It's Crawfish Season! Here are 5 Louisana Beers To Drink At Your Next Crawfish Boil

There are few things more sacred in South Louisiana than a table covered in newspaper, a mountain of spicy crawfish, and a cold beer sweating in your hand. Crawfish season isn’t just about the boil,it’s about the experience. And choosing the right beer can elevate the whole thing.

Right beer you say? The cold one in front of you is the right beer but you want something refreshing, flavorful, and sturdy enough to stand up to the spices, garlic, lemon, and heat. Here are five Louisiana beers that pair perfectly with a good crawfish boil.

Just a note: All the beers listed are distributed state-wide. There are tons of other options from breweries like: Courtyard Brewing, Brieux Carré Brewing, Parleaux, etc., that would also be perfect! If you have a favorite beer you enjoy with crawfish let me know in the comments!

1. Abita Amber – Abita Brewing (Abita Springs, LA)

If crawfish had an official beer, Abita Amber would be it. I'm sure folks will disagree but if you were drinking craft beer back in the day with your crawfish most likely this is the one you were drinking. With its smooth caramel malt backbone and crisp finish, it balances heat without overpowering the food. The slight sweetness tames the spice, while the carbonation keeps your palate refreshed for the next peel.

Why it works:

🍺Malty enough to handle spice

🍺Clean finish that doesn’t linger

🍺Easy-drinking for long boils

2. Canebrake – Parish Brewing

Brewed with Steen’s cane syrup, Canebrake is uniquely Louisiana in every sense. The subtle sweetness and earthy character play beautifully with spicy crawfish, especially if your boil leans heavy on cayenne and garlic.

Why it works:

🍺Slight sweetness balances heat

🍺Medium body stands up to seasoning

3. Golden Sombrero – Rally Cap Brewing

This Mexican lager from Rally Cap hits that “just right” balance between flavor and drinkability. Light malt character and a clean finish make Golden Sombrero a perfect match for spicy, citrusy crawfish boils. It won’t compete with heat or seasoning—instead, it refreshes your palate so every peel tastes just as good as the first.

Why it works:

🍺Light, crisp, and refreshing

🍺Subtle fruit cuts through spice

🍺Perfect warm-weather beer

4. Jucifer – Gnarly Barley

Not everyone wants light and crisp. If you’re the person who brings extra seasoning and likes your crawfish nuclear-hot, Jucifer is your beer. This juicy, hazy IPA brings big hop flavor and enough body to stand up to bold spices. It won’t cool the heat—but it will ride shotgun with it.

Why it works:

🍺Big flavor doesn’t get lost

🍺Citrus hops complement lemon and spice

🍺Great contrast to rich crawfish fat

5. Paradise Park – Urban South

Paradise Park is light, crisp, and ridiculously drinkable. It’s a great “all-day boil” beer—something you can crack open early and keep drinking without burning out your palate. This is the beer you hand to friends who “don’t really like beer” and watch them change their mind.

Why it works:

🍺Bright citrus notes lift the food

🍺Clean finish keeps you refreshed

🍺Crowd-pleaser at any boil

Crawfish boils are about community, tradition, and having a damn good time. The beer doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be cold, local, and complementary. Whether you’re in the Abita camp, repping Parish, or cracking a Jucifer, drinking Louisiana beer with Louisiana crawfish just makes sense.

Shirt is from Southern Drinking Club!

Immigration and New Orleans Beer Culture

When people think of New Orleans drinks, they immediately think of cocktails like Sazeracs, Hurricanes, or frozen daiquiris. But long before beer was mass marketed or nationally distributed, New Orleans was already a beer town. And the reason for that is simple: immigration.

In the 18th century, New Orleans was one of the most important port cities in North America. It boasted a strategic position along the Mississippi River which made it a gateway for immigrants arriving from Europe, the Caribbean, and beyond. With them came different languages, traditions, food and more importantly beer.

Unlike wine-drinking France or Spain, many of the immigrants arriving in New Orleans came from more beer centric cultures such as the German and the Irish. Those German immigrants brought with them a deep knowledge of brewing and a strong demand for beer as an everyday beverage.

German immigration had hands down the single greatest impact on beer in New Orleans. Beginning in the early 1800s, waves of German immigrants settled throughout the city, mostly in what is now the Lower Garden District and Mid-City. These immigrants didn’t just drink beer, they brewed it. By the mid-19th century, German-owned breweries were popping up across the city.

