10 Friendsgiving Drinks and Food Ideas for the Whole Table

What is Friendsgiving?

Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving-style meal shared with friends, often as a potluck. One friend brings the stuffing, another claims dessert, and someone arrives with the cranberry sauce they insist is better than the canned kind.

If you’re hosting, give the drinks some thought too. You’ll want a beer to pour when guests arrive, a cocktail or two for anyone in the mood, and something that works with dinner. You can even use some of those beers in the food. These ten ideas take you from the first toast to the crowded dinner table and the last square of brownie.

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10 Friendsgiving Drinks and Dishes Worth Sharing

1. Cornbread Dressing With a Malty Lager

Cornbread dressing earns its place on the table: soft in the middle, crisp around the edges, and usually the first side dish someone asks to take home. For an easy crowd-pleaser alongside it, pour Sport Beer. This Dunkel lager has caramel and biscuit notes that fit the toasted cornbread, especially if the dressing includes sausage or browned onions.

If you’re making the dressing, bake it in a wide dish so there’s plenty of golden top to go around. Keep the beer chilled until dinner and pour it once everyone has filled their plates.

Sport Beer has enough malt character to sit beside turkey and gravy, so guests can stick with the same glass through the main course. There’s no need to turn every Friendsgiving beer into a cocktail. Sometimes the most useful drink is the one you can pour for a table full of hungry friends.

2. Pumpkin Pie With Pumpkin Spice Stout

Save Pinter's Black Magic Hour for dessert. This pumpkin spice stout brings chocolate and warm spice notes to a slice of pumpkin pie. It works particularly well when the pie is served cool with a generous spoonful of whipped cream. The beer is rich, so offer a small pour first; anyone who wants more can come back to it.

Set out the pie, glasses and beer together after the dinner plates have been cleared. If friends are bringing dessert, this is an easy pairing to take responsibility for without adding another dish to your oven schedule.

You could also serve the stout alongside pecan pie for guests who would rather skip pumpkin. Keep a few regular coffee cups nearby too. A relaxed dessert table lets people choose their own last course, whether that’s pie and beer, coffee and pie, or a little of everything.

3. Cranberry Orange Shandy

A cranberry orange shandy looks right at home at Friendsgiving and takes less time to make than a round of complicated cocktails. The always-welcome Golden Grove Belgian Wit is a lovely choice for it. Its citrus and gentle spice notes sit comfortably with the fruit juices, making this a bright drink to offer before dinner.

For one glass, chill 2 ounces of cranberry juice, 2 ounces of orange juice and 6 ounces of Golden Grove. Pour the juices into a tall glass, add the beer slowly and garnish with an orange slice.

If your cranberry juice is particularly tart, taste it before making a whole round. For a group, combine equal amounts of the two juices in a pitcher and leave it in the fridge. Add the beer to each glass when serving, so it keeps its fizz. You can set the pitcher and chilled glasses out for guests to help themselves.

4. Maple Bourbon Beer Cocktail

Maple syrup and bourbon already belong in the same fall conversation. Add lemon and lager, and you have a cocktail that feels right for Friendsgiving without asking the host to spend the evening behind a bar. Sunlit Lager gives the drink its crisp finish.

For each serving, fill a tall glass with ice. Add 2 ounces of bourbon, ¾ ounce of maple syrup and ½ ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir, top with 5 ounces of cold Sunlit and stir once more, gently. Finish with an orange slice.

Taste the bourbon, maple and lemon mixture before adding beer; a small extra squeeze of lemon can help if your maple syrup is especially sweet.

To make several drinks, measure the first three ingredients into a pitcher ahead of time. Keep that mixture chilled, then add Sunlit separately as you pour each glass.

5. Cold Brew and Stout Nightcap

When the pie comes out, coffee usually isn’t far behind. This small cocktail combines the two, with the indulgent Shadow & Cream adding a stout finish. Its chocolate and coffee notes make it a natural choice after dinner, especially for guests who are lingering over dessert.

Start with ginger–brown sugar syrup: blend equal parts fresh ginger juice and dark brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. For one drink, stir 1½ ounces of whiskey, ¾ ounce of syrup and 3 ounces of cold brew with ice until chilled. Strain into a small glass and top with 1 ounce of Shadow & Cream.

Pour slowly to keep the stout’s head in the glass. You can prepare the syrup and cold brew in advance, leaving only the mixing and final pour for later. Serve these in small glasses: between the whiskey, stout and coffee, this is a nightcap.

6. Warm Beer Cheese Dip

Friendsgiving guests rarely arrive all at once. A warm cheese dip gives the early ones something to eat while the rest of the meal comes together. Pinter's versatile En Casa is an excellent pick: this light, crisp lager fits into the dip without taking over the cheddar.

