Thanksgiving at The Beer Thrillers household usually means one thing: yes, the kids are arguing over who gets the wishbone, the pies are cooling on the counter, and the Macy’s parade is droning in the background — but most importantly, a Pennsylvania craft beer is getting cracked and poured into whatever dish I’m cooking. Because if you’re not using local beer in your holiday feast… what are you doing?

This year, we’re going with a full-on PA-powered centerpiece: a Maple–Brown Ale Glazed Turkey, roasted low and slow, basted in a malty, caramel-rich glaze made with one of Pennsylvania’s best fall beers: Troegs’ Troegenator Doppelbock or Victory’s Festbier (both work beautifully and are easy to find statewide). The result is a turkey that’s juicy, glossy, sweet, savory, and unapologetically Pennsylvanian.

Below is the complete recipe, along with a few craft-beer-pairing side suggestions to turn your Thanksgiving table into a full flight of PA brew goodness.

Maple–Brown Ale Glazed Turkey Recipe Card

For More Thanksgiving Themed Articles

See our other Thanksgiving themed articles:

• What Did the Pilgrims Really Drink at the First Thanksgiving?
• Munching on Some Thanksgiving Leftovers (Amy’s Column Series)
• Recipe: Crispy Beer Roast Turkey (using Troegenator)

Maple–Brown Ale Glazed Turkey (Made with Pennsylvania Craft Beer)

Beer Recommendation

Pick one of these PA craft beers depending on your flavor goals:

• Troegs Troegenator Doppelbock – Dark fruit, caramel, toffee; slightly sweet.
  Perfect for a deep, rich, almost BBQ-like glaze.

• Victory Festbier – Clean, bready, slightly sweet malt.
  Lighter, more delicate, but still beautifully malty.

• Weyerbacher Merry Monks – If you want a more Belgian, fruity twist.

For the recipe below, I’ll assume Troegenator, because very little says “Pennsylvania in November” more than that purple-labeled doppelbock.

Ingredients

The Turkey

• 1 whole turkey (12–16 lbs), thawed

• 2 tbsp kosher salt

• 1 tbsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp dried sage

• Olive oil or melted butter (2–3 tbsp)

Aromatics (for inside the turkey)

• 1 orange, quartered

• 1 small onion, halved

• 3–4 garlic cloves

• Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage

The Beer–Maple Glaze

• 1 ½ cups Troegenator Doppelbock (or your PA beer of choice)

• ½ cup pure Pennsylvania maple syrup

• ¼ cup apple cider

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 3 tbsp butter

• Pinch of salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Prep the Turkey

1. Remove giblets and pat the turkey dry.

2. Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, and sage.

3. Rub the turkey generously with olive oil or butter, then coat with the seasoning blend.

4. Stuff the cavity with the orange, onion, garlic, and herbs.

5. Place on a roasting rack in a large pan.

2. Make the Beer Glaze

1. In a medium saucepan, combine Troegenator, maple syrup, cider, soy sauce, Dijon, and brown sugar.

2. Bring to a simmer and reduce by roughly one-third (about 15–20 minutes).

3. Whisk in the butter until glossy.

4. Remove from heat and set aside — it will thicken slightly as it cools.

This stuff smells like caramelized heaven. Resist the urge to drink it.

3. Roast the Turkey

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Roast the turkey uncovered for 1 hour.

3. Start basting with the beer glaze every 20–30 minutes.

4. Continue roasting until the internal temperature hits 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh (usually about 3–3.5 more hours).

5. If the bird is browning too quickly, tent with foil.

Your kitchen will smell like a brewery decided to host Thanksgiving. This is a good thing.

4. Finish & Rest

When the turkey reaches temp, remove from oven and let it rest 20–30 minutes before carving. Brush once more with warmed glaze for that Instagram-ready shine.

Flavor Notes (Because This Is The Beer Thrillers)

A Troegenator glaze gives you:

• Deep caramelized sugar from the doppelbock malt

• Notes of date, fig, and dark fruit

• Rich mahogany color

• A slightly sticky, sweet–savory crust

• Incredible drippings for gravy

If you go with Victory Festbier instead, the turkey comes out lighter and more bready-malt forward — still spectacular, just less intense.

Suggested Pennsylvania Craft Beer Pairings

Serve your turkey with any of these PA craft beer gems:

• Troegs Blizzard of Hops – juicy, bright, seasonal, balances the turkey’s sweetness

• Neshaminy Creek Shape of Hops to Come – for hopheads who want bitterness with the rich glaze

• Rotunda Cran-Gose (Annville) – tart, salty, and the sleeper hit of the meal

• Imprint’s Schmoojee Cranberry variants – dessert in a glass, but pairs amazingly well

Bonus: “Beer in Every Side” Pairing Ideas

Because why stop at the turkey?

Hop-Infused Mashed Potatoes

Stir ½ cup of slightly warmed Troegs Sunshine Pilsner into your mashed potatoes with butter and cream — it adds a grassy, herbal brightness.

Brown Ale Stuffing

Use Lancaster Brewing’s Winter Warmer or Yards Brawler in your stuffing liquid. Absolute game-changer.

Stout Sweet Potatoes

Glaze roasted sweet potatoes with Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Porter (still PA! still craft-adjacent enough!). Chocolate + sweet potato = chef’s kiss. (If you have any left. They stopped making this two years ago. A good new substitute would be Troegs Chocolate Elf.)

Final Thoughts: A Thanksgiving Made the PA Way

If you’re a regular reader of The Beer Thrillers, you know that Pennsylvania isn’t just a craft beer state — it’s the craft beer state. From the giants (Tröegs, Victory, Yuengling) to the small-town killers (Boneshire Brew Workst, Rotunda, YAH Brew, Sworn Brewing, Sterling Pig, Forest & Main), the Commonwealth knows how to brew something for every season.

And Thanksgiving — with all its comfort, nostalgia, chaos, and warmth — is the perfect canvas to show off what Pennsylvania beer can do in the kitchen.

If you end up making this recipe, send pictures or tag us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. And let me know which PA beer you picked — I’m always curious what everyone’s pouring and cooking with.

Happy Thanksgiving, and cheers from The Beer Thrillers!

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