Jacob Zoelly, a German immigrant who opened City Brewery at 139 Delord(Now Howard St), between Camp and Magazine St around 1849. Another German immigrant named JJ Weckerling purchased City Brewery and renamed it Louisiana Brewing Co. In 1870 Philip Wirtz opened Pelican Brewing which was located at 282(now 1230) Villere St. In 1887, it was purchased by Eugene Erath and moved to a larger facility on the river side of Chartres St, between Louisa and Clouet St. Both Pelican Brewery and Louisiana Brewery along with Weckerling, Southern, Lafayette and Crescent City Brewery merges with New Orleans Brewing Association in 1890.The New Orleans Brewing Association itself was formed to counter the threat of a English brewing syndicate.

Also, in 1890, Jackson Brewing Company was founded by Lawrence Fabacher, a local businessman of German descent, at 620 Decatur Street. Finally, Dixie Brewing, started in 1907, was started by German immigrant Valentine Merz and was the longest lasting out of all the German breweries.

These German breweries introduced lagers, pilsners, and bocks to a city that previously relied on imported or small-scale ales. These beers were cleaner, more consistent, and better suited to the New Orleans’ hot, humid climate.

In German culture, beer wasn’t just a drink; it was a social glue. German immigrants established beer gardens, music halls, and social clubs where families gathered, bands played, and politics were discussed over steins of beer. These spaces helped shape New Orleans’ communal drinking culture which emphasized social connection rather than exclusivity. This model blended seamlessly with the city’s existing traditions of public celebration, parades, and street life. Over time, beer became just as much a part of New Orleans’ social fabric as cocktails and cuisine.

The Irish immigrants, many of whom arrived during the mid-19th-century famine, also contributed to the city’s beer demand, favoring ales and stouts. Meanwhile, Caribbean influences added new rhythms to beer consumption, merging beer with Creole cooking, music, and neighborhood culture. New Orleans beer culture was never purely European—it was Creole by nature. Immigration didn’t replace existing traditions; it layered them.

The story of beer in New Orleans is a reminder that immigration doesn’t dilute culture but rather it builds it. Every wave of newcomers added knowledge, flavor, and tradition, helping turn New Orleans into one of the most unique drinking cities in America. Without immigrants, there is no New Orleans beer history. And without immigration today, there is no future for it.

Sources:

New Orleans Beer: A Hoppy History of Big Easy Brewing

Ellen C. Merrill 64 Parishes

WGNO


NOLA.COM

It's Mardi Gras! Here are 5 Local Louisiana Beers You Should Be Pairing With King Cake

The Beer Geeks Guide to Mardi Gras was getting to be the same places every year so I made it a page rather than something I release every year. I still wanted something to release today for the start of Mardi Gras season!

Here are 5 local Louisiana beers that pair well with king cake.

Note: Everyone's taste buds are different and food and beer pairing is subjective. Let me know your favorite local beer and king cake pairings in the comment section.

1. Urban South Carnival Time Sour Ale

Style: Sour Ale brewed with cinnamon and cream cheese

Why it works:

Urban South Brewery created this beer in collaboration with New Orleans’ Dong Phuong Bakery to capture the essence of cinnamon and cream cheese king cake right in the beer itself which makes it one of the most directly complementary Louisiana beers for king cake on this list. It's bright, tart sourness also helps cleanse the palate between sweet bites.

2. Parish Brewing Canebrake

Style: American Wheat Ale brewed with local sugar cane syrup

Why it works:

Canebrake’s light wheat body and subtle honey-spice notes from Louisiana cane sugar mirror king cake’s brioche sweetness without overpowering it. A wheat beer’s crispness also balances rich fillings like cream cheese or praline.

3. Bayou Teche LA-31 Bière Noire

Style: French Saison

Why it works:

This deep, dark brew carries roasty malt character with subtle coffee and chocolate notes, which can complement the cinnamon and sweet bread of king cake without completely overpowering it.

5. Great Raft Reasonably Corrupt (Black Lager / Schwarzbier)

Style: Black Lager (dark lager)

Why it works:

This darker lager has malty sweetness and roasted notes but a crisper body than many stouts/porters. That balance means it can stand up to the sweet spice in king cake without feeling overly heavy. Great if you are looking for a more sessionable dark beer for the parade route.

5. Gnarly Barley Korova Milk Porter

Style: Milk Porter (Baltic Porter)

Why it works:

Porters like this often bring chocolate, coffee, and toffee flavors with a hint of sweetness (from the milk sugar in this case), which mirrors king cake’s richer elements like praline or cream cheese fillings.

Hope you enjoy this list and have a great Mardi Gras! Let me know what you're drinking while munching on king cake!

Cheers!