Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Fall Forward

San Diego beer-pairing with autumnal cuisine.

AleSmith tasting room
AleSmith tasting room

Autumns are short in America’s Finest City. The transition from summer’s dog days to mall-Santa season seems like it happens in the blink of a sunglass-shielded eye. But it’s worth taking time to enjoy this stretch from a culinary perspective. Not only is a plethora of produce available, but the weather’s perfect — not too hot, not too cold — to enjoy just about anything. In my opinion, the best way to make the most of autumn dishes, as with any and all food, is in tandem with beers that work with their sweet, savory, herb- and spice-heavy flavor profiles.

Beer-pairing’s easy in summer, when everyone’s primed for hoppy IPAs, pale ales, and light-bodied lagers. Ditto winter, when stouts of all types — oatmeal, chocolate, and imperial — are no-brainers. Pairing with fall fare (exemplified by the traditional Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings) requires finesse, a mastery of mid-bodied beers often overlooked by those seeking the ultimate in refreshment or decadence.

Following are the beers that I feel offer the best compatibility with autumnal offerings from several of San Diego’s top brewing companies.

Alpine Brewing tasting room

The Lost Abbey, Lost & Found Ale: A New World take on a Belgian dubbel, this medium-bodied quaff is bready and spicy, with dried-fruit notes. It sounds like a Thanksgiving dressing, and, not surprisingly, serves as a superior pairing, particularly with dressings made from darker breads like rye.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone, Saison du BUFF: This farmhouse ale collaboration from Stone Brewing Company is brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. The body is light, allowing for all those herbs to shine through and sync up with any and all dishes featuring the same ingredients. Come fall, that’s just about everything.

Iron Fist, Spice of Life: Variety is the spice of life. In this case, it’s the variety of ingredients this Vista brewery uses in this full-bodied, slightly sweet beer made with grains of paradise, bitter orange peel, and coriander. Alone, none screams Thanksgiving, but together, they make a nice foil for everything from cranberry sauce to chestnut stuffing.

AleSmith, Anvil ESB: Perhaps the most-often-forgotten in a line of forward-flavored, award-winning brews, this medium-bodied beer is a model of balance. Neither the malt nor the hop is overstated, making for a versatile beer to match up with any savory dish.

Alpine, Mandarin Nectar: Another beer that fades into the background — Alpine’s IPAs are the stuff of legend among hop heads — this one is exceptional with food in general, but perhaps never so much so as during November. The Mandarin oranges and orange-blossom honey used to brew it complement yams, carrots, and poultry with sweet and citrus-based sauces and glazes.

Ballast Point Brewing tasting room

Ballast Point, Big Eye IPA: By now, you’ve noticed this list’s lack of hoppy beers. With few cold, light, or spicy dishes hitting tables in the fall, there’s not nearly as much call for crisp, hoppy ales, but the malty backbone that makes this India pale ale more British than West Coast also makes it the best IPA for the Thanksgiving table.

Karl Strauss, Red Trolley Ale: Malt is the name of the game here, too. The most award-winning Irish-style red ale over the past half-decade goes well with sweet potatoes, dressing, and even some rich, caramely desserts, thanks to its pronounced, slightly sweet toffee notes.

Coronado, Mermaid Red: On its own, this red ale toes the line between savory and sweet, enough so that the elements work to almost cancel each other out. When food enters into the equation, particularly dishes with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice, it brings out cocoa nuances that make both the beer and the food worlds better.

Manzanita, Rustic Horizon Red Ale: Like the appeal of the previously mentioned reds but have to have those hops so adored throughout San Diego? This is a nice compromise. Hops come on strong without dominating or taking too much away from the malt body that makes it Manzanita’s best-suited fall fluid.

Green Flash, Trippel: Most Belgian trippels are golden yellow, light, and effervescent. Green Flash’s — named the best Belgian-style abbey ale in the country at last month’s Great American Beer Festival — is more medium in body and comes through with more dried-fruit character than the fresh citrus common in traditional trippels. That, and some subtle spiciness, makes it more suited for traditional American autumn fare.

Lightning, Fulminator Lager: This dopplebock is the only lager on this list, not because lagers don’t go well with fall food, but because there aren’t that many produced in San Diego County — and few that are better than the ales put out by the companies that produce lagers. This Poway brewery makes more of the stuff than any other local operation. With its strong character and slight sweetness, this is the lager that goes best with a Turkey Day spread.

Mission Brewery, Amber Ale: Many beer geeks steer clear of ambers on basic principle, remembering a time when amber and red ales were ubiquitous, and, for the most part, bland and unadventurous. Thing is, they’re natural fits for savory, cooler-weather cuisine, especially when they’re bold enough to stand up to it. This one is.

Others: For simplicity’s sake, the focus of this list is on beers available in bottles, but if you’re inclined to visit a brewery to get a growler of fresh beer to bring home for your pairing pleasure, one of the most ideally suited brews for November noshing is Societe Brewing Company’s Belgian amber ale, the Debutante. Other good go-withs: the light pumpernickel character of Latitude 33 Brewing Company’s Pasha’s Rye Brown, and the clove notes of Stumblefoot Brewing Company’s Dunkelweizen.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Reader 1st place writing contest winner gets kudos

2nd place winner not so much
Next Article

San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
AleSmith tasting room
AleSmith tasting room

Autumns are short in America’s Finest City. The transition from summer’s dog days to mall-Santa season seems like it happens in the blink of a sunglass-shielded eye. But it’s worth taking time to enjoy this stretch from a culinary perspective. Not only is a plethora of produce available, but the weather’s perfect — not too hot, not too cold — to enjoy just about anything. In my opinion, the best way to make the most of autumn dishes, as with any and all food, is in tandem with beers that work with their sweet, savory, herb- and spice-heavy flavor profiles.

