We do things differently here in the South, and that includes our meals and festivities when it comes to one of America’s favorite holidays: Thanksgiving. And with our certain flair for craft beer, you’re not going to want to make the obvious beer and food pairings for your Southern Thanksgiving meal. Here’s our top beer pairing recommendations for your Thanksgiving Feast, particular to Southern cooking.

For the turkey: With the traditional oven-roasted turkey, you’re looking at taking advantage of the local farmhouse ales and saisons for the season. For a more Southern twist, a deep-fried turkey goes well with American pale ales like our Peacemaker (which also fits the theme for Thanksgiving) or an IPA. Due to the versatile flavors of the turkey, you almost can’t go wrong with picking a beer for this course.

With cranberry sauce: The tart and sweet, fruity flavors of cranberry sauce pairs well with the light and floral tones of Belgian-style witbeers and German-style hefeweizens. Having a pint of the Shotgun Betty will complement your uncle’s cranberry sauce-heavy plate.

Stuffing and mashed potatoes: Amber ales and malty stouts can hit the right elements of each of these dishes. Depending on what’s in your stuffing (ex. traditional bread vs. one with added meats like sausage), you can hit some great notes by picking a stout for hearty flavors and mashed potatoes, or an amber for something more lighthearted.

Topped with pecan pumpkin pie: The nuttiness of the pecans with the sweet flavors and spices of the pumpkin and its traditional seasonings is one of the best desserts you can imagine to complete a Thanksgiving dinner. Pair it with a stout ( like our seasonal Pistols at Dawn stout), a quadruple, or a barley wine for the best kind of end to a meal.

With these local beer pairings for your Thanksgiving meal, you’ll definitely create a dinner to remember.