Thanksgiving beers for the Miller High Life family?
So here's the deal: I'd like to bring a couple of nice beers/wines to my family's house for Thanksgiving dinner.
The problem: my family usually drinks very light, macro-brewed beers (Miller High Life, Budweiser, whatever's on sale), and it's struggle to get them to try anything different/more flavorful than those.
So here's the question: does anyone have any suggestions for what to bring over that they might have a chance of actually enjoying, and might possiblly get them to expand their horizons a bit? Dinner is turkey/ham/mashed potatoes/green beans/stuffing/etc. Also, bonus points for local brews (San Francisco Bay Area), just because... :)
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35 Comments:
sam adams. always good..
dearrie at 2:28PM on 11/14/08
I agree with dearrie. A good bottle of Sam Adams...I like the seasonal brews.
juliebugsmama at 2:47PM on 11/14/08
they might find sam adams a little hoppy for their palates. i would go for something more along the lines of red stripe, pilsner urquell, or stella artois even though they are imports. most of the local brews are probably also too hoppy since that is the way of the american microbrew. just my 2 cents as someone who enjoys the occasional macro beer or six.
sloppy at 3:16PM on 11/14/08
me to. i cook with them sometimes. a little for the pot a little for me.
dearrie at 3:17PM on 11/14/08
i second the stella recommendation. it's light enough and also has a lot of character.
crispyscorpio at 3:33PM on 11/14/08
pyramid apricot seems to be a hit with my non-beer loving fam members, and it would go nicely with ham...
orinky at 3:38PM on 11/14/08
Try a Gordon Biersch brew -- a pilsner would be best. They are local AND available almost everywhere.
kjgibson at 3:39PM on 11/14/08
Heineken Light is very light on my palate, hubby says it doesn't really have a beer taste. I think it does have a beer taste, but super subtle. To me, it is much lighter than Stella...I like Stella, but it tastes a bit sweet. I think Red Stripe also has a sweet finish, and it tends to sit a little heavy in my stomach, which would not be good on Thanksgiving :-)
Yay, beer drinkers!
erinlovestoeat at 3:51PM on 11/14/08
San Francisco = Anchor Steam
So good
Eroca at 4:03PM on 11/14/08
How's about St. Pauli Girl or Carlsberg?
dhorst at 4:13PM on 11/14/08
Eroca beat me to it. Anchor Steam.
lo82070 at 4:21PM on 11/14/08
I'll third the Achor Steam suggestion. I'm partial to their porter and their Christmas Ale but the Small Beer might work for you. I'll also suggest Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It's not as overwhelmingly hoppy as a lot of american beers and should be easy for you to find.
VerasTastyFreeze at 4:37PM on 11/14/08
You'd also mentioned wine...my husband is a fan of super-light wines...aka "wines with no taste"...the equivalent of non-hoppy beer. He likes Riesling...light, and the sweeter the better.
He is so NOT a food/wine snob, it's not even funny. (Just call him "spaghetti-o's man"...)
akk328 at 4:45PM on 11/14/08
if they like miller high life and the like, they are sure as hell not going to like Anchor Steam (even though it is wonderfully delicious).
Sloppy up there has the only suggestions that seem to agree with your criteria in the original post. Pilsner Urquell is widely available and not to far afield taste wise. Never had Gordon Biersch but some internet searching makes me think that would be a good choice.
but also like Sloppy, I have been known to enjoy a few macro brews on a regular basis myself. So my suggestion is pick up a 24 of Pabst, enjoy the day with them, and don't worry about expanding the horizons of those who know what they like.
intheyearofthepig at 5:25PM on 11/14/08
I'm an east-coaster micro brew fanatic. I don't know many local San Francisco beers, but any craft brew is going to be great.
If they're hesitant, steer clear of hoppy. Try going with something grainy or bready. Octoberfest/Marzen beers are going to be good choices, as well as a Pilsner, as someone else recommended. You could also try a brown ale.
Puffy at 5:32PM on 11/14/08
If you like bad beer, Kronenbourg 1664 is the most flavorless I've found. It's French, and the last time I checked France wasn't known for beer.
