Abita Beer

Howdy folks!  Lemme tell you a story...

Once upon a time, a little girl was born in a South Texas town.  She was raised in the same town and didn't leave the state of Texas until she was 9.  Being a kid in Texas, she took the required Texas history courses that not only teach the history of Texas but make sure each and every child knows Texas is the only place you can actually live and be happy.  She thought Texas was IT and no other state could ever hold her heart.  But one day, during a long drive to Florida, her family stopped in Louisiana and there began the eventual love affair she would have with that state.

OK, enough of the non sense, LOL - but I am a Texas girl and I certainly am in love with Louisiana.  And one of the best kept secrets of Louisiana, which I'm sure is NOT a secret inside of the state... is Abita Beers.

The Abita Brewery was founded in 1986 about 45 minutes north of New Orleans, across Lake Ponchatrain.  They use natural water from the Abita Springs and  they brew 18 beers and a root beer.

Two weeks ago, Kyle and I took our second vacation to New Orleans in two years.  This year we wanted to tour the Abita Brewery and man, were we glad we did!!  (** Excuse this picture, LOL... it is HORRIBLE!!! **)

When we got there, the Tasting Room was open for an hour.  They had 13 brews on tap and the root beer.  You could "taste" as much or as little as you liked for the entire hour.  And they had lists of ideas for mixing.  It was really neat!!  Then we watch two short videos on their brewing process and conservation efforts and got to take a short tour of the brewhouse itself.  Tons of fun!

Two more things about Abita before I introduce you to their brews!  One of their most famous brews is the S.O.S which stands for Save Our Shores.  It came about shortly after the large BP oil spill that really harmed the Louisiana Gulf Coast area.  Every bottle that is sold sends 75¢ to help improve the environment and restore the shores after the oil spill.  Another great cause for Abita is Hurricane relief and restoration and  they donate to that cause through the sales of the Restoration Ale.  Through the Restoration Ale they have raised half a million to benefit Katrina rebuilding.

So - here are the brews.... (all info here is from Abita - more info there as well!).

Here are the seven flagship brews:

Amber

Amber is a Munich style lager brewed with crystal malt and Perle hops. It has a smooth, malty, slightly caramel flavor and a rich amber color. Abita Amber was the first beer offered by the brewery and continues to be our leading seller. Amber is Abita’s most versatile beer for pairing with food. It has been voted "best beer" in numerous New Orleans reader polls and is used frequently in recipes of great Louisiana chefs.

Because of its smooth, malty flavor, try it with smoked sausages, Louisiana boudin, or even with caviar. It’s great with crawfish and Cajun food. You might also enjoy it paired with a spicy gumbo or tomato-based pasta sauce. It also goes well also with fried catfish dipped in a tart, lemony tartar sauce. Parmesan, Pecorino and Romano cheeses are good pairings with Abita Amber.

Light

Abita Light is an all-malt lager brewed with pilsner and carapils malts and Vanguard hops. It is the smoothest and most flavorful light beer you’ll ever taste. Crisp and refreshing with a mild hop aroma, it has only 118 calories and 8 carbs. Great with almost anything, it’s an excellent choice for lighter foods and salads too. Try Abita Light with a sharp Cheddar.

Golden

Golden is a crisp, clean continental lager. Just four ingredients are all it takes: American malt, Mt. Hood hops, German lager yeast and pure Abita Springs water. As the name implies, Abita Golden has a brilliant gold color. Its flavor makes this light lager the perfect match for Louisiana Creole food.

Both Abita Light and Abita Golden go well with just about anything. Try it with mild rice or pasta dishes, grilled vegetables, grilled chicken and fish, and even with something spicy like Louisiana boiled crawfish, shrimp and crabs. Goat cheeses like feta and chevre pair well with Abita Golden.

**I tried this one at the brewery - it is REALLY great!!

Jockamo IPA

Abita Jockamo IPA® is an American IPA brewed with pale, red, and caramel malts. This copper-colored ale is liberally hopped and dry hopped with Willamette and Columbus hops. The flavor is bold like the “Mardi Gras Indians” who march through New Orleans in suits of feathers and beads.

Jockamo has a flavor that entices and excites the palate. The intense hop character adds more spice to the meal and makes it a perfect choice to team up with many spicy dishes. Cheddar and strong farmer cheeses stand up well to Jockamo’s hoppy character. Jockamo goes well with wild game, grilled meats and Thai or Mexican cuisine.

