How To Store More Booze and Food

When it comes to hosting the holidays, refrigerator space is key and you can't have beer bottles and cans cluttering up your refrigerator. To maximize your celebration, you'll need an easy means to dispense your beer to all your guests. We recommend a kegerator because not only does it allow your guests to serve themselves and allows you to serve large quantities but, it also greatly affects the taste of your beers! A kegerator gives you the best taste and helps maximize your food storage space.

A standard kegerator can store up to 13.2 gallons or a full-sized keg, which is more than enough to host a Turkey Day get-together. You can also consider a dual faucet kegerator or triple tap kegerator, if you want to offer more beer options for your guests. This is a great way to offer variety and provide several beers to pair with foods from your holiday feast. If you were to try to store a keg worth of beer in your refrigerator, you'll have to ditch all that delicious food! With a kegerator, you'll have plenty of food and beer for your guests all day long.

How To Select a Kegerator

Selecting a kegerator can be a little daunting but we've simplified the process with our miniature guide below. There are a few factors to consider when shopping for a kegerator and simply answering these questions will guide you to your perfect beer dispenser. If you still need more help, we recommend you read our articles on The Anatomy of a Kegerator, Types of Kegerators - The Pros and Cons, and The Top Taps - The 10 Best Kegerators.

Selecting a kegerator will depend on a few major factors:

How many guests are you serving?

Assuming a conservative estimate of each person drinking one beer per hour and approximately a 3 and a half-hour game, this is how much beer you'll need to satisfy your guest. Feel free to adjust accordingly and responsibly to your guests' drinking habits, the length of your party (you may want to include pre or post-game festivities, like Thanksgiving dinner), and remember it's better to slightly overestimate.

For a detailed guide on keg sizes and types, click here.

• 1-3 people - Mini Keg (approx. serving size of 14 pints of beer)
• 4-10 people - 5 gallon Cornelius or Sixth Barrel Keg (approx. serving size of 40 pints of beer)
• 10-15 people - 7.75 gallon Quarter or Slim Quarter Keg (approx. serving size of 62 pints of beer)
• 15 + people - Full-sized Keg (approx. serving size of 124 pints of beer)

How many styles of beer will you be serving?

The more styles you offer your guests, the more possibilities for pairings! It's the time of the year to give and why not give your guests more options? There are a variety of beer styles that will elevate your Thanksgiving meal and complement those rich flavors. Depending on how many styles of beer you'll be serving, you will need a kegerator to accommodate them.

• 1 Style - You'll need a Single Tap Kegerator
• 2 Styles - You'll need a Dual Tap Kegerator
• 3 Styles - You'll need a Triple Tap Kegerator
• 4 or More Styles - You'll need a Commercial Kegerator with multiple taps

Thanksgiving Tastings

The one day to overindulge is Thanksgiving and we want to introduce you to the best food and beer pairings to make this holiday special. Whether you're making the turkey the star of your plate or your food favorite is mashed potatoes, there's a beer to go with that. The versatility of beer ensures that one beer can really complement the whole meal.

Turkey

The smoky roasted and savory caramelized flavors of turkey are mimicked in Amber and Brown Ales. They often have a sweet malty caramel flavor that goes so well with the roasted meat flavors, the sweetness of the meat, and the light hoppy character help brighten and balance the savory flavors of the turkey.

Stuffing

The perfect herby and bready dish that just pairs perfectly with the ultimate liquid carb. A Milk Stout or a Winter Warmer will complement the herbaceous bready flavors of stuffing. Milk stouts are dark and thick ales with low carbonation that won't overwhelm the rich stuffing. The subtle sweetness of milk stouts balances the very savory side dish. Winter warmers have a subtly sweet malt presence and seasonal warm spices. These spices will pair so well with the breadiness of the stuffing.

Mashed Potato

You can't have a Thanksgiving meal without a big creamy pile of mashed potatoes. With the light flavor of the potatoes, it can handle more robust and bold flavors. Strong Ales have a dark body and creamy notes that mimic the flavors and texture of mashed potatoes. American Strong Ales have robust hobby bitter flavors, roasted coffee, and dark chocolate flavors.

Spiced Ales have strong full, rich malty sweetness with hints of caramel and chocolate. This beer will add a lot of complex flavor to a dish that is relatively simple. If you prefer more sweetness in your beer, this is a great option.

Sweet Potato Cassarole

This sweet dish needs a good dose of hoppy bitterness to balance out the sweetness. The bitterness of an IPA will actually help bring out the sweetness in contrast to the sweet potatoes. The bright and heavy hops flavor, plus the citrus notes, will uplift a very heavy dish like this one. If you need something bolder to balance out the sweetness from the marshmallows, we recommend trying a double IPA.

Veggie Dishes

Whether you're serving up brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, squash, or a salad, a Light Lager or a Hefeweizen will pair perfectly with these fresh vegetables. Both of these beers have a very light and refreshing taste with a light and bright hoppy finish that pairs well with the taste of vegetables. The light body of these beers complements vegetables so well.

Pumpkin Pie

No Thanksgiving meal is complete without dessert! The quintessential dessert for Thanksgiving has to be pumpkin pie and we know just the pairing to go with it. A chocolate or coffee porter is just the nightcap you need to pair with your creamy and decadent pumpkin pie. The warm spices used in a pumpkin pie pair perfectly with chocolate or coffee. Plus, the bitterness of these beers balances out the sweetness of the pie, while the rich body of the beer complements the rich texture of the dessert.

How To Serve

If you're hosting Thanksgiving, you need to show your guests how much you love and appreciate them. So, serve them properly! Yes, there is no wrong way to enjoy a beer but there definitely is a right way to enjoy a beer! It really doesn't take much effort to do it right and trust us, your tasting experience will be elevated!

Get the appropriate glassware

Your glassware matters! Believe it or not, the glass you sip your beer from greatly affects your tasting experience! Like wine, the complex flavors in beer will be enhanced when you use the appropriate glass. Some beers need more of a bowl-shaped glass to carry the aromas to the nose and onto the palate but others need a slimmer glass for the perfect foamy head to your beer. To determine your glassware needs, read our article on selecting glassware to complement your beer, here. We have a wide selection of beer glasses here. We also think you can't go wrong with these Insulated Beer Cups, they keep your beer cold and crisp for longer!

Keep your glassware ice cold

Impress your guests with this extra touch of care by popping your glassware in the freezer or refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving. A frosty glass is a real gamechanger when it comes to the beer tasting experience. This will keep your beers cold and crisp for longer. Also, a cold glass prevents the carbonation from disappearing quickly, making your beer go flat.

Properly pour

A kegerator will greatly enhance your beer drinking experience but you also need to properly pour the beer to get the best result. The method is actually quite easy but there is a very specific method to get the perfect pour. We created a complete guide and video to walk you through the perfect pour. Once you get this method down, you can sit back and enjoy your brews!

Thankful For Good Beer

Be thankful for your friends, family, good times, and good beer! Celebrate good beer and amazing people with the best beers and beverages. At Beverage Factory, we want to help you celebrate every occasion properly. Our team of experts can help you select the perfect beverage storage or dispenser to suit your needs. Contact our team at 800-710-9939.