To say this year’s Thanksgiving is going to be different is an understatement. Sure, the food will most likely be the same, but the people won’t. It is going to take a lot of willpower and self control to keep from inviting everyone over for a big meal. We’re also going to be facing a big change in how we prepare food and drink for that day.

For the holiday, I’m sticking with my message that we need to focus our spending power on locally owned and operated companies. A simple way to do that is to purchase your beer for Thanksgiving from one of the many local breweries on Oahu.

Most of that money will remain right here. Not only will we be helping to employ local people, but the profits will stay here, to be reinvested and recycled through our local economy. In a sense, your dollar goes a lot further here, versus spending it with a large multinational.

The other great thing about purchasing directly from a brewery is that you can grab a few different styles of beer by filling up more than one crowler (large aluminum can). Variety is the spice of life, right?

Now that we’re charged up to purchase some amazing locally brewed beer, let’s figure out the pairings!

Daytime football watching and food prep: While I’m cooking I love to have an easy-drinking, delicious beer in my glass. It’s therapeutic to sip and dice. You want a clean, light beer that won’t overpower you before you get to dinner. I suggest picking up Pali Pils from Honolulu Beerworks. Available in six-packs of cans, this is a brightly hopped German-style Pilsner with a very clean body, notes of toasted biscuits and just enough hops to make each sip smack on your lips. Clean, refreshing and full of flavor at only 4.8% alcohol by volume, it’s just the beer you want while getting those carrots and green beans chopped.

The meal: I like to keep meal pairings simple, so my goal is to find one beer that works with the entire meal, from the sides to the main protein. For a traditional Thanksgiving dinner I like beers that have a touch more malt and that are not too hoppy.

These options come from different breweries, so you can choose one that makes the most sense for you. From Beer Lab HI (available at all three locations), grab a crowler of Under My Amberella, an American amber ale with a fantastic tangerine and orange-peel aroma from the hops and a soft, toasted stuffing-like malt flavor. At Aloha Beer Co., grab a 25-ounce can of Kashmir red lager. With vibrant aromas and flavors of honey, fresh berries and warm toasted crostini, this beer finishes nice and dry and won’t overpower your main dishes. Or pick up Waikiki Brewing Co.’s English Brown Ale (at Waikiki and Kakaako locations) for something with a bit more body and a toasty, nutty flavor that goes great with stuffing and gravy.

The sweets! For the end of the meal you want a beer that can stand up to heavier flavors and sugar. Head over to Inu Island Ales in Kaneohe to pick up a crowler of their Banana Fosters Stout for a sweet treat that may steal the after-dinner show. Black as night and, yes, it really does taste like a chocolate version of bananas Foster. Or, for another liquid sweet treat, Broken Boundary Brewery’s Bread Pudding is layered with sweet malt flavors and spiced with cinnamon, fenugreek and vanilla. Perfect with any pumpkin dessert!

Tim Golden, a certified cicerone, shares his obsession with all things craft beer on the third week of each month. He is part owner of Village Bottle Shop in Kakaako.