Always one for brewing with unusual ingredients like squash or ginger, 3 Freaks Brewery delivers another unique brew just in time for Thanksgiving. Adam’s F%&#in’ Turkey Beer brings intense spice flavors and a hearty body to capture Thanksgiving in a glass.

3 Freaks, located near Denver in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, adds five boxes of Stove Top Turkey Stuffing to each 2.5 barrel batch to achieve the savory holiday flavors. Additions of sage, rosemary and thyme round out the herb profile.

Pass the Stuffing, Hold the Gravy

Owner Jeff Atencio first tried using jars of turkey gravy but that the oils didn’t make for great beer. Pondering how to transfer the essence of the holiday to a beer, he realized that he needed to incorporate the flavors through grain, which drew him to stuffing, a Thanksgiving staple.

Although stuffing remains the foundation of the beer, Atencio changes the ingredients list every year in search of the ultimate mouth-watering Thanksgiving drinker. This year marks the beer’s fifth season.

Pour Me a Turkey Dinner

This year’s brew pours dark brown/rust colored and almost completely opaque. Although the body isn’t quite as heavy as the appearance suggests, the stuffing adds bread notes for a very full mouth feel.

Sage and other herbs feature prominently on the nose and also on the tongue, along with heavy roast malt flavors. The overall impression is—as promised—a mouthful of turkey and stuffing. With all of the breadiness, malt, salt and spice, the beer is surprisingly filling—just like a Thanksgiving feast.

Traditionalists may find Adam’s F%&#in’ Beer a bit over the top, but at 3 Freaks the goal isn’t to blindly conform. Atencio explains that their concept is, “let’s make something different and unique.”

From that perspective, the brew delivers a great expression of the holiday season. In the taproom, it provides quick fix of Thanksgiving goodness for those who can’t wait for the big day. At home, a crowler or two pairs well with an actual turkey and all the fixings.

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