Purple Haze

Purple Haze® is a lager brewed with real raspberries added after filtration. It is brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Vanguard hops. The berries add a fruity aroma, tartly sweet taste and a subtle purple color and haze...you may see fruit pulp in the beer.

This beer is best served with salads or light fruit desserts, such as soufflés or chiffon cakes. Many people enjoy it with chocolate desserts. Purple Haze® pairs well with certain cheeses, such as ripened Brie or any dessert made with mascarpone. It’s also great paired with entrees prepared with fruit, especially citrus. Consider enjoying Purple Haze® alone at the end of your meal as dessert.

** This is one of our faves.  It is really great - and my go to when Strawberry is out of season!

Restoration Pale Ale

Restoration Pale Ale® is brewed with pale, caramel and carapils malts. It is liberally hopped and dry hopped with Cascade hops. This golden ale has a rich body, mild bitterness, and a snappy citrus hop flavor and aroma. With your help Restoration raised over $550,000 for hurricane relief.

This beer can be paired with many different dishes according to your taste. The citrus flavor and aroma make it an excellent choice with most fish, especially ones that are prepared to match the flavor of the beer. American, Muenster, Havarti and Monterey Jack cheeses pair well with Restoration.

** I also tried this at the Brewery and it is wonderful - one of my faves.

Turbodog

Turbodog® is a dark brown ale brewed with pale, caramel, and chocolate malts and Willamette hops. This combination gives Turbodog® its rich body and color and a sweet chocolate, toffee-like flavor. Turbodog® began as a specialty ale, but has gained a huge, loyal following and has become one of our flagship brews.

This ale pairs well with most meats and is great served with hamburgers or sausages. It is a good match with smoked fish and can even stand up to wild-game dishes. Turbodog® is also great for marinating and braising meats and cooking such things as cabbage and greens. Colby, Gloucester, Cheddar and blue cheeses go nicely with Turbodog®. It’s perfect with spicy Louisiana jambalaya or Spanish paella. Some even like it paired with chocolate!

**  Turbodog is Kyle's second fave Abita :0)

Then, there are five seasonal brews:

Mardi Gras Bock

Mardi Gras Bock (January – March) is the first of our seasonal brews. Abita Bock is brewed with pale, pilsner and caramel malts and German Perle hops. Our bock is similar to German maibocks with its rich malt flavor and full body. A perfect choice during Carnival season in New Orleans. Gruyére, Emmental and Swiss are nice cheese choices with Bock. Great with roasted beef or pork. Try it with Mexican food, too.

**  I bought this for Kyle's 30th and it was a big hit!!

Red Ale

Abita Red Ale (March – May) is brewed with pale and caramel malts and fermented with an American ale yeast. It is hopped and dry hopped with Cascade and Sterling hops. It has a strong caramel flavor and pleasant hop aroma. Try it with traditional Irish fare or a sweet and pleasant cow’s milk cheese called Dubliner that can be found in most grocery stores.

Wheat

Abita Wheat (May – September) is an American wheat lager brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and German Perle hops. Unlike most wheat beers, this beer is a lager and is filtered for a bright, gold color and clean, dry finish. For a change of pace, try Abita Wheat with a twist of lemon or a slice of orange. Feta and goat cheeses pair well with Wheat. Great with summertime fare such as pasta and salads, but don’t forget barbeque and anything right off the grill.

Fall Fest

Abita Fall Fest (September – November) is an Octoberfest-style lager brewed with pale, Munich and caramel malts. iI is hopped with German Perle and Hallertau hops. The result is a full-bodied, malty lager with a bright amber color. Cheese pairings include Gruyère and Swiss-style cheeses.

Christmas Ale

Abita Christmas Ale (November - December) rounds out our calendar. Each year at the Abita Brewery we craft a special dark ale for the holiday season. The recipe changes each year so that Abita Christmas Ale is always the perfect gift. Its spicy character is excellent with traditional holiday foods such as gingerbread or spiced nuts. Try some blue cheese or a creamy Camembert with a Christmas Ale.






And another three harvest brews:

Strawberry

Abita Strawberry Harvest is a lager brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Vanguard hops. Real Louisiana strawberry juice is added after filtration resulting in a crisp lager with a sweet strawberry flavor, aroma and haze. It is wonderful with desserts or lighter fare such as salads and pastas. Fresh cheeses such as Burrata, chèvre, Crescenza, mozzarella or Teleme pair well with Strawberry Harvest.

**  My allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll time FAVORITE beer, in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!!  Is that reason enough to try it?!  It is amazing....!!!

