5 Thanksgiving Beer and Movie Pairings

Turkey day is here! Hmm, how about making that turkey, beer and movie day? 

Happy Thanksgiving, beer and movie fans!

Tradition calls for turkey, mashed potatoes and pie, but if you’re like me, you enjoy concluding your holiday food binging with a festive Thanksgiving movie. Didn’t know there’s a whole bunch of Thanksgiving films and turkey day-appropriate beers out there? Just scroll on down for a list!

Be forewarned though — you might want to wait a little while after eating so you have room for one of these flavorful brews.

Mayflower Thanksgiving Ale with Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Plane, Trains & Automobiles is among the rare movies to hinge its entire premise around the holiday (extra impressive when you consider it’s a buddy-travel comedy). Which explains why many view the John Hughes flick as THE quintessential Thanksgiving accompaniment.

And if the online reviews are any indicator, many local beer drinkers in Plymouth, Massachusetts feel similarly about Mayflower Brewing Co.’s annual Thanksgiving Ale.

This year’s release may clock in at an easygoing 6.7% ABV, but it boasts a whole lot of flavor. A full-bodied blend of American Strong Ale and English Old Ale, this sipper brims with enough toasty barley and rye malt character to keep you cozy while watching Steve Martin and John Candy nearly freeze to death during their cross-country onscreen journey.

*Bonus Beer*

• Friar Bacon Smoked Bock / Bock Ale / 7.2% ABV / Listermann Brewing Co. – Cincinatti, OH

Because Kevin Bacon (just watch the movie).

Highwater Sugaree Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Strong Ale with The Last Waltz (1978)

Symphony of flavors, meet one of the harmonious concert documentaries ever made. I had the pleasure of first seeing The Last Waltz on Thanksgiving in 2017 at Alamo Drafthouse (via a special showing), and it’s been an annual staple ever since. Really, this “rockumentary” is about as Thanksgiving as it gets. Director Martin Scorsese filmed The Band’s farewell concert on Thanksgiving Day back in 1976, during which the 5,000 member audience was actually served turkey dinners. For the record, the Alamo Drafthouse served us the same.

In reality, the concert needs no holiday gimmick — this is one beautiful show from start to finish. That’s why Sugaree Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie Strong Ale makes for a great beer pairing. Saying it may be a bit of a mouthful, but much like The Band, Cailifornia’s High Water Brewing gets straight to the point with names. The   real stuff to be thankful for is what’s within: Vermont maple sugar, Bourbon barrel oak chips and pecans. It’s like a ridiculously complex, silky slice of 9.8% ABV pecan pie!

*Bonus Beer*

• Concert Mode / Hazy IPA / 6.9% ABV / Definitive Brewing Co. – Portland, ME

Hourglass Mashed Potato Time Wild Ale with For Your Consideration (2006)

Not feeling a documentary? Here’s a mockumentary! This Christopher Guest fest of ridiculousness follows the story of a struggling film production whose lead cast members suddenly learn there is Oscar buzz around their performances. The movie-within-a-movie is the best part though with its frequent rewrites and change in tone. Originally a drama about a family reconnecting over the Jewish holiday of Purim, the production eventually gets hacked into a run-of-the-mill, feel-good crowd pleaser about Thanksgiving.

For your beer consideration with this funny flick, here’s Mashed Potato Time Wild Ale from Florida’s Hourglass Brewing. Don’t worry, there’s no actual mashed potatoes in this beer — at least not in the traditional sense. Instead, the brewers used potato flakes in the base to create a full, fluffy mouthfeel with a hint of starchy tang. This plays incredibly well with the beer’s funky brettanomyces yeast and biscuity barley malt. It’s all rounded out in oak foeders, making for a beer that’s as wild as Christopher Guest’s movie. And the Oscar goes to…

*Bonus Beer*

• Haze of Fame / NEIPA / 7% ABV / Strike Brewing Co. – San Jose, CA

Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout with Addams Family Values (1993)

But wait! Doesn’t Addams Family Values take place largely in summer? Don’t Wednesday and Pugsley get carted off to some dorky summer camp?

Yes, yes they do. And at said summer camp, they transform a rather racist children’s Thanksgiving play into one of the most epic revenge spectacles you’ll ever see. The whole thing’s absolutely nuts, and the rest of the move’s a pretty fun ride too. Since this is the Addams Family we’re talking about though, only the darkest beers will do. For this Thanksgiving viewing, Anderson Valley’s Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout fits the bill beautifully.

Brewed in Boonville, California, the brewers crafted this dark, 6.9% ABV Oatmeal Stout with plenty of toasty malts and three months’ aging in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels. Savor deeply for notes of fresh-baked loaves, toffee, and earthy espresso dancing with woody vanilla spice. Though if anyone’s annoying you this Thanksgiving, try stepping away to take a breather before reaching for the fire and arrows.

*Bonus Beer*

• Chico’s Revenge / Imperial Oatmeal Milk Stout / 7.1% ABV / 2nd Shift Brewing – Saint Louis, MO

Grumpy Old Men Hell’s Holler Porter with Grumpy Old Men (1993)

As it turns out, 1993 was a good year for movies rocking Thanksgiving escapades, even if it’s not what the whole premise revolves around. Grumpy Old Men is the story of two feuding retirees John (Jack Lemmon) and Max (Walter Matthau) who live next-door to one another. It’s very much a holiday movie, spanning both Thanksgiving and Christmas. While not cutting edge, Grumpy Old Men is pleasantly humorous and comes with just enough heartwarming moments to feel good but not Hallmark-ish.

Grumpy Old Men Brewing, on the other hand, is a Georgia microbrewery with some bite. At least when it comes to beer names. Hell’s Holler is a 7.2% ABV Porter that swirls with notes of dark chocolate and caramel, finishing with a mocha ganache aftertaste. It’s like the dessert after your pie, just as Grumpy Old Men is the Thanksgiving treat to carry you into the rest of the holiday season.

*Bonus Beer*

• Minnesota Gold / Lager / 4.9% ABV / Third Street Brewhouse – Cold Spring, MN

John and Max do their squabbling in the land of 10,000 lakes!

Which beer and movie are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving?