Snack and Starter Pregame: Oktoberfest

Easy-drinking Oktoberfest beers are perfect for salty snacks, like nuts and crackers, along with mild or sweet cheeses. They’re also festive, making them a great way to kick off a fall holiday such as Thanksgiving. Berghoff’s Oktoberfest is deeply malty with enough hops to balance out the sweetness, resulting in a crisp and complex finish. It’ll cut through salty snacks and starters beautifully, while enhancing the creaminess and sweetness of mild cheeses.

First Course: Hefeweizens

If your first course includes a seasonal soup or salad, a bottle of hefeweizen will be your ideal companion. A hefeweizen’s creamy mouthfeel and subtle layers of sweet banana, bubblegum and spicy clove will enhance notes of  cranberry, pear, nuts, and squash. It’s a delightfully smooth beer for a light first course. Check out our classic Straight-Up Hefe-Weizen.

Main Course & Autumn Desserts: American Strong Ale

Your average beer won’t be able to keep up with a gravy-flooded plate of turkey, mashed potatoes and veggies. You need to pair your main Thanksgiving dish with a beer that has big flavor. American Strong Ales should do the job, with rich, strong, malty flavor. The complex cookie, caramel and raisin notes of our Winter Ale combined with its floral and citrus hop flavor will enhance the complex sweet-and-savory flavor of a glazed turkey, along with rich gravy.

The complex sweet notes of our Winter Ale also pair beautifully with rich autumn desserts, like pecan and pumpkin pies. If you’re having a different type of dessert, a weizenbock may be a better choice for you.

Chocolate and Caramel Desserts: Weizenbock

With strong toasted caramel and fruity flavor followed by a warming spicy clove finish, weizenbocks are the perfect way to finish off your Thanksgiving feast. The beer’s complex and rich flavors enhance chocolate and caramel desserts, and its carbonated body and spicy notes help to cut through heavy, creamy dishes. A weizenbock will keep you warm and comforted through the evening. Take a look at our version of the classic weizenbock: Rockin’ Bock.

We hope this guide helps you make your Thanksgiving gathering more deliciously unique than any you’ve had before! You can use our beer finder below to find the Berghoff beers we listed in the guide near you. Happy Turkey Day!