beer pairing

Beers to Serve at Thanksgiving

November 22, 2015 by DogfishHead Alehouse

craft beer thanksgiving We should all give thanks for a holiday that’s centered around eating and drinking. No presents to buy, no stressful obligations – just enjoying an all-day meal with the people we love.

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to crack open a beer or three. Here are a few of our favorites to try this year.

Festive Thanksgiving Beers

Getting Started

Thanksgiving is a long and leisurely affair, and you’ll have plenty of downtime while you chop veggies, wait for the turkey to roast, and watch football. Start with a smooth, easy-to-drink beer that will tickle your taste buds without leaving you napping on the couch before dinner is served.

Lagers
Lagers tend to be bright, crisp and approachable. Pace yourself and choose one with a low to medium ABV – it’ll keep you happy through a laid-back afternoon of cooking. Pilsners, German-style bocks or golden lagers are all excellent choices.

Belgian-Style Ales
Ranging from light, fruity witbiers to malty, spicy dubbels, Belgian-style ales offer a wide variety of flavors to help you work up an appetite. Start with something light-bodied and work your way up.

Try: Namaste

Main course

You know you’ll want to try a little bit of everything … and then a little more of everything. These beers are versatile and pair well with many different flavors, so they’ll take you through all the helpings you can manage.

Saisons
Saisons often pair well with poultry because of their citrusy, floral notes. Try one to bring out the best in your turkey and cranberry sauce.

IPAs
That little burst of hops in a good IPA can balance a rich, hearty meal and make everything on your plate taste that much better. Go for one that has a bit of a bite – but not so much that it will overpower your food.

Try: 60-Minute IPA

Dessert

After a tough day of filling your belly with delicious food and drink, you deserve a little more indulgence. Treat yourself to an unapologetically decadent brew to accompany your pumpkin or pecan pie.

Stouts
Comfort food in a glass, stouts are rich and creamy – the ideal companion to dessert. Opt for a chocolate or oatmeal stout, or one with spicy or malty notes.

Brown Ale
This warm ale offers just the right amount of smooth and spice. It is the perfect beer to warm up to.

Try: Punkin Ale

Don’t forget to stop in for our Pre-Thanksgiving Bash at your local alehouse the day before Thanksgiving!

Best BBQ & Beer Pairings

July 22, 2015 by DogfishHead Alehouse

beer and bbq pairing Nothing washes down savory, smoky BBQ down better than a crisp, cold beer. But which type of beer should you serve at your summer BBQ? Certain flavors complement one another better than others, but there are tons of possibilities for tasty combinations. Here’s a cheat sheet of some of our favorite BBQ and beer pairings.

As a General Rule

If you’re grilling lighter fare, such as seafood or veggies, lighter beers with floral or citrus notes are good choices. Try a pilsner, a hefeweissen or a blonde ale. If you’re cooking red meat, such as burgers, steaks or sausages, beers with a richer, maltier flavor are excellent picks. Opt for a mellow brown ale, dark lager or porter. Look for beers that will enhance but not overpower the food you’re serving.

Veggies

Bring out the fresh flavors of vegetable skewers or veggie burgers with a beer that’s lightly acidic but not too hoppy. Try a smooth pilsner or a mild American pale ale that will bring out the earthy flavors in the veggies.

Seafood

For fish and seafood, choose a beer that has a subtle flavor profile, such as a hefeweissen, a helles or Belgian-style witbier. These brews will add a hint of citrus and spice to the seafood, without taking over.

Chicken

Chicken is a versatile meat and pairs nicely with both light-bodied and medium-bodied beers. Go for an amber ale to balance sweet marinades and BBQ sauces, or choose a crisp saison for a hint of pepper and citrus.

Burgers

Burgers offer some of the best opportunities for BBQ and beer pairings. Get a little hoppier with an IPA or black IPA, especially if you have some sweeter sauces or toppings to balance the bitterness. Or crack open a rich porter that brings out the smoky flavors of the grill.

Sausages

Whether you love spicy hot dogs or traditional bratwurst, grilled sausages are a summer grilling favorite. Pick a German-style lager, such as a märzen, or a toasted amber ale that’s smooth and not too bitter.

Steak

You can’t go wrong matching a classic brown ale with a grilled steak. The brown ale is malty and complex, but it still lets the steak take center stage. If you’re feeling bold, a more robust porter or stout is also a fantastic choice.

4 Reasons You Have to Get a Burger at Dogfish

March 5, 2015 by DogfishHead Alehouse Leave a Comment

Sometimes you get a craving for a big, juicy burger, and nothing else will do. (And by “sometimes,” we mean “all the time.”)

The next time you start salivating at the idea of a perfectly cooked burger with all your favorite fixins, head over to Dogfish Head Alehouse as soon as possible. We’ve got you covered for both your burger and beer fix.

Still need some convincing? Here are a few reasons you’ve gotta try a burger at Dogfish Head Alehouse.

Bacon

It is a scientific fact that bacon makes everything better. Try our Applewood Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Burger – a half-pound of beef topped with applewood smoked bacon and cheddar cheese – or our Alehouse BBQ Burger – two four-ounce patties basted with BBQ sauce and covered with bacon, cheese and fried onion rings. Or get creative, and add extra bacon to any of our burgers for just $0.75.

Burger of the Week

If you are an adventurous eater and love to try new flavor combinations, the Dogfish Burger of the Week is right up your alley. Each of our three locations features a weekly inventive and crazy-delicious selection, such as the Sriracha Shrimp Burger (a half-pound patty with sriracha aioli, pepper jack cheese, shrimp and lettuce) or the Cowboy Burger (topped with jalapeños, cheddar, pico de gallo, buttermilk sour cream, lettuce and Santa Fe seasoning).

French Fries

What’s meat without potatoes? All of our burgers are served with a hearty helping of beach fries cut in house daily from premium winnemucca potatoes – which are cooked to crispy perfection and even better with ketchup, BBQ sauce or aioli.

Beer Pairings

An amazing burger deserves to be paired with an equally amazing beer. Pick your favorite brew – whether it’s an IPA, a stout or a pilsner – from our menu. Or if you’re having a hard time narrowing down your options, ask your server which beer complements the flavors in your burger.

Hungry yet?

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