Abita Amber and Turbo Dog

Abita Beer is pretty much synonymous with New Orleans, but even if I didn't have all sorts of positive associations with Abita and New Orleans, I'd still be happy to drink Abita brews. The Abita Brewing Company is a craft brewery in Abita Springs, Louisiana, about 30 miles north of New Orleans. They've been brewing beer since 1986. One of the reasons for the location of the brewery, and for the quality of their beer, is that the brewery uses artesian well water fed by the Abita springs. They make a variety of beers, some of which you ought to be able to find locally in bottle if not on tap. I note that the best place to find Abita on tap outside of Louisiana are restaurants that offer Cajun or Creole cuisine.

In New Orleans, just about every bar seems to have Abita Amber on tap. Abita also brews six other "flagship" brews, as well as several seasonals, and a few "specials" that aren't widely available. They also make a non-alcoholic root beer that's sweetened with Louisiana cane juice.

Abita Amber is very very drinkable. It's a lovely mellow gold color. Technically, Abita Amber is a Märzen, or as the Abita Web site puts it, "a Munich style lager." At 4.5, it's a session style beer, and I can attest that on muggy New Orleans spring days, it's the perfect beverage. While I like it on it's own, very much, it does go well with a variety of food (from pizza to shrimp and crawfish, and even jambalya) and you can enjoy several without regretting that you had that "one more" beer.

I've only recently been able to try Abita Turbo Dog, and I was very lucky to find it on tap locally. It's a super example of an English style Brown ale. It's a very dark brown, with russet overtones in the lights, and a creamy head. It's an exceedingly mellow beer, even for a brown, with a distinctive chocolate-caramel sweet overtone. I like it very very much—I'd be tempted to have Abita Turbo Dog for dessert, if it weren't very very good with food. It's 5.5 ABV, and fabulous with a variety of foods; I'd have it with a really good hamburger, or smoked sausage, and I'm seriously tempted to try using Turbo Dog to make ice cream. Turbo Dog is made with Willamette hops, and Pale, Crystal and Chocolate malts, and they are partially responsible for its distinctive aroma and flavor.

I'd like to try two other Abita ales but can't fine either of them, or the root beer, within a hundred miles. Abita's Restoration Ale is a traditional Pale Ale made with Pale, Lager, Crystal and Cara Pils malted barley. The Abita Web site describes it as "liberally hopped," and adds that it is dry hopped with American Cascade and fermented with California Ale yeast. Abita created Restoration Ale as a Katrina fund-raiser; it's sold in six-packs, and $1.00 from each six-pack goes to hurricane recovery efforts. I'm also very very interested in Abita's seasonal Satsuma Harvest Wit. It is, according to the Web site, made with "Louisiana Satsumas, golden wheat, oats and the finest barley." They add that Abita Satsuma Harvest Wit "has a sweet and subtle citrus flavor with a touch of spice that is cool and refreshing." I confess, while most brewery prose strikes me as over-blown, this makes me want to try the beer. Now.