Ohio Brewery News

Pass the Yams, Please

If you’re like me, once Halloween is over, you’re not fast-forwarding to Christmas. No, you’re taking the time to plan out a very special Thanksgiving, the most savory of holidays, before moving on to sugar plums, candy canes and all those sweet treats you sneak in before an inevitable New Year’s resolution to go to the gym more. I, for one, am thankful that no one in my family loves Thanksgiving turkey quite as much as I do, because, frankly, more for me.

If you’re wondering what any of this has to do with craft beer, well, of course there’s a parallel. Christmas ales, winter warmers and holiday beers are already demanding attention on store shelves all over Ohio, while pumpkin beers, unleashed back in late July and early August, are already drying up. Where are the Thanksgiving beers? Are we just going to let December bulldoze November in every aspect of our lives?

Ron Shea of R. Shea Brewing cries “NO!” with the annual release of the brewery’s traditional Thanksgiving beer, Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Not just a clever name, this milk stout is brewed with, you guessed it, sweet potatoes and maple syrup. This beer is worthy of centerpiece status at your Thanksgiving table: enjoy a pour and pick up cans to go this Friday, Nov. 4 at R. Shea’s brewery taproom at Canal Place in downtown Akron. Details at facebook.com/rsheabrewing2