Look beyond your go-to vinos and brews.
There's no greater joy than when you find your beverage of choice—something delicate, refined, intricate on the the palette. For this holiday, we've assembled choice selects from local wine and beer experts to pair with your holiday feasting.
Rich Higgins, Master Cicerone, Certified Sommelier and Consultant à la Bière
Higgins was only the third person in the world to be certified as a Master Cicerone back in 2010. He's also a brewmaster, instructor, consultant, and host for beer events and beer immersion travel. Here are his recommendations for the best beer to pair with holiday eats.
"Holiday spreads tend to be fairly hefty, buttery, and often flavored with herbs and spices. Beers that work best with these foods tend to be medium bodied, around 6-8% ABV, and not overly bitter with hops. From there, you've got options for fine tuning to your food, palate, and price. Sourness, amber-red color, added spices, and expressive yeast strains are all good directions to go for serving memorable beers that will make delicious pairings. And for celebrating Christmas Eve the Italian way with a Feast of Seven Fishes, open a dry porter (like Anchor Porter and Marin Pt. Reyes Porter) or a saison (like Henhouse Saison or North Coast Le Merle) for the perfect pairing with oysters, crab, halibut, and herby pastas."
Higgins' go-to beers for pairings:
Sour Red Ales:
Spiced Beers:
Belgian Tripels and Golden Ales:
Weizenbocks:
Bourbon-Barrel Aged Beers (especially with dessert):