Get them this and watch them squirm: http://www.arrogantbastard.com/index2.html
PeteRepeat42 at 5:36PM on 11/14/08
just bring 'em millers an save the good stuff for peeps who'll appreciate it.....
onepercent99 at 5:56PM on 11/14/08
How about just bringing them what they like and bring your own stash of what you like? I drink the beer the lite beers and you might try Heineken Light, which has a good taste.
pjracz10 at 10:14PM on 11/14/08
Try Poppy Jasper Ale, brewed in Morgan Hill and available locally. Or Fat Tire.
cookin4kids at 10:31PM on 11/14/08
Buy them whatever they like. Bring some of what you like, so you can drink it. Offer them tastes of what you're drinking to see if they like it. If not, more for you.
Personally, I've got some strong likes and dislikes about beers. I like most dark beers, I dislike "lite" beers. Wheat beers give me a headache. If I want a light flavored beer, I'll probably choose Corona, and depending on what the food is, I might prefer that Corona over a Guiness..
If someone came to my house and said, "What you like is crap, you should drink this beer instead," I don't think I'd be happy. On the other hand, if they respected my usual choices and offered a taste of what they liked, I'd be willing to try whatever they offered.
dbcurrie at 2:04AM on 11/15/08
PBR, yessiree, I am the class of "70 !!
gigi33 at 9:38AM on 11/15/08
Blue Moon. It isn't a heavy tasting beer, but at the same time, it isn't watered-down tasting like all of that Michelob Ultra crap. Very full flavor, very refreshing. Its a Belgian style white ale. I love it.
delilah at 4:10PM on 11/15/08
Blue Moon is very tasty. But I would NOT recommend the pumpkin version they make, Harvest Moon. Neither I nor my boyfriend enjoyed the sixer of that we bought awhile back.
nightowl at 5:03PM on 11/15/08
Aww, I like Harvest Moon. But an MGD lover probably would not. How about a Heferweisen with a wedge of lemon? Tasty but not overwhelming.
@PeteRepeat--love the arrogant bastard.
buffy at 11:45AM on 11/16/08
@dbcurrie: I totally agree with you. People who only enjoy light lagers like Bud and Miller High Life should stick with that beer type.
Though, I with agree with people above who suggest that a Pilsner Urquell or even a Belgian ale like Blue Moon might go over well (I hate recommending anything in the Coors family of beers, though, for political reasons). Still, it's risky. You might want to go with what you know they like.
I like to homebrew, that's how much I like beer. But I'm not a beer snob. Geez. High Life is my favorite beer to drink after running in crazy summer heat!
Susquehanna at 3:28PM on 11/16/08
I'll throw my two cents in as a resident of the great beer state of Wisconsin. If they like the light stuff stay with light just give them something different than the typical Miller/Bud products. One of our (WI) most famous breweries is New Glarus Brewery. Their claim to fame is Spotted Cow. It's a farmhouse ale that is slightly cloudy. The best comparison I can give you is Blue Moon or Hacker Pschorr. By the way both of those are fairly light and fruity beers that you can find anywhere in the US. I don't know of any west coast beers other than Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Anchor steam. Anyway, New Glarus Brewing Co has a beer called Totally Naked. It's an equivalent to Miller Lite and the like. Check to see what local breweries you have in the area that may have a lighter beer. Don't go with the light version of a breweries regular beer. That's just lame. (I would argue against Sam Adams for that reason). Most of the beers mentioned here in the comments were not micros and most were imports. While there is nothing wrong with a good import (Hacker Pschorr) they are not local. If you want good local beers go to your local liquor store. Not the hole in the wall, bars on the windows and doors type of place but a local small town joint. Many of them carry local beers or will be able to recommend local beers. Also check out local restaurants. A lot of places will carry local beers on their menus. Ask the waitstaff or bartenders at local restaurants and bars to see what's good for local beers. If all else fails do an internet search for the top microbrews in the nation and see if any of them are in your area. (New Glarus happens to be one of those beers, see if you can pick it up out there. If you can get your hands on it they make two great beers. Spotted Cow and Wisconsin Belgian Red http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Glarus_Brewing_Company The Red is a world award winner and would be a great after dinner beverage) Cheers and happy hunting.
