Spring 2026 | Drink Tank

Beer-Paired Easter Meal

Lighter sips and richer offerings complement a holiday meal.

No holiday rule book prevents you from putting a twist on your Easter dinner. Beer pairings can be as intriguing and delightful as a wine pairing with most main courses, even the less-conventional choices that are a part of an Easter celebration.

To provide some drink for thought, here is a sampling of regionally brewed beers and ales just right for Easter entertaining or family dinners.

Ham Roast
Beers with a lighter touch are recommended for a rich meat such as ham. This includes Oh, Honey, which is a honey blonde ale produced by 10 Torr Distilling & Brewing in Reno.

Oh, Honey particularly complements the flavors of honey or brown sugar glazes, says Annalisa Damonte, director of craft beverage and spirit innovation with 10 Torr.

“Its light body keeps the pairing refreshing while subtle honeyed malt notes enhance the sweetness of the glaze without overwhelming the dish,” Damonte says.

Other potential choices include the Truckee Blonde from FiftyFifty Brewing Co. (in Truckee and Reno), an ale with milder malt and lighter hop notes. Cold Water Brewery & Grill in South Lake Tahoe also has a lager, Agua Fria, which finishes light and has crisp corn notes. At The Depot Craft Brewery & Distillery in Reno, there’s also a crisp option in its Vaquero amber lager.

Lamb Dishes
You could be preparing your lamb rack-style, or it may be roasted leg of lamb that’s on the menu. Either way, different options in the pilsner-to-ale style can work in tandem with herbs such as garlic or rosemary to complement rather than overpower.

For example, Cold Water brews a saison called Farm Snack, which gives fruity notes with a clean finish that works well with lamb dishes. Brandon Wright, founder and brewmaster/distiller at The Depot, suggests the brewery’s Ranch Hand pilsner as a good pairing with lamb.

“I think with the Ranch Hand, you’ve got a really nice kind of neutral palate to let the lamb shine through,” Wright says, “but something that will also cut through some of the richness of the lamb.”

FiftyFifty’s Tahoe Pilz is another pilsner offering that brings a smooth finish to the meal, while the No Town Brown ale from 10 Torr combines caramel and toasted malt notes that work well with roasted lamb and all the trimmings.

Salmon Pairing
Floral or citrus flavors tend to work well with seafood. So it’s logical to pair floral/citrus beers with salmon, a commonly chosen entrée for Easter diners who want to eat a lighter dish for personal or cultural reasons.

The citrus notes that punctuate The Voyager, one of The Depot’s IPA offerings, could work well in this context, while the distinctive tones of the Secret Cove Mexican-style lager from 10 Torr makes it another potential option.

“Its light malt backbone and refreshing finish complement both grilled and roasted salmon,” Damonte says, “while its brightness works especially well with citrus, herbs, or lighter sauces often served at Easter.”

FiftyFifty has its California Pale Ale, which finishes with a malt flavor but has a floral aroma. The Freel Good from Cold Water also brings a citrus flavoring to this hoppy, but not heavy, IPA.

Chocolate Richness
It doesn’t have to be a bunny — and hey, no judgment here if that’s the treat of choice — but a rich porter or stout feels like the right pairing with chocolate.

There is one potential exception, and it’s kind of a curveball: the Peach Raspberry Sour from Cold Water, which is a fruited sour ale, although that brewery also makes an oatmeal stout with hints of cinnamon that also works.

“Sometimes you want to try to find something that complements chocolate, but sometimes my brain just goes to chocolate on chocolate,” Wright says to explain why he recommends Boris, an imperial stout. “It has a lot of rich roasted coffee notes. It’s always a fun one; it’s kind of like a double fudge brownie.”

Some other ideas include the Donner Party porter from FiftyFifty, which has hints of dark chocolate and mocha, or 10 Torr’s Fight Milk, a white chocolate coffee milk stout with a creamy texture and its own coffee notes — either would provide a robust ending that seems right for an Easter holiday meal.