The first big occasion of the season is Easter dinner, where everyone and their grandmother picks up a bottle of Chardonnay.

We suggest showing up with beer. Not any old beer, but something special that'll raise a brow or two. Also, serve the brew in wine glasses. Apart from making wine drinkers more comfortable, you'll show them how beer, much like wine, goes with any cuisine.

For a specific type of seasonal beer, look for the word "bock" on the label. Back in Medieval times, Germanic monks would brew a bock for Lent, while they fasted. Today, there are several sub-styles of bock, but a Maibock is most fitting for spring. These beers are lighter than most bocks, but hold the higher alcohol content bock styles are notorious for. Plus, they have a slightly increased hop bitterness and flavor. Brewery Aying brews Ayinger Maibock, a beer with pale malt sweetness, herbal hoppiness and spicy alcohol, making it a very good example of the bock style. Einbecker Brauhaus brews Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock, which is an extremely malty beer with a healthy dose of German hops and higher alcohol flavor.

Bos Keun from De Dolle Brouwers (The Mad Brewers) is a craft Belgian beer that'll make a big splash at the dinner table. It's a very complex beer that blows any white wine off the table. Flexing from this brew are mangos, almonds and a sweet maltiness with rounded alcoholic esters. Another craft Belgian brew is Brasserie D'Achouffe's towering Chouffe Biere De Mars, that brings sweet and spicy flavors to the palate. Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang is another Belgian-style brew from the U.S. that should interest everyone at the table. It's a very authentic farmhouse-style beer with a crisp, light drinkable body full of spice and fruit flavors.

When in doubt, go with mainstays like Hoegaarden Original White Ale, an all-round great beer that not only pairs well with most dishes, but the spicy flavors aid in cleansing the palate. Or, look towards the Boston Beer Company for their spring addition, Samuel Adams Spring Ale, which is brewed much like the German-style Kölsch with a bready maltiness and a generous hopping.

So there you have it, a few beer suggestions for spring that'll make this year's Easter table more palatable. Just remember: Beer is more diverse than your typical wine, so take a chance. It's bunny approved.

Cheers!