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Beers to Serve at Thanksgiving

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craft beer thanksgivingWe 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!

New Craft Beer Alert: Higher Math

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higher math craft beerDogfish Head fans are the best around! And we mean it. Thanks to your support, Dogfish Head Brewery is celebrating 20 years of crafting beers. What better way to say “cheers to 20 years and 20 more” than with a new brew?!

Enter Higher Math! This brew is a golden strong ale fermented with sour cherry juice and cocoa nibs. As the story goes… “Way back in the early ’90s, a 20-something waiter in New York City named Sam got a taste for small American ‘microbrews.’ A do-er, Sam stopped by a homebrew store and embarked on the first batch of his very own beer. On the way home, he spotted a bag of cherries at his local bodega and thought they’d make his beer a little more interesting. He was right, and the day after he and his friends enjoyed that first batch, he started researching what it would take to open a brewery.”

This limited brew clocks in at 17%ABV, so sip lightly and get it while you can! Gaithersburg, Fairfax, and Falls Church Alehouses plan to start tapping this beer Wednesday, November 4th at 7pm. Give it a go with some of our alehouse ribs.

Bonus Brew! Pennsylvania Tuxedo makes its way to Fairfax and Falls Church on November 6! Stop in for the tapping of this spruce-infused pale ale. Made in collaboration with family-run outdoor clothing company, Woolrich, Pennsylvania Tuxedo is a concoction of grassy citrus kick complemented by the resinous conifer notes of fresh green spruce tips. The brewery goes out and picks the fresh tips to assure quality and flavor.

You can guarantee these beers will not come around often and you may wait awhile until their return, so get your hands on a pint before we are tapped out.

What Are Tasting Notes?

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drinking craft beerWhen you’re trying a beer for the first time, your senses have a lot to take in. What does it smell like? What does it look like? What do your taste buds experience with that first sip and beyond? What do you like and dislike?

It’s fun – both for craft beer beginners and long-time enthusiasts – to take tasting notes when you drink new beers to record all of these impressions. This action helps you notice a beer’s unique characteristics and hone your palate.

How you decide to keep your tasting notes mostly comes down to personal preference – there’s no wrong way to do it. Some craft beer drinkers keep a list on their smart phones or in a small notebook. Some jot down notes on napkins or receipts as they go. Some even start craft beer blogs to share their discoveries with others.

Here are a few tips as you get started on taking tasting notes. Keep these five characteristics in mind for each beer you taste, and write down brief notes on each category.

1. Appearance

Bring your glass up to eye level. What color is the beer? Is it clear or cloudy? What kind of head retention does it display? What else is noteworthy about its appearance?

Examples of tasting notes:
Amber, hazy, golden, dark brown, foamy, creamy

2. Aroma

Swirl your glass and breathe deeply, getting a good whiff of the beer before you take your first sip. What does the beer smell like? What hops, malt, yeast or other aromatics jump out at you?

Examples of tasting notes:
Chocolaty, floral, spicy, toasted, funky

3. Flavor

Take a sip of the beer and let it warm in your mouth before you swallow. What are your first taste impressions? How does the flavor compare to the aroma? Are there any dominating flavors? Is it balanced?

Examples of tasting notes:
Sweet, smoky, earthy, full-bodied, hoppy

4. Mouthfeel

Take another drink and sit with the flavors that build on your palate. What texture does it have? What sensations are strongest? Is it carbonated? Acidic? Light- or full-bodied?

Examples of tasting notes:
Crisp, smooth, carbonated, flat, watery

5. Overall Impression

Consider the overall tasting experience, and write down your evaluation. What did you enjoy? What did you not? How would you describe this beer to a friend?

Examples of tasting notes:
Well-balanced, refreshing, overly sour, bold, malty

What Makes a Craft Brewer?

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craft beer brewersWe aren’t shy about our fanaticism for craft beer. We love to geek out about everything from the differences between IPAs and brown ales to the definitions of
hops and ABV. And of course, we can go on and on about what beers you should pair with your favorite foods.

But let’s take a step back from all that for a minute and ask a few important questions: What exactly is craft beer? How do we define craft brewing? What makes a craft brewer different than a regular one? These terms get thrown around a lot, but there’s often still confusion over what they mean.

Defining the Craft Brewer

The Brewers Association, the organization that is designed to “promote and protect” independent brewers, defines an American craft brewer as having three characteristics: it is small, independent and traditional.

Small
A craft brewer maintains a relatively modest production: no more than 6 million barrels of beer per year.

Independent
No more than 25% of a craft brewery can be owned or controlled by an alcohol industry member that is not also a craft brewer. In other words, a giant brewery wouldn’t be able to own 40% of a craft brewery and still be labeled “craft.”

