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Thanksgiving is a Time to be Thankful..for Good Beer -Melinda Rainsberger

It’s one of my favorite holidays! And went whole-hog and made a mini Thanksgiving dinner (Minigivings) to try out beers with. I decided to keep with the small theme, and try out one of Rhode Island’s smallest brewery to go along with my “small” theme. I invited a small group of friends over and will include some of their reviews.

First off, the menu:

-Mashed Potatoes

-Stuffing (Whole Foods mix with onions and celery)

-Sauteed brussel sprouts

-Duck

-Pecan pie

–Honey Vanilla Whiskey Ice Cream

 

We tried the three offerings that Crooked Current currently offers: their Immorality Pale Ale, Oatmeal Raisin Stout, and Plunderdome Pumpkin Maple Ale. The only catch is that they’re only available to buy at their brewery during tastings. They’re located at 558 Mineral Spring Ave. in Pawtucket. Swing around the building to the left hand side to find their charming brewery.

I also picked all of Crooked Current’s beers because they are 5-6% ABV–perfect for the long periods of snacking and drinking during Thanksgiving (or all of Thanksgiving weekend).

First beer: Immorality Pale Ale. I really like this beer. It wasn’t too hoppy, and the citrus balanced the heavy carb dishes and gamey flavors of the duck. This seemed to be the least interesting to the group–and most like IPAs. This is another IPA for those that don’t like IPAs.

Second beer: Oatmeal Raisin Stout. I’ll admit, I cheated a little and had these before I chose them for the Minigivings. This one surprised me and it was the clear winner at the table. You think it’s going to be sweet and heavy, and instead it’s dry and light. The spices, raisin, and vanilla flavors aren’t overpowering, and mix very well with Thanksgiving type foods. We were watching a tense football play while eating and one of my friend distractedly took his first sip. He instantly stopped and commented on the beer. The Oatmeal Raisin Stout got between a footbal fan and his football.

Third beer: Plunderdome Pumpkin Maple Ale. This was the one I was most excited about. At the tasting, it was much too sweet. The maple flavor was very obvious. I felt a little bad including it, but I wanted to give my guests the full tasting I had gotten. And then we took the beers out of the fridge to photograph them and the Pumpkin Ale became amazing. Again, it was so surprisingly good that people had to stop what they were doing. It was still sweet, but also spicy and flavorful. It was more ginger and spices than maple when we went to drink it with the meal. My favorite quote was “I hate pumpkin beer and I hate myself for liking that.“ It was that good it converted people that hate pumpkin beer. Just remember, take it out of the fridge when you’re sitting down to eat and it will be the perfect temp when you’re ready to drink it.

In case you can’t get out to Crooked Current, here’s my top five (er, seven) beers for Thanksgiving. These are both good beers to pair with Thanksgiving, but also unique enough to claim a spot at the table. Put them in a fancy pint glass if anyone complains.

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope your leftovers are plentiful and tasty!

 

1. Crooked Current (Oatmeal Raisin, IPA, and Pumpkin Ale in that order)
2. White Electric Coffee Stout from Revival
3. Baba Yaga from Pretty Things
4. Rain Cloud from Foolproof
5. Great Ketch (3 Year Anniversary) by Grey Sail