2nd Annual LUDB Thanksgiving Beer Selections


Need help sorting out the myriad of selections in the beer aisle for your Thanksgiving lunch/dinner? Never fear, LUDB is here to help! I’m changing things up a little this year in an effort to simplify things. Unless you have a gathering of friends/family who are all a bunch of beer geeks, it’s challenging to put together a selection for each course: pre-gaming/appetizers, main meal, post-gaming/dessert. Most beer drinkers prefer certain styles or would like to introduce their friends/family to a particular style. This years recommendations will revolve around styles with one selection available in most regions of the country and one specific to Georgia. Readers can mix and match depending on what they want to showcase.

Similar to last year, the primary criteria are to select beers that are fairly readily available (no whales you’ll never have chance to obtain or beers you pretty much have to purchase directly from the brewery tap room. The idea is to keep shopping simple and low stress. The best selections are those that are not too filling and high in ABV (after all, you will probably sessioning these). They also should be versatile, paring well with a variety of dishes. I’ve included the brewery’s description to aid in selecting the best beer for pairing. Without further ado, this year’s selections:

Kölsch

Reissdorf Kölsch – 4.8% ABV

Cologne, Germany

Reissdorf Koelsch is designed to be pale of color, soft on the palate, restrained on fruitiness, with a delicate dryness in the finish.

Cherry Street Brewing Helen Yeah – 5.0% ABV

Cumming, GA (Metro Atlanta)

Helen yeah is a laid back Golden Ale designed for thirst quenching. This 5% brew starts off with a wonderful balanced character of light malts and floral hops and finishes smooth and crisp. 

Witbier

Allagash White – 5.2% ABV

Portland, ME

Allagash White features a refreshing balance of citrus and spice. Wheat, coriander, and Curaçao orange peel round out the flavor of this pale straw-colored, hazy beer.

Reformation Brewery Haddy – 4.8% ABV

Canton, GA (Metro Atlanta)

Refreshing citrus notes and a mild, tart finish, Haddy is brewed with coriander, lemon peel, and wheat malts.

Pale Ale

Maine Beer Co. Peeper – 5.5% ABV

Portland, ME

Lemon, grapefruit and fresh cut grass. Delicate notes of raspberry, strawberry, pine, floral and faint bread.

Creature Comforts Automatic – 5.2% ABV

Athens, GA

Automatic is a bright, refreshing, and drinkable American Pale Ale. It features a delicate and balanced hop flavor and aroma with notes of berry, citrus, and pine.

Pilsner – Czech

Pilsner Urquell – 4.4% ABV

Plzen, Czech Republic

Pilsner Urquell’s signature flavour balances sweetness from the triple-decocted malt, and bitterness from our Saaz hops. The thick head of dense wet foam adds smoothness and seals in flavour and aroma.

Arches Brewing Bohemian Riot – 5.3% ABV

Hapeville, GA (Atlanta Metro)

A light colored, bready lager that became popular in Bohemia after many years of spoiled and inconsistent beer led to riots in the streets. We’ve collaborated with North Carolina’s Riverbend Malt House to develop a custom batch of floor-malted Barley which creates the unique flavor profile of this marquee style. Saaz hops add a slight bitterness while allowing spicy and herbal aromas to show through. A crisp summertime drinker!

Pilsner

Ayinger Bavarian Pils – 5.3% ABV

Aying, Germany

The Bavarian brewers have been masters in their trade for centuries and therefore also brew excellent pils beers. Indeed it was a Bavarian master brewer that brewed the first beer according to the pilsner method in the town of Pilsen! The glimmering, light-yellow Ayinger Bairisch Pils has the fragrance of aromatic hops from the “Hallertau” region of Bavaria (only these are used in the Ayinger beer specialties!). The beer is highly fermented and therefore smooth on the initial taste sensation, but also mild and sparkling in body. Our pils is accentuated by the floweriness of the hops aroma and has a more pronounced bitterness on swallowing, which quickly fades from the taste buds.

Tucker Brewing Co. TKR Pilsner – 4.8% ABV

Tucker, GA (Metro Atlanta)

Refreshing and crisp with a floral hop aroma. TKR Pilsner features 100%, specially-sourced German ingredients, including Noble hops, for a crisp bitterness and a smooth finish. 

Helles

Weihenstephaner Original (Helles) – 5.1% ABV

Weihenstephan, Germany

A good beer takes its time. The long storage makes our yellow bright lager, “Original”, a flavourful beer enjoyed with fine pored, white foam. With a mild hoppy note and its pleasant fresh spicy taste, it goes very well with salads, poultry, stews or with a hearty snack. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

Tucker Brewing Co. Tucker Lager – 4.7% ABV

Tucker, GA (Metro Atlanta)

Tucker Lager is your go-to, everyday beer! Both sessionable and flavorful, this helles-style lager beer is a Bavarian specialty. Crisp and refreshing like our TKR Pilsner, the Tucker Lager is the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness, ideal for any occasion. Refreshing light aromas of bread and citrus packed in a frothy head.

Saison

Saison Dupont – 6.5% ABV

Tourpes, Belguim

Saison Dupont is a world classic beer and the yardstick for one of Belgium’s most important beer styles. It is the most admired and imitated Saison in the world. A strong, vital yeast is key to full attenuation and thus to the style. Saison Dupont is straw colored with a dense creamy head. The nose is alive, like fresh raised bread, estery with citrus and spice notes. Full-bodied and malty, it sparkles on the palate and finishes with a zesty hop and citrus attack. Incredibly compatible with food! 

Creature Comforts Common Things – 6.2% ABV

Athens, GA

Common Things is a mixed-culture saison made with honey from local bees. The beer is 6.2% ABV and features Saaz and aged Cascade hops. It was fermented in stainless steel before being packaged and refermented in 750mL bottles.

Dark or Amber Ale/Lager

Hofbrau Dunkel – 5.5% ABV

Munich, Germany

Dark beer existed in Bavaria long before light beer. This was the first type of beer to be brewed at Hofbräuhaus when it was founded. Today, when beer-lovers all over the world talk about dark beer, they usually mean a Munich style beer. Today, Hofbräu Dunkel – the archetypal Bavarian beer – is still as popular as ever. With its alcoholic content of around 5.5% volume and its spicy taste, it’s a refreshing beer that suits all kinds of occasions. A beer in the traditional Munich style!

Reformation Brewery Stark Toasted Porter – 5.5% ABV

Canton, GA (Metro Atlanta)

An English inspired porter with light toasty notes, subtle flavors of chocolate and coffee, and a light, crisp finish.

Creature Comforts Reclaimed Rye – 5.5% ABV

Athens, GA

A uniquely complex and full-flavored amber ale. Our French oak aging process combined with malted and flaked rye delivers a well-rounded body, laced with undertones of toasted bread, spice, and subtle vanilla.

Light American Lager

Arches Brewing Lloyd’s Light – 3.8% ABV

Hapeville, GA

Made in collaboration with our friends at Victory Brands in Atlanta, Georgia, Lloyd’s Light delivers clean, crisp refreshment without a fuss. Selecting a beer that actually tastes like beer is harder than ever these days, which is why Lloyd’s Light is lagered the Old World way: using only the finest malted barley, corn, water, yeast and a whisper of hops for minimal bitterness and maximum crushability. Whatever man, it’s just beer

With the variety of styles available, there is a beer for everyone. It’s actually easy to pair with a variety of foods. Regardless of what you select, enjoy your time with friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving! Cheers!

Thanks for reading and until next time…Let Us Drink Beer!

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