Thanksgiving dinner and beer?

DENVER -- When it comes to dinner, even Thanksgiving dinner, Jorge de la Torre orders beer, not wine.

It's not that he doesn't know or like wine. Afterall, he is the dean of culinary education at Johnson & Wales University in Denver. Rather, he thinks many so-called craft beers -- once better known as microbrews -- can make better pairings with food than wine.

"I try to hold my head up, even in those fancy places," he said recently.

And there may be no better time to test his theory than at Thanksgiving, when dinner plates become cacophonies of taste -- savory turkey, salty ham, sweet and tart cranberries, creamy mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

"That is a tough plate to match [with a wine]," de la Torre said. "The beauty of beer is that with one or two beers, you can hit all those flavors without contrasting and clashing." Not only is a good beer refreshing, the lower alcohol content can keep you from getting too tipsy in front of the in-laws, and the carbonation helps clear the palate, said de la Torre, who brought his message to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver this fall.

Ready to try it this Thanksgiving? John Fischer, an instructor at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., suggests a Belgian-style beer, which he said have a little more alcohol and body to deal with richer dishes, and a good balance of malt and hops. Something from Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, N.Y., for example, or Golden Monkey, a Belgian-style Tripel from Victory Brewing, he said.

Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver suggested any sort of brown ale or biere de garde, which is French farmhouse ale.

De la Torre said switching beers between dishes works well. Cream-style ales or pale ales can cut through the fat of the skin and gravy of turkey, while sweet doppelbocks can go with salty ham.

And if your guests are more accustomed to sipping wine, consider the holiday dinner a chance to introduce them to the flavors of craft beer.

"It's like a jazz record. There came one day when someone played you your first Coltrane or Miles Davis record. Slowly you became a jazz fan, and that just made your life better," Oliver said. "It's just absolutely wonderful to be that person who opened that door for you."

And if home brewing is your thing, Fischer suggests making a malty, spiced beer to go with dessert.

"The first thing people have and the last thing people have leave the biggest impressions. That could be a cool way to end a meal, with a malty, spicy beer to serve with a pumpkin pie," he said.

Mike Mosier of Parker, Colo., a "middle-aged" home brewer, said bringing his own brews to big meals have made him the go-to guy for drinks at family dinners.

"I never have to make another side dish again," he said grinning.