By Susannah Black
From hard cider with turkey to whiskey with pumpkin pie, experience your traditional Thanksgiving meal with these 8 boozes local to Northern Virginia.
Turkey
Winchester Ciderworks cidermaker Stephen Schuurman suggests pairing a cider with your classic Thanksgiving bird: the sweetness of the cider compliments the earthy, saltiness of a brined turkey. ” I would go with a non-carbonated cider like our Wicked Wiles. It’s medium-bodied, acidic and aged in bourbon barrels for nine month,” says Schuurman. Wicked Wiles is available at Winchester Ciderworks in 750 ml bottles for $13. / Winchester Ciderworks, 2502 N. Frederick Pike, Winchester
Honey Glazed Ham
Sean Arroyo, owner of Heritage Brewing Company, suggests his flagship brew Kings Mountain Scot-American Ale as a pairing for a traditional honey-glazed ham: “the nice caramel from the brown sugar [in the ale] would pair perfectly with the salty, sweetness of the ham. You could even reduce the beer to provide an added glaze to the dish.” Growlers of the ale are available for $12 at the brewery’s taproom. / Heritage Brewing Company, 9436 Center Point Lane, Manassas
Mashed Potatoes
Fidelis Beer Company‘s 1775 Ale (available to order online or at Culpeper Cheese Company) is “malt based with notes of toasted caramel and light floral notes.” and would pair well with salty, buttery mashed potatoes. At Culpeper Cheese Company the beer is sol d individually for $2.99 or in packs of 12 for $36.75. / Culpeper Cheese Company, 129 E. Davis St., Suite #100, Culpeper
Sweet Potato Casserole
Owner Mark Osborne of Adroit Theory Brewing Company paired his Thanksgiving-inspired Sweet Potato Porter with a classic sweet potato casserole. “It’s a sweet potato casserole in a glass,” says Osborne. It has notes of “molasses and roasted sweet potatoes,” and will be served at the brewery with a floating toasted marshmallow. Debuting the the day before Thanksgiving, this limited-release brew will be available to take home in growlers for $12. / Adroit Theory Brewing Company, 404 Browning Court, Unit C, Purcellville
Stuffing
Tasting room manager Mike McKew of Sunset Hills Vineyard recommends a creamy, full-bodied white wine to pair with salty and savory stuffing. McKew says Sunset Hill’s 2013 Viognier would counteract the stuffing’s saltiness with it’s “creamy, bold and tropical, passion fruit” tasting notes. The 2013 Viognier is available for club members for $29. / Sunset Hills Vineyard, 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane, Purcellville
Green Bean Casserole
Heather Munden, winemaker at Breaux Vineyards, says green bean casserole’s creamy base requires a wine with a high acidic content; she suggests her red blend 6 Degrees. “Because of the Barbera in it, which is a really high acid wine with cherry and raspberry notes … with plummy and elevated red fruits,” it will compliment the creamy and rich flavor of the casserole. 6 Degrees is available for $30. / Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Purcellville
Cranberry Sauce
Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery‘s owner Karen Reed recommends her complex white blend The White Stallion for a tart cranberry sauce: “it’s Traminette base has a beautiful hint of sweetness with great acidity and a lot of rose petal.” It finishes with a bit of a bite, containing notes of nutmeg. Bottles of The White Stallion are available for $20. / Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery, 18195 Dry Mill Road, Leesburg
Pumpkin Pie
Owner of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company Scott Harris considers his Roundstone Rye to be an appropriate pairing to pumpkin pie: “it definitely seems to go well with all the fall flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg.” Bottles of Roundstone Rye are available for purchase for $45. / Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, 120 W. Main St., Purcellville