For about 2 cups of dip, simmer 6 ounces of En Casa with ½ teaspoon each of mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce for a minute or two. Turn the heat low and whisk in 4 ounces of cream cheese. Add 4 ounces each of grated Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar, a handful at a time, until smooth.

Season with a pinch of cayenne, garlic powder and salt. Don’t let the cheese sauce boil. Serve it warm with soft pretzels, crackers or sliced vegetables. If it sits out for a while, give it a stir; it will thicken as it cools.

7. Stout-Brined Roast Turkey

If you’ve taken charge of the turkey, the impressive Dark Matter can be part of the main event. Its deep, roasted character suits a brine built around dark beer, brown sugar, onions and spices.

Plan this one before choosing the rest of the menu: the bird needs 24 hours in the refrigerator before roasting.

Toast mustard seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves briefly in a large pot. Stir in kosher salt, dark brown sugar and water, then cool the mixture completely. Add onion wedges, bacon, Dark Matter and more cold water. Submerge the turkey, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

The next day, remove and dry the bird, arrange the onions and bacon around it, and roast. Use a food thermometer: the thickest part of the breast and the innermost thigh and wing must reach 165°F. Make gravy from the pan juices, roasted onions and stock while the turkey rests.

8. Beer Bread and Sausage Stuffing

Here’s a job for the friend who likes bringing the stuffing. The dependable Ancestor’s is a good choice for beer bread, with a malty, low hop profile that works well in a savory dish. Bake the loaf a couple of days ahead so it has time to dry out before you turn it into stuffing.

For the bread, stir together 3 cups of self-rising flour, 1 to 4 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of melted butter and 1½ cups of Ancestor’s. Spoon into a greased loaf pan, drizzle with another tablespoon of butter and bake at 375°F for about 45–50 minutes. Cool it, then cube it once stale.

Brown sausage and soften onion and celery with sage and thyme. Toss with the beer bread cubes, French bread cubes, broth, parsley and beaten eggs. Bake in a buttered dish, covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for another 30, until the top is golden.

9. IPA Mac and Cheese

There’s usually someone at Friendsgiving who cares more about the mac and cheese than the turkey. The bold Space Hopper West Coast Edition from Pinter's beer collection is a fun choice for this version. It gives the dish a little hop character, but the cheese still does the heavy lifting. A small amount of beer is all it needs.

Cook elbow macaroni and set it aside. Gently reduce heavy cream with coriander seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves, stirring so it doesn’t catch. Strain out the spices and melt sharp cheddar into the warm cream. Add hot sauce and black pepper to taste, then stir in the macaroni, cooked peas and a little shredded ham hock.

Mix in ¼ cup of Space Hopper and transfer everything to a baking dish. Scatter cooked bacon and breadcrumbs over the top and bake at 400°F until golden. If you’re bringing it to someone else’s house, ask whether you can use their oven for the final crisp topping.

10. Coffee Stout Brownies

Brownies travel well, can be made ahead and don’t require anyone to find another dessert plate. The tempting Deep Shade is an excellent stout for these: its coffee and roasted notes suit the chocolate. Cut the finished tray into small squares, because there’s likely to be pie on the table too.

Heat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan. Mix 1 cup of flour, ¼ cup of cocoa powder and ½ teaspoon of salt. Melt 3½ ounces of semisweet chocolate. Brown a stick of butter in a separate pan, stir it into the chocolate, then add ½ cup of Deep Shade.

Beat 4 eggs with 1 cup each of white and brown sugar until thick. Mix in the dry ingredients and chocolate mixture, followed by vanilla and chocolate chips. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the center looks fudgy but not wet. Cool before cutting.

Brewing for Friendsgiving With Pinter

Friendsgiving planning gets easier when you know how much beer you have. Each Fresh Press makes 12 US pints in a Pinter, so think about what you’ll pour and what you’ll set aside for the dip, stuffing or brownies.

Start brewing ahead of the gathering. Each beer has its own brewing and conditioning times, so check your chosen pack and work back from Friendsgiving, allowing time to chill it before serving.

You don’t need to make all ten ideas. A crowd-pleasing lager and a stout give guests a good choice; add a Belgian wit if cranberry shandies are on the menu. Browse our beer range and choose what suits your table.

SHOP PINTER

A Friendsgiving Menu Worth Sharing

You don’t need all ten ideas on one table. Pick a drink to welcome everyone, let friends bring a few dishes they love, and save something chocolatey for the end. If the stuffing goes quickly or someone asks to take a brownie home, you’ve done well.

Friendsgiving leaves room for second helpings, long conversations and whatever your friends decide to bring.

Friendsgiving Drinks & Food FAQs

About the author

Jess D’Amico

Community Director

Jess D'Amico is one of Pinter's brewing experts, here to share everything she knows and keep the brewing community connected with the team behind the scenes.