This Thanksgiving, perhaps it’s time to dial back the Beaujolais. If you really want to impress your guests, skip the wine and break out a bottle of local craft beer.
Of course with all the new breweries opening up here and across the country, it’s getting harder to navigate the many options.
So we asked two local experts — Ryan Placzek of Tap & Bottle and David Zugerman of the new Tucson Hop Shop — to give us some of their favorites. We hit up Ryan for three local beers, and went to David for his favorites on the West Coast.
All of these beers are sold by the bottle, so head to one of these stores and put together your own six pack.
Ryan's picks:
Ryan Placzek, assistant manager of the bottle shop at Tap & Bottle.
Session Sour from Iron John’s Brewing Co. (Tucson)
Style: Flemish pale ale.
$10 for a 500-ml bottle at Tap & Bottle, ABV: 5 percent.
Ryan’s thoughts: “The moderate acidity will provide a nice contrast to and cut the richness of turkey and gravy, or green bean casserole.”
Barrio Rojo from Barrio Brewing Co. (Tucson)
Style: Scottish ale.
$1.65 for a 12-ounce can at Tap & Bottle, ABV: 6 percent.
Ryan’s thoughts: “Malt-derived flavors dominate in this beer, lending nutty, biscuity and some caramelized character that will complement similar flavors in stuffing and dark turkey meat.”
Noche Dulce from Borderlands Brewing Co. (Tucson)
Style: Vanilla porter.
$3.15 for a 16-ounce can at Tap & Bottle, ABV: 7.3 percent.
Ryan’s thoughts: “Flavors and aromas of coffee, cocoa and vanilla make this beer a nice sipper to have alongside most any dessert. The alcoholic strength will help you get to the post-meal nap quickly.”
David's picks:
David Zugerman, co-owner of Tucson Hop Shop
Autumn Maple from The Bruery (Orange County, California)
Style: Spiced Belgian brown ale
$11.75 for a 750-ml bottle at Tucson Hop Shop, ABV: 10 percent
David's thoughts: "It's brewed with cinnamon, maple syrup and yams. Drinking I get a maple sweetness. Definitely has the spice on the back end with some heat from the alcohol."
Sleigh'r from Ninkasi (Eugene, Oregon)
Style: Dark doüble alt ale
$9.30 for a 22-ounce bottle at Tucson Hop Shop, ABV: 7.2 percent
David's thoughts: "Nice dark color, little reddish hue around the edges. Tastes malty. Not as sweet or as pumpkin-y as you'd think."
Celebration Ale from Sierra Nevada (Chico, California)
Style: Fresh hop IPA
$1.75 for a 12-ounce bottle at Tucson Hop Shop, ABV: 6.8 percent
David's thoughts: "They take fresh hops off the farm and they have to brew them within 24 hours to get the full freshness out of the beer. That makes this a very special beer and little bit different every year. ... A very solid IPA."
