Ah, Thanksgiving. Time to shovel Aunt Erma’s “world-famous” stuffing into your face while you ponder what the heck the crumbly conglomeration is, anyway. We know it’s tough to make it through a three-hour meal with your distant relatives garbling about how millenials are ruining the country and the only glimmer of hope is The Cheeto-Man himself, so why not numb the pain with a brewski? With the thousands of egregious calories you’ve consumed with multiple trips to the buffet ol’ Erma has set up, chances are there isn’t a single millimeter of space left for that pumpkin delicacy you’ve been eyeing since the tryptophan set in. But hey, there’s always room for beer.
Pilgrim — MadTree
Commemorate the somewhat-fraught bond forged between settlers and Native Americans with this fall pale ale that boasts a cornucopia of deliciousness, including notes of cranberry and vanilla to enhance hoppiness. MadTree 2.0, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, madtreebrewing.com.
Pepo Acer — Fibonacci Brewing
We know you didn’t get that pie, so fill the void with a local spin on a Fibonacci’s classic pumpkin porter, brewed with pumpkin and spices, then infused with a dose of Holtman’s maple bacon donut flavor. 1445 Compton Road, Mt. Healthy, fibbrew.com.
Harvest Ale — Mt. Carmel Brewing Company
Pour a pint of this ale with a perfectly balanced hops-to-malt ratio and notice its staple hazy, reddish-brown tint that mimic the magnificent colors of autumn that everyone always ogles over. Mt. Carmel Brewing Company, 4362 Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road, Mt. Carmel, mtcarmelbrewingcompany.com.
Autumn IPA — Fifty West
Fifty West cranks out a 6.3 % ABV, caramel malt-packed IPA that’s light enough to consume on a full tummy, but strong enough to make the family strife more bearable. Fifty West Brewing Company, 7668 Wooster Pike, Mariemont, fiftywestbrew.com.
Cheating the Gallows — Bad Tom Smith Brewing
A pumpkin ale brewed with sugar, spice and everything nice — with a not so nice name — including pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, maple syrup and chicory root, so you can get your fill on autumnal goodies in booze form.
Cranberry Chutney and Cranberry Sour Ale — Urban Artifact
On Nov. 21, Urban Artifact is releasing these two brews in bottles at the taproom. Cranberry Sour Ale is aged in red wine barrels with pounds and pounds of fresh cranberries, while Cranberry Chutney is a variant of that ale with cranberries, vanilla beans, orange zest, ginger, star anise and cinnamon.
More Thanksgiving Beer Events
Arnold's Bar and Grill — Arnold's Black Friday party rings in the 12 (actually 13) beers of Christmas and Hanukkah, too, for some hearty seasonal drinking. They have gathered some of the most rare and sought-after beers to tap. 9 p.m.-midnight Nov. 24. Free admission. 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, facebook.com/arnoldsbar.
Here are all 13:
- Great Lakes Christmas Ale — Honey, cinnamon and ginger spices in a holiday ale. 7.5 % ABV.
- Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas — Full of seasonal flavors, including toasted and caramel malts, honey, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. 8.5 % ABV.
- Revolution Fistmas — A holiday red ale with aromas of fresh-baked bread, caramel and stone fruit, with ginger root and orange peel. 6.1 % ABV.
- Delerium Noël — Brewed only for release around Christmas and New Year, this completes the Delerium trilogy in a beer with a warm copper color. 10 % ABV.
- Bell's Christmas Ale — A traditional and rich Scotch ale with notes of caramel and a warm finish. 7.5 % ABV.
- Scaldis Noël — The Scaldis Noël derives much of its rounded character from the use of roast caramel malts. 12 % ABV.
- Abita Christmas Ale — A brown ale brewed with 10 types of malted barley and fermented American Ale yeast. It features pale malt as well as a combination of caramel, Munich, chocolate and roasted malts, plus a nice piney and citrus hop flavor and aroma. 5.5 % ABV.
- Dark Horse 4 Elf Ale — This dark brown winter warmer features cinnamon and clove aromas. 8.75 % ABV.
- St. Bernardus Christmas Ale — A dark colored beer with a creamy, thick head and velvety taste.10 % ABV.
- Prairie Artisan Ales Christmas Bomb! — A standard Bomb! beer with the addition of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. 13 % ABV.
- Warped Wing Esther's Little Secret 2017 — A winter white ale made with Esther Price Candies, featuring chocolate and vanilla cream. 8 % ABV.
- Rhinegeist Dad — A hoppy holiday red ale with some spice, citrus and caramel. 6 % ABV.
- Shmaltz Brewing Co., Chanukah Hanukkah Pass the Beer — A Hanukkah beer to pair with chocolate gelt, latkes and "the battle royale of dreidels." 8 % ABV.
Brink Brewing Co. — Brink hosts Black Friday Brews, a collection of special limited-release porters and stouts. There will be dark beer goodies and holiday gift bags available for purchase. 1 p.m-midnight Nov. 24. Free admission. 5905 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, brinkbrewing.com.