The main event

Let’s talk turkey. For the traditional turkey main course, we need to be thinking about the whole plate. Normally, for white meat we’d be looking at lighter beers. However, I reckon you’ll have a plateful of vegetables, potatoes, pigs in blankets and more all topped off with rich gravy. This means finding the perfect beer to pair with dinner can be a little tricky. Hey, you can even say that the rulebook goes out the window! Nevertheless, I’m going to give it a go and line up a few options that will adequately replace that glass of wine.

London Fields Brewery’s new Gobble Gobble Xmas Dubbel is a good place to start. The depth in the Dubbel works straight away. It’s got a nice spiciness to handle all the big flavours, plus a really nice yeast character to the finish to keep it balanced. Marston’s Brewery’s Owd Roger or Hobgoblin King Goblin would also be excellent choices.

If you’re feeling exploratory, I would suggest you try ERDINGER Dunkel. It’s got the yeasty depth and sweetness to go with the vegetables and gravy. And the malty backbone to go with the meat.

My preferred alcohol-free option would without doubt be Brooklyn Special Effects, which is our award-winning 0.4% hoppy lager.

Vegetarian Christmas mains

Vegetarian Christmas dinners can pack all the flavour of a meat-filled one, so choosing the perfect beer for it is just as important! If you’re digging into an herb-stuffed nut roast, I’d again recommend some of the darker beers in our portfolio. All suggestions above pair really well, but something with a full-bodied toffee flavour and fruity notes will work extremely well – Hobgoblin Ruby, for example.

Christmas pudding

In the unlikely event that you made it through the main course but didn’t finish your beer, you need not worry; the beers I suggested for your main all pair nicely with Christmas pudding. However, another fantastic beer that compliments this traditional Christmas dessert is Carlsberg Special Brew. Originally brewed to commemorate Sir Winston Churchill's visit to Copenhagen, it has Cognac notes to reflect Churchill's favourite tipple. In a nutshell, you want to look for full-bodied beers with a hint of sweetness and flavours of caramel, spice and dried fruit.

And finally, cheese

A good cheeseboard deserves a nice beer rather than what’s left in your glass. The palate-cleansing frothy mouthfeel of a well-carbonated beer makes it an excellent partner for most cheeses. For strong cheddar, an IPA is a sure-fire winner. Brooklyn Defender or Marston’s Old Empire will both be really nice choices. If you, like me, enjoy some Stilton, Old Empire will work equally well here. For a real treat though (and if you can find some) Marston’s Brewery Horninglow No.3 Double Dry Hopped IPA or its Imperial Stout will be a sensational way to end any meal.

The nicely balanced bitterness of San Miguel 0,0 provides a good alcohol-free option.

I’m sold, where can I get my hands on them beers?

Glad you asked. You’ll find most of my suggestions in your local supermarket. And the more specialist beers at www.londonfieldsbrewery.co.uk or www.marstonsbrewery.co.uk/shop.

Adrian Rigby,
Commercial Manager of On Trade Quality & Dispense Innovation