If nothing else, be thankful for all the beer!

As if we needed further encouragement to crack open a few beers on Thursday, the National Beer Wholesalers Association is telling us that beer—and lots of it!—is now a mandatory part of any Thanksgiving meal. The trade group trots out Brasserie Beck’s Bill Catron, a D.C. beer expert who’s actually earned a Belgian knighthood for his knowledge of the stuff, to offer guidance: He suggests matching a cold, crisp pilsner with appetizers like shrimp; a ‘spicy’ blond ale with pumpkin soup; red Flemish ale with leafy greens; and Witt ale with cranberry sauce.