Showing posts with label Crawfish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crawfish. Show all posts

Friday, January 23, 2026

It's Crawfish Season! Here are 5 Louisiana 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 AmberAbita 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. CanebrakeParish 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 SombreroRally 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. JuciferGnarly 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 ParkUrban 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!

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

A Saturday at 40 Arpent Brewing


I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you, I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.- Mr Rogers



One of the greatest things about local craft breweries is that they are part of the community.  It's not some large sprawling behemoth pumping out beer after beer with thousands of employees no one knows. In a lot of places across the country, especially here in New Orleans these small breweries are your neighbors. Literally. Not the kind of neighbor you can borrow the lawnmower from but better.  They brew beer. This is the kind of neighbor Mr. Rogers was talking about.


This past weekend my friend Chris Sickmen from back in my Virginia days came to visit our great city.  He was my neighbor and friend back when I lived in Stafford.  I wanted to show him the New Orleans I know not some touristy version of it.


Like me he is into drinking craft beers so I wanted to make a point of hitting a local brewery while he was here.  I was due for a visit to 40 Arpent Brewing so I got in touch with owner Michael Naquin and we headed over there Saturday afternoon.


The brewery is nestled right along the Mississippi River in Arabi, Louisiana which is a suburb of New Orleans about ten minutes outside the city limits.  It has a spectacular view of the river and the Steamboat Natchez(which carries 40 Arpent beer) passes the brewery and blares its horn as if a nod every time it passes the brewery.  Kind of a "what's up homie" moment 2 or 3 times a day.




When we arrived they had some folks setting up for a party and we felt like we were intruding.  It turned out that it was some friends of Baton Rouge homebrewer Blake Winchell and thanks to his generosity we just became part of the group.  




We met some folks from down in Houma who were cooking up the crawfish and man did they do an amazing job.   They were throwing cans of asparagus, artichokes and all sorts of other stuff I hadn't seen before.  Even talked about using pickles and pineapples.  Need me some of that!

Crawfish, oysters and the most amazing pimento cheese deviled eggs I've ever had coupled with great Louisiana beer and a spectacular view made for such a unique and awesome experience.  It's things like this that make New Orleans a great city.  The randomness, the spontaneity and the community. What an amazing day!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha






Wednesday, February 24, 2010

New Orleans Beer News: Release Parties, Classes and Festivals Oh My!



Got the below email from Lucy's Retired Surfer's Bar and Restaurant. They're doing a release party for Abita Strawberry. It's going to be a crawfish boil. Not really sure Abita Strawberry and crawfish pair real well but hey, it's beer and crawfish and I sure have been craving some crawfish.


Just so y'all know, we'll be opening the "Attic" upstairs at Lucy's for the Abita Strawberry Release Crawfish Boil - Plenty of space for all - great music, beautiful space, perfect crawfish and Ice Cold Abita Strawberry beer





Another bit of cool news came my way this week courtesy Polly Watts from Avenue Pub. The Pub has been selected as the location for Ray Daniel's Cicerone Program. Dates will be announced later. The Cicerone program gives those who serve beer to consumers the tools to maximize the consumers beer experience . It's similar to a wine sommelier. I hope to start working my way through the program over the next year.




On the beer festival front we have two coming our way. Not sure who was in charge of scheduling these two events but they are being held on the same day. Yup, you read it correctly. The. Same. Day. Since the Zapps International Beer Festival has been around longer we can only assume it is was the newbie festival that didn't check its dates. That newbie festival is called Top of the Hops and looks pretty interesting. They have some interesting vendors like Defend New Orleans and New Orleans Craft Mafia and also a nice beer list as well. I would give you more info on the Zapps beer festival but their website doesn't give me any. Anyways here is the dates, times, places and prices:

Zapp's International Beer Festival
March 20th 2010
3:30-6:00pm
Rural Life Museum/Baton Rouge, LA
Price: $30


Top of the Hops Beer Festival

March 20th 2010
2pm-6pm
Fontainbleu State Park/Mandeville, LA
Price:

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS

$35 – Advance
$40 – Day of Festival

* General Admission Tickets Include the Following:

* Souvenir, Two-Ounce Sampling Mug
* Full Color Festival Guide
* Unlimited Sampling of 100+ Craft Beers
* Live Entertainment on the Full Sail Brewing Stage
* Free Parking
* Games
* Access to the Samuel Adams Brew University Tent with Seminars Such as Cooking with Beer, Brewing 101, Pairing Food with Beer and More!

STELLA ARTOIS VIP TICKETS

$60 – Advance
$65 – Day of Festival

* Stella Artois VIP Tickets Include the Following:

* Entrance into the Festival 1 Hour Early to Take Advantage of Exclusive Beer Tasting Experience
* Reserved Parking for Advance VIP Ticket Holders
* Access to the Stella Artois VIP Lounge
* Private Beer Tasting Selections Not Available to the General Admission Ticket Holders
* Complimentary Food
* Private Restrooms
* Souvenir, Two-Ounce Sampling Mug
* Full Color Festival Guide
* Unlimited Sampling of 100+ Craft Beers
* Live Entertainment on the Full Sail Brewing Stage
* Free Parking
* Games
* Access to the Samuel Adams Brew University Tent with Seminars Such as Cooking with Beer, Brewing 101, Pairing Beer with Food and More!

Have fun deciding which one to go to. Which one am I attending? Neither. I will be attending my daughters 4th birthday party!




Cheers!

The Beer Buddha