Holiday season is here, so it is time to gear up for parties, food, and of course booze. When pairing things with food, most people think it is time to bring out the wine, but we beer lovers know that it is the perfect opportunity to bring out our favorite beers to share with friends and family over a great meal. When done right, beer actually pairs better with food than wine. The key is to match intensities, flavor profiles, or pair contrasting flavor elements. Here are some of my favorite beers to bring in the Christmas holiday with.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Celebration Ale – Fresh Hop IPA
Celebration Ale by Sierra Nevada is the perfect beer to start your Holiday with. This fresh hopped IPA is a lighter beer with bold aroma and flavor so it pairs well with all appetizers, sides, and snacks. While most holiday beers are sweet and full of spices, this new take on the seasonal style is citrus and pine forward featuring cascade, centennial, and chinook hops.
Brewery Ommegang Hennepin – Farmhouse Saison
Keeping things on the lighter side, Hennepin by Brewery Ommegang is favorite of mine to pair with holiday celebrations. This Belgian Inspired American Farmhouse Saison is another beer that complements snacks before the big meal, including cheeses, charcuterie, shellfish and anything spicy. This beer is complex yet drinkable, spiced yet balanced, champagne like with a crisp dry finish. Hennepin is moderately hoppy and contains rich flavors of spicy yeast, honey, ginger, toasted grain, and peppery spice. Although this is a beer that I gravitate toward this time of year, it is available year round for your enjoyment.
Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas Ale – Holiday Ale
Tis the season for this delicious Winter Ale. Great Lakes Christmas is Holiday Ale brewed with honey and notes of cinnamon and ginger flavors. While most Christmas Ales are not what I would gravitate toward when pairing with a meal, this beer pairs perfectly with various cheeses, preferably goat cheese and roasted dishes. Great Lakes created a perfectly balanced Christmas Ale that has tons of caramel notes that balance out the spices. The 6-time medal winning seasonal ale comes in at a 7.5% abv.
Weihenstephaner Korbinian – Doppelbock
Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock is a beer that I have to grab whenever I see it, so of course I want to enjoy it while celebrating with loved ones. Packed with a lot of flavor, but still being very well balanced makes this beer perfect to enjoy with a meal. The flavor profile features dark fruits like plums and figs, as well as a dark malt that has toffee, chocolate, and nutty notes. The full bodied beer pairs well with smoked meat, fish, and poultry. This doppelbock comes in w 16.9oz bottle, so it is perfect for sharing.
Brasserie de Rochefort Trappistes Rochefort 10 - Belgian Quadrupel
Rochefort 10 is a Belgian Quad that features very rich flavors, a malt backbone, and high alcohol content while remaining to be very well balanced. I’ve noticed that a lot of Quads can be simply too sweet or don’t have enough malt or carbonation, while this beer was crafted perfectly. I decided to add another Belgian to the mix since they pair so well with food. This being a bigger beer than the farmhouse saison makes it pair better with heavier meals. Rochefort 10 is available in 11.2 oz bottles and carry an 11.3% abv. This beer has been around since the 1950s, but still remains as one of the most sought after beers that is readily available.
Lagunitas Brewing Company Willettized Coffee Stout - Imperial Stout
What is the perfect way to end a big meal than to have a great cup of coffee, dessert, or a night cap…well this beer checks all boxes. Willettized Coffee Stout is an imperial stout by Laugunitas Brewing Company. This stout is a coffee stout aged in barrels from Willett distillery. The barrels take Lagunitas already amazing imperial coffee stout to another level, featuring boozy warmth with flavors of vanilla, caramel, fig, chocolate, roast, and moderate hops. This big beer has the perfect amount of spice and sweetness and clocks in at a 12.9% abv. This beer is seasonal and comes with a great price point, so it will great ending to your night without hurting your pockets.