Yes, Shrove Tuesday is a solemn religious occasion, marking the end of Lent.
But put it into New Orleans, change the name to Mardi Gras, and add tens of thousands of your closest friends, and it’s also one heck of a party.
And like many good parties, food and drink (and some excellent costumes) are at the heart of the celebrations.
Here are a few beer pairings to go with the Cajun and Creole classics that you might be serving Tuesday night. While there are some more than respectable craft breweries in Louisiana, unfortunately none are available in Ontario. That won’t keep you from having a good party. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Food: Oyster Poboy
Pairing: Duvel ($13.45/4 bottles)
The bun on a poboy must be somewhere between a baguette and a hotdog bun in terms of texture. The filling should be deep-fried (I’ve got a soft spot for oysters, but gator or crayfish are also acceptable), and then packed in with all sorts of toppings, including lettuce, spicy mayo or remoulade, and a few other goodies. The powerful carbonation in this strong Belgian golden ale cuts through the richness of that combination, while its fruity aroma complements the breading on the fried oysters.
Food: Jambalaya
Pairing: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier $3.55/bottle)
This spice-laden rice dish is packed with meat and seafood. Chicken is sometimes thrown in, or ham; shrimp is a frequent candidate for inclusion. But almost always, there’s ham (such as the spicy tasso ham) or a smoky, spicy andouille sausage. Smoky and spicy? Meet smoky and slightly sweet, in the form of this southern German brew which uses malt smoked in the brewery’s own kilns, over beechwood fires.
Food: Gumbo
Pairing(s): Kostritzer Schwarzbier ($2.90/bottle) or Side Launch Dunkel ($2.80/can)
Yes, gumbo includes many of the same ingredients found in jambalaya. But it’s also got a rich, dark, gravylike sauce based on a dark roux. That sauce pairs very well with the slight sweetness and roasted notes in both of these German-style brews. OK, the schwarzbier is actually German (one of the few breweries still existing from the former East Germany), while the Side Launch hails from the German heartland of, well, Collingwood, Ont. The schwarzbier tends to have a little more of a roasted character, and has much in common with an English-style porter. (It’s also a great match for a spicy blackened chicken). The dunkel, meanwhile, is a Munich-style dark lager. It’s slightly sweeter than the schwarzbier, and has less of a roasted character.
Food: Beignets
Pairing: Dieu du Ciel Aphrodite ($13.75/four bottles)
An airy, crispy and chewy piece of fried dough heaven, dusted with a bit of sugar and maybe some cinnamon? It’s the perfectly sinful finish to a Mardi Gras meal, and is a New Orleans classic (Café du Monde, anyone?). It pairs very well with the indulgence of this rich, strong stout from Quebec. It’s slightly sweet, and perfumed with vanilla and cocoa. And if you happen to throw a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream into the plate with your still piping-hot beignets? Aphrodite plays rather nicely with that, too.
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