Craft brews to pair with your holiday feast.

It's officially food season — a time of year marked by a seemingly endless string of gatherings that revolve around food. I'm talking the kinds of spreads that make buttons pop and belts strain: heaping plates of food like sweet potatoes, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and, of course, the main courses — turkey, goose, duck, lamb, pork roast, London broil and roast beef. All evoke thoughts of richness. Crispy brown skin, juicy and succulent meat (light and dark), and all the trimmings and sides usually accompanied with pairings of red and white wines.

Stop right there. There's another libation option: beer. In fact, craft beers offer an incredible variety of choices to serve with your feast. Any main course is a perfect match for at least a few craft beers, and the smoky, juicy meats lend themselves to a variety of beers readily available at your local craft beer store. Even better, a variety pack can give you a beer for nearly every course. You can even plan a progression of beers that match each dinner course.

Salad: Pairing with fresh garden vegetables is always a treat, so go for a (local if possible) Belgian wit or Hefeweizen. Something like Cigar City's Florida Cracker White Ale, which is light and flavorful without being overpowering, and a good balance to bring out the flavors of the veggies and dressing.

Turkey: For the sweet-smoky flavor of the meat along with the herbal and savory notes brought by the seasonings and stuffing, I recommend a good brown ale like the Sierra Nevada Tumbler that has a strong malt character with a hint of bitterness. Some other options would be an English-style Extra Special Bitter (ESB) like Southern Tier's Harvest Ale or Heavy Seas' Winter Storm. Some prefer a farmhouse or Saison. In that case, try Saint Somewhere's Lectio Divina or The Bruery's Saison De Lente. The "farmhouse funk" is a good contrast to the savory seasonings, and can balance some of the fattier aspects of the plate.

Beef or Lamb: The heartier meats call for heartier beers. Think porters, smoked beers and even Scottish ales. Try a Left Hand Brewing Smoke Jumper to bring out smoky notes, or a Jack the Quaffer London Porter from Tampa Bay Brewing Company. If you want a hint of sweetness, try a Tasgall Ale from Highland Brewing.

Of course, if you do not want to venture too far out of your comfort zone, you can't go wrong with a good amber or pale ale. Lagunitas Dogtown Pale or Ballast Point Calico Amber will go well with anything you stack on the platter.

Dessert: Feast-time dessert is all about the pies. Pumpkin, pecan, apple, mincemeat, chocolate, sweet potato — depending on where you come from, there might be a dozen other varieties. If there are tart fruits or chocolate on the sweets table, a coffee or chocolate stout is always a good match; try Oskar Blues' Ten-Fidy or Rogue Chocolate Stout. For a special treat, pick up a bottle of Cigar City's Sugar Plum Brown Ale. Another choice would be to go super-heavy and grab a barley wine like Stone Brewing's Old Guardian or another "big," deeply flavored beer like Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron.

Whatever you are serving, there is a beer to match it. Whoever your guests are, there will be beers they like if given the opportunity. I am a great advocate of bringing beer to any table, and the holidays are the perfect time to give friends and family the gift of craft beer.

This article appears in Nov 24-30, 2011.