How to Beer-ify Your Thanksgiving Celebration

Get your turkey day plans brewing

Well folks, Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and it’s the perfect time to remember that there are lots of things to be grateful for each and every day. Not just the usual gratitude list, like good health and a roof over our heads — but also life’s simple pleasures, like beer.

Beer is what brings family and friends together for good times. And what better way to enjoy both than throwing a beer-themed celebration this turkey day.

We know that the same old festive shindigs can get boring year after year. So, instead of planning the same run-of-the-mill party, a beer-themed get-together is a great way to offer your guests a fun and relaxed way to indulge in a favorite beverage. So from us to you, enjoy these ideas for hosting a hoppy Thanksgiving, that’ll have your guests RSVPing, “Hell, yes!”

Send beer-themed invitations

These invitations will let everyone know what’s on the agenda at your Thanksgiving celebration. Set your nearest and dearest up for a ball of a time with beer-themed invites. Start off with these customizable templates from Canva and print as many as you need at home. Or make the eco-friendly choice to save trees by sending them as e-vites.

Beer…celebrations…and more beer

Now, let’s get that beer situation sorted, as it will be the main attraction at the table (besides that shiny roasted turkey, of course). The last thing you want is to run low on the drink flow at your Thanksgiving celebration. By asking each guest to bring batches of beers to share, you’ll have more than enough choices to wash down your Thanksgiving feast.

You can even mix things up and plan your drinking around the meals you’ve decided to make. Each guest can bring a beer style that will compliment and enhance every course you serve. For example, the light and refreshing flavors of a lager beer will work well with many dishes, including seafood, chicken, Asian food, or spicy food. This exercise is a fun way to test your guests’ food and beer pairing skills.

Mix your beer into something special

If you don’t want to just pop open a can for your guests, you can easily upgrade your beer to make different cocktails. Try the Chelada, which is a concoction of beer and lime juice. You simply rub the juicy side of a lime wedge along the rim of a glass. Dip the rim into salt, then fill your glass with ice and squeeze fresh lime juice onto the ice. Top off with lager beer and voilà!

Set the scene with beer decor

While there’s definitely an option to purchase the decoration required for creating the best Thanksgiving table, we think it would be even more cool if you could make the decoration yourself. So get out those scissors and cutters and show your guests just how much attention you pay to the details. To help kickstart your inspiration, check out this tutorial on how to make your own coasters from aluminum cans. We also found these video instructions on how to turn empty beer cans into patio lanterns and ashtrays to amp up the boozy vibes for your Thanksgiving soirée.

Create a beer-infused menu

Using beer in your Thanksgiving meals is a great way to add a nod to your theme. We have creamy beer cheese dip, beer can turkey, beer-battered fried green beans and a chocolate beer cake to expand your Thanksgiving dinner horizons. Keep your guests guessing what the main ingredient is but just remember to keep some beer for yourself as you prep the menu.

● Creamy beer cheese dip from The Chunky Chef
● Beer can turkey from The Food Network
● Beer-battered fried green beans from The Chunky Chef
● Chocolate beer cake from I Am Baker

Family Feud – beer style

After you’ve gobbled up the holiday feast, don’t forget to save room for the best part—the Thanksgiving party game. Engaging your family in a little casual competition of Family Feud will get everyone’s adrenaline pumping. Divide the fam into teams and choose someone to play the role of host Steve Harvey. Then gather up beer-centered surveys with questions such as

● Something a man with a big beer belly will have trouble doing
● Another way people say “drunk”
● Something that would annoy a bartender
● Food that go great with beer
● A country that is known for their beer

The answer sheet must contain five responses to each question. The most points will be assigned to the top answer. The host (probably you!) read the question and let a leader from each team give their answer. Each time a team gets one answer wrong, they earn a strike. If the playing team earns three strikes, the opposing team can steal the survey and their points by offering up a correct answer. After playing through the predetermined number of rounds, the team with the most points is declared the winner. And the losing team has to do all the dishes.

That’s a wrap! Ditch the annual snoozefest, and give your Thanksgiving a twist that will get your guests in the mood to celebrate. We believe that beer is the secret sauce to throwing a kick-ass party that might even impress your in-laws. So tell your guests to come thirsty then head to your nearest store that sells Gilly’s Legendary Lager. Don’t want to head to the store? You can order our beer online from Pinkdot.

READ NEXT: Reasons You Deserve A Cold Beer Today