Pecan

Abita Pecan® Harvest Ale is brewed with pale, Munich, biscuit and caramel malts and Willamette hops. Real Louisiana roasted pecans are added in the brewhouse and give the ale a subtle nutty flavor and aroma. Crack one open for yourself.

This ale is excellent served with both red meat, seafood and, no surprise here, it’s also great with nuts! Try Pecan® Harvest Ale with Gouda cheese.

Satsuma

Abita Satsuma Harvest Wit is brewed with pilsner, wheat malts and oats. It is made with real Louisiana satsumas and spiced with coriander and orange peel. This unfiltered brew has a slightly cloudy appearance with a subtle citrus flavor and aroma.

Abita Satsuma Harvest Wit is very versatile and can complement a number of dishes. This brew pairs well with salads, fish, shrimp and lobster, as long as the dishes are not too spicy. Thai dishes, which often have citric notes in their flavor profile, also complement the orange flavors in Abita Satsuma Harvest Wit.



And finally, rounding out the Abita Brews are their Big Beers which are only sold in 22oz bottles!!

Abbey Ale

Abita Abbey Ale honors the ancient tradition of monks who perfected the art of brewing beer to support the monastery and their "liquid bread." We offer up our support and thank them with a 25-cent donation to St. Joseph's Abbey with every bottle sold of this heavenly brew. Dark amber in color, the aroma of caramel, fruits and cloves invites you to contemplate the creamy head of this "Dubbel" or double ale. Abita Abbey Ale is a malty brew, top-fermented and bottle aged to rapturous perfection. This ale pairs well with barbecue, meat stews or a nice thick steak. For dessert, try Abita Abbey Ale with milk chocolate or chocolate bread pudding.

AndyGator

Abita Andygator®, a creature of the swamp, is a unique, high-gravity brew made with pale malt, German lager yeast, and German Perle hops. Unlike other high-gravity brews, Andygator® is fermented to a dry finish with a slightly sweet flavor and subtle fruit aroma. Reaching an alcohol strength of up to 11% by volume, it is a Helles Dopplebock.

You might find it goes well with fried foods. It pairs well with just about anything made with crawfish. Some like it with a robust sandwich. Andygator® is also a good aperitif and easily pairs with Gorgonzola and creamy blue cheeses. Because of the high alcohol content, be cautious — sip it for the most enjoyment.

**  AndyGator is Kyle's allllllllll time favorite Abita beer.  It may just be his all time favorite beer ever.  But watch out... it is a very strong beer and it truly can knock you on your heiny!!

S.O.S.

Abita S.O.S.® (Save Our Shore) — a charitable pilsner is a message in a bottle...a distress signal for the troubled waters of our Gulf Coast. For every bottle sold Abita donates 75¢ to the rescue and restoration of the environment, industry and individuals fighting to survive the disastrous gulf oil spill. This unfiltered Weizen Pils is made with pilsner and wheat malts. It is hopped and dry hopped with Sterling and German Perle hops. It has a brilliant gold color, a sweet malt flavor, and a pleasant bitterness and aroma.

In addition, related retail merchandise (hats, t-shirts, lapel pins, decals and car magnets) are sold and 100% of the net proceeds go to the SOS Fund.

25th Anniversary Double Dog

Turbodog® is the inspiration for this robust dark ale. Double Dog is brewed with generous amounts of pale, caramel, and chocolate malts and Willamette hops. Whole, natural vanilla beans are added during the aging process. This combination provides a rich body and color with chocolate, vanilla and toffee-like flavor.

25 years ago the Abita Brewing Company was founded on a pristine, artesian aquifer north of New Orleans. For a quarter of a century, Abita has proudly brewed full-flavored ales and lagers. We thank our loyal customers for their support and pledge to continue the tradition of brewing excellence.




And lastly, there is the very delicious and amazing Abita Root Beer!!

Root Beer

Abita Root Beer is made with a hot mix process using spring water, herbs, vanilla and yucca (which creates foam). Unlike most soft drink manufacturers, Abita sweetens its root beer with pure Louisiana cane sugar. The resulting taste is reminiscent of soft drinks made in the 1940s and 1950s, before bottlers turned to corn sugar and fructose. Some soft drink makers add caffeine to their product, but Abita is naturally caffeine-free.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an old-fashioned root beer float. Abita Root Beer can also be used in cooking to create delicious glazes and sauces as well as cakes and other desserts, or you can keep it simple – just pour it into a frosty mug and slurp loudly through a straw.

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