Traditional
A craft brewer devotes the majority of its total beverage alcohol volume to beers with flavors originating from “traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation.” Flavored malt beverages (such as fruity wine coolers) don’t count.

Types of Craft Brewers

The Brewers Association also identifies four different categories:
brewpubs, microbreweries, regional craft breweries and contract brewing companies.

• Brewpubs: Restaurant-breweries selling 25% or more of their beer on site
• Microbreweries: Breweries producing less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year, with 75% or more sold off site
• Regional craft breweries: independent regional breweries with a majority of volume in traditional or innovative beers
• Contract companies: businesses that hire other breweries to produce their beer

Fun Craft Brewing Facts

• Craft brewers blend new and classic ingredients, often resulting in distinctive, interesting flavor combinations
• Craft brewers are able to stay creative and independent, without the influence of a non-craft brewer
• Most Americans live within 10 miles of a craft brewer

Best Beers to Sip in the Summer

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summer craft beerThere are few things more refreshing on a scorching summer day than an ice-cold beer. But don’t reach for just any beer – find one that is fresh and flavorful and just right for the season. Here are a few of our favorite types of brews to sip in the summer.

Wheat beers

Wheat beers, including German-style hefeweizens and Belgian-style witbiers, are crisp and balanced. Many have spicy or citrusy notes that pair well with fresh summer food.

Pilsners

There is nothing heavy about the pilsner, a lager with a light golden color and a smooth, malty flavor. Pilsners usually have low to medium alcohol content, so they are ideal for sipping at a summer BBQ or poolside.

Radlers

A radler (which means “cyclist” in German) is a favorite summertime drink made from mixing beer and lemonade or fruit soda. Radlers are a great thirst-quenching option when you don’t want to overindulge or fall asleep in the sun.

Sour beers

Tart, complex and full-bodied, sour beers are a rare treat for many craft beer enthusiasts – and a tangy wake-me-up on a hot day. Sour beers are barrel-aged and offer a wide variety of flavors – some fruity, some with herbal notes, some more like wine than beer.

Fruit beers

Fruit beers take full advantage of fresh seasonal flavors – from peaches and cherries to blueberries and apricots. Pair them with dinner or dessert, or savor them all on their own.

IPAs

Hoppy IPAs were originally brewed to survive in hot temperatures, and they still go well with this type of climate. Opt for an IPA with a little fruit flavor for an extra refreshing taste.

Dogfish Head Beers to Enjoy This Summer

60 Minute IPA

Perfectly balanced, this IPA offers a punch of Northwest hops and mild floral and citrus notes.

Festina Peche

This neo-Berliner Weisse is fermented with real peaches, which adds natural sweetness to balance out the acidic, tart beer. And it only has 4.5% ABV, so you can sip without worrying about it going to your head too quickly!

Top 6 Websites for Beer Lovers

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craft beer websitesIf you love beer as much as we do, you spend a lot of time thinking about your favorite beverage. When you’re not enjoying a pint of delicious craft beer, you’re planning the next one you want to try or learning more about the brewing process.

Sound familiar? You are in good company. There are many fantastic websites and blogs out there that offer interesting perspectives on beer (the Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference lists more than 1,000 North American and more than 500 international “citizen beer blogs,” as well as a few hundred industry beer blogs) – here are just a few of our favorites!

Must-Read Websites for Beer Lovers

1. CraftBeer

CraftBeer.com is a website all about (you guessed it!) American craft beer. The website is published by the Brewers Association, the trade organization for small and independent American brewers, and it’s full of educational information for brewers and beer enthusiasts. Read CraftBeer.com’s articles and blog posts to learn about the ins and outs of craft beer – from the ingredients and the brewing process to beer styles and tasting tips. The website also has a searchable brewery database and information about Brewers Association events, including American Craft Beer Week.

2. RateBeer

RateBeer is an active and vibrant community of craft beer lovers from more than 100 countries around the world. The site was created and is still maintained by volunteers, and it offers a place for beer enthusiasts to rate and share reviews of different beers.

3. BeerAdvocate

http://www.beeradvocate.com/
Brothers Jason and Todd Alström founded BeerAdvocate in 1996 as a free resource for consumers and industry professionals to learn about and share knowledge of different beers. The Alström brothers still own and operate BeerAdvocate and also publish a monthly beer magazine.

4. Good Beer Hunting

Good Beer Hunting is a beer blog created by a writer, photographer and product strategist from Pennsylvania. It tells entertaining stories about beer, travel and food adventures throughout the US and around the world.

5. Beervana

Beervana started as a Portland-focused beer blog from writer Jeff Alworth (who has now written the book The Beer Bible). It delivers insightful and engaging content about craft beer culture.

6. The Dogs of Beer

The Dogs of Beer is a “mom and pop blog” chronicles the craft beer scene around Delaware and surrounding areas and highlights regular features such as beer reviews, food and local events.