It’s just about that time of year where folks will head out to the wine stores to gather up the finest in Thanksgiving appropriate wines to share around the dinner table. This year, I’ve switched gears completely and I will be offering up a variety of craft beers to go with our turkey and taters.

Anyone who knows me knows that this is very strange for me. I used to spend hours at the store, talking to wine professionals about the planned foods and what wines would be best… And this year, I take to the internet to find out if any of the million beers. Here are a few of the articles I’ve found!

GQ has a say, apparently. They would like all the classy men out there to know the best pairings for the man trying to impress his loved ones. On this list, I've got Rogue Ales Pumpkin Patch. It's definitely a contender for my family's celebration.

Serious Eats offers a guide to Thanksgiving beer pairings as well. They even include a little bit for dessert pairings. I do have a few barley wine beers, so they may be making a showing as well!

CraftBeer.Com has a pretty great list that divides their pairing suggestions out by beer style. I have surprisingly few on this list. However, there is a beer called Ninja Vs. Unicorn. I am fairly certain I would give my left arm to try one of those out. Also, all of this talk of Cigar City Brewing... I feel like I am severely missing out. A cucumber infused beer?! REALLY? Why have I not had this?

Last but not least, WineMag has a little piece on beers. Do I trust a wine site with my beer lists? Well, they rated a beer I have as their top choice, so maybe. I sometimes think of wine people like the Sharks and the Jets. There be turf wars up in here, yo. However... I guess the basic idea of pairings is universal between the Jets and the Sharks territory. Maybe we can just street fight dance our differences out.

Well there you have it. A quick little piece on Thanksgiving beer pairings where I tell you nothing but let others do the talking for me. I hope you've got a good list going for your own celebration! What will you be bringing to the table?
 

If you follow me on Instagram (which you should!), you know I made a beer can chicken this week and promised a recipe here before the weekend was through. I'm coming down to the wire on the weekend hours, so I figured I best get this puppy up on the blog!

I will start by saying that I have never cooked a chicken in my life. My husband is the primary meal maker in our house. I am a pretty good baker, and a very iffy chef. Lately, my husband has been encouraging me to branch out and learn more in the kitchen. A sort of embiggening of my comfort levels around foods.

The idea for the beer can chicken came from our buddy, Matt. I took it an ran. I have heard it said that you should never cook with a wine you wouldn't drink. Doesn't the same apply when it comes to beer? I mean, do you really want a Coors Light flavored chicken? I didn't think so.

The only can of beer I had in my fridge was Indeed Brewing's Midnight Ryder. Hmm... A Black IPA for a beer can chicken? I took to Google for advice. There wasn't much to be found until I dug deep and came across a recipe for a rub that looked perfect. This guy used 21st Amendment's Back in Black, so I guessed I was on the right track.

Here is the recipe, adapted by me, originally by Cork and Kegs.

Ingredients
3 - 5 pound chicken
1 can of Indeed Midnight Ryder
1/4 cup of coarse salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup smoked paprika
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon chipotle pepper (optional)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Unpackage and rinse your chicken well. Remove the giblets if you purchased one with the gutty whats still inside.

2. Use a paper towel to dry off the chicken and set aside.

3. Mix the list of spices together in a bowl to create your delicious spice rub.

4. Generously rub the spice mix all over the chicken. Be sure to get under the skin.

5. Crack open that Indeed Midnight Ryder and pour yourself half. This is yours for the remainder of the evening.

6. Pour about a handful of the spice mixture into the beer can. Insert the beer can into the chicken and place in a foil-lined baking pan.

7. Place the chicken in the oven. Enjoy your beer.

8. In about an hour, check your chicken for temperature. You're looking for about 165 degrees and clean running juices. If it needs more time, check back every 10-15 minutes until you've reached temperature. Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes.

9. Carefully remove the beer can from your chicken's behind. It is going to be superbly hot. Don't spill the beer. Don't drop the chicken. Get help with this if you need it.

10. Cut the chicken up and enjoy!

I have to say, this was a win in all categories. It impressed my husband, it impressed Matt, it even impressed me. I made my very first chicken and, aside from the hack job I did on cutting the chicken into portions, I was very happy with the results.

The skin on the chicken was juicy and full of flavor. The meat was tender and smoky from the Black IPA. The spice was just right -- just enough to make itself known at the party. This is going into rotation in our house for sure.

Next time you think of boiling your brats in Bud Light, I hope you remember this. Imagine how much better it would be with the awesome flavors of your favorite craft beer, instead of that bland beer imposter. Now go forth and spread the good news: craft beer makes cooking better.