Beer & Food Pairings

6 Traditional Mardi Gras Food & Beer Pairings

Mardi Gras comes late this year and lands on Tuesday, March 5. To help you celebrate Fat Tuesday, here are six traditional Southern meals and beers that pair perfectly with them. Happy Mardi Gras!

6 Traditional Mardi Gras Food & Beer Pairings

Mardi Gras, a.k.a. Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, is a Carnival celebration that includes bright colours, beads, huge parties, and last but not least, good food. Start planning what you’re going to eat and drink with these great traditional Southern meal and beer pairings.

 

6 Fat Tuesday Meals & Beer Pairings

 

Crawfish

Beer Pairing for Crawfish: Cream Ale, Blonde Ale, or Red Ale

Beer and “mudbugs” go hand in hand. When eating crawfish it’s important that you have the best beer to go with it. Luckily, it’s not hard to find the perfect fit. Crawfish usually pairs best with anything refreshing and crisp. Try a light cream ale, a tangy blonde ale or a bold red ale to accompany your crawfish feast!

Image By: epicurious

Crawfish Beer Pairings We Love:
Cream AleAnderson Craft Ales (London, ON)
Porch LightBig Rock Brewery (Calgary, AB)
Bear Naked Ale
Adirondack Brewery (Lake George, NY)
Rose City RedAlameda Brewhouse (Portland, OR)

Traditional Crawfish Recipes To Try:
Old-Fashioned Crawfish Boil
Crawfish Macaroni & Cheese
Grilled Crawfish with Spicy Tarragon Butter
Crawfish Etouffee

 

Gumbo

Beer Style Pairing for Gumbo: Doppelbock

This stew-like dish is a Mardi Gras staple. The spicy and bold meal pairs wonderfully with a bock lager or doppelbock beer. The sweet maltiness in a doppelbock creates the perfect balance and contrast with a spicy, heavy dish.

Image by: Cedric Angeles; Southern Living

Doppelbocks To Try with Gumbo:
Burly Goat DoppelbockGranville Island Brewing (Vancouver, BC)
Double Doople DoppelbockWaterloo Brewing (Kitchener, ON)
Samuel Adams Double BockSamuel Adams (Boston, MA)
OxnbräuUrban Chestnut Brewing Company (St. Louis, MO)

Traditional Gumbo Recipes:
New Orleans Creole Gumbo
Chicken, Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo
Seafood Gumbo
Gumbo with Roasted Potatoes

 

Shrimp and Grits

Grits and Shrimp Beer Pairing: Pale Ale

Shrimp and grits is considered the “Southern Dynamic Duo”. A pale ale is the perfect beer to pair with this creamy, light dish. You want to pick a pale ale that is a slightly on the lighter side as you don’t want the beer to overpower your meal. If you like your shrimp and grits on the spicer side, grab a pale ale with a stronger hop flavour to flatter the spices.

Image by: This Unmillennial Life

Pale Ales We Love With Shrimp & Grits:
A BeerAgainst The Grain Brewery (Lexington, KY)
Trail Beer10 Barrel Brewing Company (Bend, OR)
4 Mile Pale Ale4 Mile Brewing Company (Victoria, BC)
Swap the Hops Pale AleBent Stick Brewing (Edmonton, AB)

Shrimp and Grits Recipes:
Cheesy Shrimp and Grits
How to Make the Perfect Shrimp and Grits
Creole Shrimp and Grits
Cajun-Style Shrimp and Grits

 

Crab Cakes

Beer and Crab Cake Pairing: IPA or Pilsner

Crab cakes are the ultimate New Orleans comfort food. Pilsner is a lighter beer that offers citrusy zest, which pairs nicely with seafood, especially crab cakes. If you like your crab cakes on the spicy side, pair it with a bitter IPA that cuts right through the heat.

Image by: the cozy apron

Best Crab Cake Beers:
Czech PilsnerBrewsters Brewing Company (Calgary, AB)
Class VWhitewater Brewing Company (Ottawa, ON)
12 oz. CurlAle Asylum (Madison, WI)
Gigantic IPAGigantic Brewing (Portland, OR)

Crab Cake Recipes You’ll Love:
Delicious, Golden Crab Cakes
Maryland Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce
Easy Crab Cake Recipe
Baltimore-Style Crab Cakes

 

Jambalaya Rice

Jambalaya Beer Pairing: Smoked Beer

Jambalaya is usually filled with veggies, Andouille sausage, shrimp, and sometimes chicken. You can pretty much put whatever you want in a Jambalaya. A common theme amongst Jambalaya recipes are the abundance of spices. Pair your Jambalaya with a smoky beer to compliment the spices and boost the smokiness from the sausage.

Image by: Spicy Southern Kitchen

Smoked Beers To Pair With Jambalaya Rice:
Smoke on the LagerChilly Water Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN)
Sooty Brother Grätzer AleGrimm Brothers Brewhouse (Denver, CO)
Smoke & MirrorsCoal Harbour Brewing Company (Vancouver, BC)
Stormy MondayParallel 49 Brewing (Vancouver, BC)

Jambalaya Recipes You Need To Try:
Traditional Jambalaya in the Slow Cooker
New Orleans Spicy Jambalaya
Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp, and Sausages

Spaghetti Squash Jambalaya

 

Po’ Boy Sandwich

Beer & Po’ Boy Sandwich Pairing: Kölsch

A po’ boy is a traditional sandwich from Louisiana. Usually filled with meat or friend seafood, po’ boy sandwiches are often a hearty meal. Balance out your filling, bready meal with the lightness of a Kölsch-style beer. Kölsch beers are also a great pairing with pretty much any type of shellfish.

Image by: bon appétit

Our Favourite Kölsch Beers:
1857 KölschAbe Erb Brewing Company (Kitchener, ON)
KölschBoiling Oar Brewing Company (Calgary, AB)
The BootAbita Brewing Company (Covington, LA)
Rajun Cajun’s AleBayou Teche Brewing (Arnaudville, LA)

New Orleans Po’ Boy Sandwich Recipes:
Fried Catfish Po’ Boy with Spicy Remoulade Sauce
Shrimp Po’ Boy
Fried Crawfish Po’ Boy
Oyster Po’ Boy Sandwiches

 

For more beer and food pairings, check out these awesome posts:

Beer and Vegetable Dish Pairings
Pair Your Beer with French Fries
Craft Beer and BBQ Pairings
Best Beer Pairings for Thanksgiving Dinner

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