Thanksgiving Dinner

Captain Lawrence Brewing’s ‘Cuvee de Castleton (2015) meets my Thanksgiving plate.

I’ve never been a fan of cranberry sauce. As a result, my Thanksgiving meals usually don’t have much acidity built into them. Potatoes, stuffing, turnips and some roasted vegetables drenched in gravy? Hell yes. Fruit best known for treating urinary tract infections? Meh.

As I’m getting older though, I’m starting to pay more attention to flavor. More specifically, how different aspects of what we eat and drink impact our overall experience. A while back I watched Samin Nosrat’s Netflix series “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” (based on her book by the same name) and it was eye opening for me. It’s incredible to see how the interplay of basic elements can turn a dish from meh to delicious.

I’ve always been interested in pairing beer with food, so my recent culinary adventures have seen a lot of experimenting with suds. Which brings us to my Thanksgiving plate’s lack of acidity!

Bring on the Beer

Sours are a mixed bag for me. Anything too sour turns me off with just a sip. Further complicating matters, a lot of sours give me a mild allergic reaction. Nothing too wild, just some mild sweating.

Captain Lawrence’s sours, however, are usually on the mellower side with more complexity than your average mouth-puckering brew. This makes them a fantastic compliment to food. Cuvee de Castleton in particular melds subtle white grape notes with a hefty oakiness and pleasant tartness. Not overbearing at all and the perfect pop of brightness for a heavy Thanksgiving plate.

‘Cuvee de Castleton (2015)’ Specifics

Brewery : Captain Lawrence Brewing
Location : Elmsford, NY
Style : American Sour
ABV : 8.4%
Notable Ingredients : Muscat grapes; mixed-culture blend of brettanomyces and lactobaccillus for souring process
Release Notes : 2015 batch