While the rest of the panicked holiday preppers fret over which wine pairs  best the Thanksgiving turkey, we have an alternate suggestion for the  peripatetic pilgrims bound for your table this year: Serve beer.

“It’s not like wine, which can get confusing. Beer provides bold,  distinguishing flavors and expressions,” says Josh Bernstein, author of Brewed Awakening: Behind the Beers and  Brewers Leading the World’s Craft Beer Revolution.  Jimmy Carbone, owner of New York City’s craft beer haunt Jimmy’s No. 43  agrees: “I feel many beers go with many foods, and are more flexible than  wines.”

Take that, Beaujolais Nouveau.

According to the Brewers Association, craft beer sales in the U.S. showed a  nice 15 percent increase in 2011, and early reports for 2012 show 250 new craft  brewery openings, with more expected. What that means for you? Great craft beer  evermore available at a brewpub or store near you.

Another bonus, you’re less likely to embarrass yourself in front of the  guests. Even those with a high alcohol content, at 10 percent or slightly more,  don’t pack a punch like wine, which can hit 16 percent or even 17 percent in a  Zinfandel, for example.

So how do you pair, exactly?

“Typically, when I’m looking at doing beer pairing, I’m looking at the whole  composition of plate,” says beer-and-food pairing expert Ben Lord of Kittery,  Maine’s beer-happy restaurant, The Black Birch.

We asked our three experts — Bernstein (whose just released the App version  of his book last week), Carbone, and Lord — to throw down their favorite  suggestions for everything from turkey to pie, and all sides in between: Here’s  what they came up with:

Appetizers: For the mixed bag of pre-dinner nosh, Bernstein smartly  recommends a clean, crisp Pilsner like Victory Brewing’s Prima Pilsner. “Pilsners won’t knock you over but still have lots of flavor and character. For  appetizers, my classic go-to awesome beer is Victory Brewing Prima Pilsner. It’s  beautiful, brisk, and easy to drink. It’s great on its own but also goes so well  with wide variety of appetizers, like cheeses. It cuts through a nice, rich brie  but also makes a great complement to sharp cheddar.”

Turkey with gravy: “Oftentimes, I think a really good  farmhouse-style Belgian works here,” says Bernstein. “It’s an earthy and  intriguing style, that started back in the day when it was given to Belgian  farmhand workers since there was no potable water. It’s a style that’s been  picked up by a lot of American brewers, and can run the gamut from dry and  hoppy, to sweet and spicy, to peppery and lively. His pick for this holiday:   Colorado’s Funkwerks Saison Belgian-Style Ale, at 6.8 percent ABV, it’s  got notes of citrus, black pepper, and a slight, pleasant lingering bitterness. “It’s classic! The pepper and citrus cut through the richness of gravy and won’t  overpower everything else.”

Read more:  http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/11/20/suds-and-spuds-best-american-beers-for-your-thanksgiving-table/#ixzz2CoTaCvn1