Beer-Brined Turkey with Beer Turkey Gravy? Yes, Please.

With one of our favorite holidays just around the corner, we can’t help thinking about turkey. We’re always thinking about beer, so now we’re thinking about turkey and beer together. This all works out in your favor because we’ve got some fantastic ideas to share.

Not only can we help you make your turkey the best damn bird you’ve ever tasted, later this week we’ll post some great beers that will help you wash your entire meal down without making you feel like a float from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

If you head over to the Food Network website to check out our friend Emeril’s irresistible, delectable fried turkey recipe you’ll notice that it doesn’t call for any specific type of beer. We wholeheartedly suggest preparing the marinade with your favorite scotch ale.

You need 12 ounces for the recipe, so if you buy a 64-ounce growler, you’ll have about 52 ounces left for the cook.
Just remember that in addition to the ingredients, you will need a turkey pot, peanut oil for frying, and syringes to inject the turkey.

We’ve also uncovered this recipe for Beer Turkey Gravy, which I’ve admittedly never made but will certainly be trying this year.

10 Step Beer Turkey Gravy

8 to 12 crispy bacon strips
2 c chopped white onions
12 oz English brown ale
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp ground pepper
2 c turkey pan drippings
2 tbsp malt vinegar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1. Chop bacon into bits
2. Skim fat off turkey drippings (or use a separator)
3. Pour about 2 cups of the degreased drippings into a saucepan and reduce over high heat to about half of the original amount
4. Turn heat to medium and stir in chopped onions; simmer for about 10 minutes
5. Stir in remaining ingredients (except for the beer and flour) and cook for about 10 minutes
6. Deglaze with beer and reduce for another 10 to 15 minutes over high heat
7. Place pan in ice-water bath to cool a bit
8. Once lukewarm, purée gravy in blender and strain through sieve
9. Return gravy to pan and reheat over medium burner
10. Stir in flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until gravy thickens

Happy holiday planning!