The world of craft beer is a dream come true for any food lover. The sheer variety of beer styles insures that the perfect pairing can be found for any type of food; from light salads to juicy steaks to spicy Thai curries to Thanksgiving dinner, the perfect beer to awaits to complement and enhance your meal. Combined with the ability to ease conversation between relatives, as well as giving you something to sip on during the game, it could be said that Thanksgiving needs beer! Here are some go-to picks for Turkey Day:

Cheese and crackers with Bent Paddle Venture Pils – Pilsners sometimes get a bad rap due to some large, industrial operations brewing them to the lowest common denominator, resulting in not-so-exciting fizzy yellow stuff. However, an authentic craft Pilsner can be a showcase in subtle beauty and balance, featuring a light body, sweet floral aromas, and a palate-cleansing body with light bitterness. They can pair well with a huge variety of foods, especially popular finger foods and snacks, and the relatively low alcohol content will get you off to a good start.

Turkey and Stuffing with Tripel Karmeliet – This complex, rustic, effervescent beer plays very well with the main course. It has enough carbonation and alcohol content to cut through the fat and scrub you palate clean between bites, and it’s signature Belgian yeast strain has some earthy, almost herbal qualities that go great with the veggies and seasoning found in stuffing. Let’s not forget about it’s sweet, bready, malty backbone that can tango with any caramelized bits of the food.

Pecan Pie with Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock – My personal favorite Dopplebock sold at Zipps. Celebrator is sweet, nutty, silky, and warms you up from the inside out. Seeing as I would use many of the same words to describe a slice of pecan pie, these two are a natural pair.

After dinner with Founders Breakfast Stout – Keep the coffee and dessert rolling with this phenomenal beer. It’s a big, rich, sipper of an Imperial Stout brewed with generous amounts of coffee and chocolate to enhance the already roasty malt presence. At 10% ABV, it’ll ease your transition into nap time. Drink it in your favorite chair.