It’s that time of year where you get to sit down with family, argue over politics and than make peace by pulling out your favorite bottle from your collection. Upon popping open your most sacred brew, frowns turn upside down. Grandma smiles a bit. Your son releases your other son’s neck from his grasp and Aunt Myrtle drops her cane in favor of a tulip glass, so that she can try your offerings. Beer solves problems. It’s the ultimate bridge builder. It intoxicates angst, lifts spirits and calls on people to rally around a shared love.
This holiday season we encourage you to grab your favorite beer, or growler from your favorite Tap Trail brewery and invite family and friends over for a drink to go with their tryptophan.
The following recipes have been gathered through extensive online research and forum combing. Take your pick and be the star of your next holiday gathering.
Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon – Boundary Bay Imperial Oatmeal Stout
TOTAL TIME:
INGREDIENTS – Full Recipe Here
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 8 bay leaves
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 2 onions, cut into thick wedges
- 1 pound slab bacon, skin removed and meat sliced 1/3 inch thick
- Six 12-ounce bottles Guinness stout
- One 12- to 14-pound turkey
- 1 cup turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Swiss Beer Bread – Kulshan Brewing’s Dude Man Wheat
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 50 min. + cooling
INGREDIENTS – Full Recipe
- 4 ounces Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer or nonalcoholic beer
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Beer and Coffee Steaks – Aslan Brewing’s Java Lava
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 6-8 hours + Bake: 15 min.
INGREDIENTS – Full Recipe
- 12 ounces dark beer, such as Aslan’s Java Lava
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco
- 4 boneless strip steaks (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), trimmed of fat
- 3 tablespoons finely ground espresso or dark roast coffee
- 1 tablespoon pure chile powder (such as ancho)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Green Beans in Beer Sauce – Wander Brewing’s Shoe Toss Rye IPA
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Cook: 8 hours
INGREDIENTS – Full Recipe
- 1/3 pound bacon strips, diced
- 1 package (16 ounces) frozen cut green beans, thawed
- 1/3 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
- 1/3 cup butter, cubed
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons grated onion
Chocolate Stout Loaf Cake with Blackberry Frosting – Chuckanut Brewing Stout
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Cook: 1hr.
INGREDIENTS – Full Recipe
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cup (335g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (7g) vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (170g) stout beer
- ¼ cup (55g)vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa (60 g) powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) salt
- ½ cup (130 g) blackberries
- 2 cups (1/2 lbs) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5g) fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon (3g) vanilla extract
IPA Crab Salad Sliders with Apple Daikon Slaw – North Fork IPA
TOTAL TIME: 15min
INGREDIENTS – Full Recipe

- ½ large honey crisp apple, cut into thin matchsticks
- 3 ounces daikon, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- ¼ cup green onions, sliced
- 2 tbs IPA
- 1 tbs raw honey
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 tbs IPA
- ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- pinch chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbs IPA
- 8 wt oz lump crab meat
- 10 Slider Buns