’s suggestions. In my country beer has always been associated with football as well.


    1. Hi Susan, I would agree on both counts. I think beer and football are synonymous in most all countries. 🙂


  6. It’s quite a science! Amazing to see how many different kinds of brews are available. I wasn’t aware that there’s beer with low ABV…Nice information. Great post! Besides, who wants to risk filling up on fluids when there’s soooo much more to partake in.


    1. Hi Shirla, It really is, isn’t it? I do love the variety. I, like you, was not aware of a low ABV beer either. 🙂


  7. Interesting, I hadn’t heard of the “sessions” beers movement, but it makes sense because the goal of drinking beer isn’t always to get blitzed :). I’ve actually had Saint Arnolds a few times, they’re slowly trying to get into the New Orleans market… it’s good stuff.


    1. Hey There Dan, I hadn’t either, but that’s no surprise. I’m not much of a sports fan… LOL. I prefer wine over beer but I have to say, these do sound pretty darn good. 🙂

  8. Tope Olofin

    Nice, however, beer aint my thing, but I love the way pair the beer with the teams! Patrick is really talented, I must say


    1. Hi Tope, I hear you. I do like a good beer every now and then, but I do prefer a good wine if given the choice. 🙂


  9. What a fun idea! Great post for beer enthusiasts. I enjoyed the commentary about the local breweries “paired” with the football teams in town. Unfortunately, some fans are a little too enthusiastic about their beers. I don’t know about football teams, but many pro baseball and basketball teams stop the sale of beer at some point in the game. Maybe the concessions should sell more of the low-alcohol beer that Patrick recommends.


    1. Hi Jeannette, I agree with you. Patrick did such a nice job with this post.

      The sports fans can get out of hand at times and I can see why they would shut off the sale of alcohol at a certain point. I think your idea is a good one. Who knows, that may be in the future. 🙂


    2. The tricky thing is even too much of a little thing can be too much.

  11. Bill Boyer

    Instead of wearing your team’s slogans, try IFeel like a Beer. www,ifeeltees.com
    Susan, Pat W sent me.

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