Yorick at 8:14PM on 11/16/08
I wish I knew more about beer. I don't know an ale from a pilsner from a lager from a stout. My grandmother used to drink a black beer and I think she called it porter? I always hated the taste and smell, but decided to revisit. I tried Coors light and thought it tasted like watered down, uhhh, liquid in a cup for the doctor. I tried a bunch in micro-breweries and wasn't a fan. Two I do like ok are Killian's Irish Red and Yuengling - lager I think? So, what kind of beer did I like? I'm clueless on this subject. If I knew what somebody drank, that's what I'd buy, unless they were drinking Beer X because it was cheap - then I'd try to find something more special.
PerkyMac at 8:23PM on 11/16/08
Killians is an Irish Red. It's a sweeter beer and red in color because of the darker roasting of the barley. Red's are great beers and Killians is decent because it is very smooth for a red. Some reds can be a little harsh depending on the barley. Porter are DARK. As are most stouts and oatmeal stouts. They tend to be smooth but rather bitter. Some are even brewed with coffee. Yuengling is a Lager and it is considered the oldest brewery in the nation. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer for info on beer. Then, like I said in my last post, check out local beers. Check out local bars. A good bar will have a lot on tap and will let you sample a beer before you buy a pint. Some local brewpubs (bars that brew their own beer) have tasters. You get a whole bunch of 4 oz beers to sample. It's a good way to see what you like. Cheers!
Yorick at 8:40PM on 11/16/08
Shiner Blonde. It's pale and light tasting but still beats the pants off Bud or Miller beers. The fact that it's a Texas beer might also be a selling point. Hard cider might be another option. I'm an only pale beer drinker myself and hard cider is a great alternative to me. Woodchuck brand is my favorite. I also don't like wine much but would never turn down a glass of Yellowtail Sparkling White Wine.
LizSherman at 8:44PM on 11/16/08
Strangely enough, Killians is made by Coors. I like it anyway. Now, for my personal favorite, one of my husband's coworkers makes his own ales and lagers. I love the ale. He incorporates pomegranate juice into the mix when he brews and it's really tasty. So, I supply his family with homemade bread and he supplies us with good ale. :) Not a bad tradeoff.
buffy at 9:23PM on 11/16/08
@PerkyMac: Both Yuengling and Killian's Irish Red are lagers. You're a lager gal!
Here's a quick and dirty summary of beer types: There are many diverse kinds of beers, but they're usually members of one of two "beer families": ales and lagers. Ales are "top fermented" (i.e. yeast is pitched on the top of the liquid), brewed between 60 and 70 degrees and use ale yeast strains. Lagers are "bottom fermented" (i.e. yeast placed on the bottom of the liquid), brewed below 60 degrees and uses lager yeast strains. There is a third "hybrid" beer family, steam style, that uses a lager yeast strain to ferment beer at typical ale temperature.
Susquehanna at 9:28PM on 11/16/08
A ton of these, the majority of these, are macro brewed inbev products. : (
Prairie at 10:41PM on 11/16/08
Problem is that it's awfully hard to determine what someone else is going to like, even if it's something vaguely similar to what they drink. And many beer drinkers are fiercely loyal to their chosen brand (or brands). Yes, there are some who like to try all sorts of beers, but when it comes down to what they're going to drink as a regular beverage, they still may be set in their ways.
It's like asking someone to switch between Coke or Pepsi. They might try something else, and they might drink something else if there isn't a choice, but they're always going to want the brand that they like, no matter what anyone else says is better.
Make them happy. Buy what they like in quanitity. Bring samples of other stuff to taste, if they want to. It really isn't a big deal if they don't like the same beer you do.
dbcurrie at 2:44AM on 11/17/08
I like Killian's, but I haven't had it in years. I like Saranac Pale Ale quite a bit and around this time of the year, Saranac puts out a twelve pack of different styles of beer. Maybe that would be fun for those who want to try some different kinds of beer.
dhorst at 3:16AM on 11/17/08
Buh? I just found out that Miller merged with Coors. Nooooooooooo!
Susquehanna at 12:32PM on 11/17/08