Beer-pairing’s easy in summer, when everyone’s primed for hoppy IPAs, pale ales, and light-bodied lagers. Ditto winter, when stouts of all types — oatmeal, chocolate, and imperial — are no-brainers. Pairing with fall fare (exemplified by the traditional Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings) requires finesse, a mastery of mid-bodied beers often overlooked by those seeking the ultimate in refreshment or decadence.

Following are the beers that I feel offer the best compatibility with autumnal offerings from several of San Diego’s top brewing companies.

Alpine Brewing tasting room

The Lost Abbey, Lost & Found Ale: A New World take on a Belgian dubbel, this medium-bodied quaff is bready and spicy, with dried-fruit notes. It sounds like a Thanksgiving dressing, and, not surprisingly, serves as a superior pairing, particularly with dressings made from darker breads like rye.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone, Saison du BUFF: This farmhouse ale collaboration from Stone Brewing Company is brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. The body is light, allowing for all those herbs to shine through and sync up with any and all dishes featuring the same ingredients. Come fall, that’s just about everything.

Iron Fist, Spice of Life: Variety is the spice of life. In this case, it’s the variety of ingredients this Vista brewery uses in this full-bodied, slightly sweet beer made with grains of paradise, bitter orange peel, and coriander. Alone, none screams Thanksgiving, but together, they make a nice foil for everything from cranberry sauce to chestnut stuffing.

AleSmith, Anvil ESB: Perhaps the most-often-forgotten in a line of forward-flavored, award-winning brews, this medium-bodied beer is a model of balance. Neither the malt nor the hop is overstated, making for a versatile beer to match up with any savory dish.

Alpine, Mandarin Nectar: Another beer that fades into the background — Alpine’s IPAs are the stuff of legend among hop heads — this one is exceptional with food in general, but perhaps never so much so as during November. The Mandarin oranges and orange-blossom honey used to brew it complement yams, carrots, and poultry with sweet and citrus-based sauces and glazes.

Ballast Point Brewing tasting room

Ballast Point, Big Eye IPA: By now, you’ve noticed this list’s lack of hoppy beers. With few cold, light, or spicy dishes hitting tables in the fall, there’s not nearly as much call for crisp, hoppy ales, but the malty backbone that makes this India pale ale more British than West Coast also makes it the best IPA for the Thanksgiving table.

Karl Strauss, Red Trolley Ale: Malt is the name of the game here, too. The most award-winning Irish-style red ale over the past half-decade goes well with sweet potatoes, dressing, and even some rich, caramely desserts, thanks to its pronounced, slightly sweet toffee notes.

Coronado, Mermaid Red: On its own, this red ale toes the line between savory and sweet, enough so that the elements work to almost cancel each other out. When food enters into the equation, particularly dishes with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice, it brings out cocoa nuances that make both the beer and the food worlds better.

Manzanita, Rustic Horizon Red Ale: Like the appeal of the previously mentioned reds but have to have those hops so adored throughout San Diego? This is a nice compromise. Hops come on strong without dominating or taking too much away from the malt body that makes it Manzanita’s best-suited fall fluid.

Green Flash, Trippel: Most Belgian trippels are golden yellow, light, and effervescent. Green Flash’s — named the best Belgian-style abbey ale in the country at last month’s Great American Beer Festival — is more medium in body and comes through with more dried-fruit character than the fresh citrus common in traditional trippels. That, and some subtle spiciness, makes it more suited for traditional American autumn fare.

Lightning, Fulminator Lager: This dopplebock is the only lager on this list, not because lagers don’t go well with fall food, but because there aren’t that many produced in San Diego County — and few that are better than the ales put out by the companies that produce lagers. This Poway brewery makes more of the stuff than any other local operation. With its strong character and slight sweetness, this is the lager that goes best with a Turkey Day spread.

Mission Brewery, Amber Ale: Many beer geeks steer clear of ambers on basic principle, remembering a time when amber and red ales were ubiquitous, and, for the most part, bland and unadventurous. Thing is, they’re natural fits for savory, cooler-weather cuisine, especially when they’re bold enough to stand up to it. This one is.

Others: For simplicity’s sake, the focus of this list is on beers available in bottles, but if you’re inclined to visit a brewery to get a growler of fresh beer to bring home for your pairing pleasure, one of the most ideally suited brews for November noshing is Societe Brewing Company’s Belgian amber ale, the Debutante. Other good go-withs: the light pumpernickel character of Latitude 33 Brewing Company’s Pasha’s Rye Brown, and the clove notes of Stumblefoot Brewing Company’s Dunkelweizen.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches
Next Article

Best Sports Betting Sites - 10 Online Sportsbooks Ranked for 2024

Best Sports Betting Sites (2024) - Reviews of TOP Online Sportsbooks
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.