Saints Bye Week Makes for a Big Weekend

There is no such thing as an "off weekend" in the fall in New Orleans. The Saints bye week has left the door open for a number events to fill in the calendar, so strap on your boots for a busy weekend of eating and drinking.

On Saturday, the Broad Street Brewhaha will take place on the roof of the old Schwegmann's at 300 N Broad Street. The event will feature pick me ups from Coffee Roasters of New Orleans and beers by Abita, NOLA Brewing, Lazy Magnolia, Heiner Brau, and Bayou Teche. (Look out next year for Tin Roof to be added to the list.) Admission is free, and a $10 sample card guarantees you 10 3-ounce pours of the beers of your choice.

Sidenote: We wish we were going to the Carnivale de Vin Gala on Saturday night, but Santa did not deliver us the $1000 tickets as early Christmas presents. But if anyone wants to buy us Auction Item #16 entitled "A Few Bites of the Big Apple", we would quickly get over missing the gala. Moving on.

The premiere event of the weekend is the 4th Annual Po-Boy Festival, which will takse place along a seven block stretch of Oak Street beginning at Carrollton. The festival starts at 11:00am, and I advise you to arrive early as the crowds can get quite thick later in the afternoon. The map of po-boy purveyors can be found here, and from experience I can tell you that the booths farther from Carrollton are more likely to have shorter lines. (By the way, we are terribly disappointed that Dong Phuong is not on the list this year.) Finally, as you may recall, we served as "celebrity judges" for last year's Po-Boy Contest, but apparently our star has faded because we will not be on the panel this year. It was a good run.

Also on Sunday, La Boca will be hosting Asado Night at Rio Mar. The all you can eat meat feast features beef, lamb, pork, chicken, morcilla, and chorizo plus other La Boca favorites like provoleta and empandas. The cost is $50 per person and seating is limited, so call 525-8205 ASAP to make a reservation.

Last but not least, MVB will once again be open for business on Sunday night at Slim Goodies beginning at 5:00pm. With this week's recent shout out in the press, the MVB team is gearing up for what will hopefully be another successful burger weekend. One final note, the above linked article mistakenly listed this week's special as last week's. Just to clarify, this week's special is the "South of the Burger" - burger, blackbean and chipotle puree, guacamole, tomatillo crema, queso fresco, and grilled red onion. On The Pope's scale of deliciousness, we think it qualifies as "Lovin' in Your Mouth."

Abita SOS

For over twenty years, Abita has been the beer of choice for Louisiana's celebrations. Crawfish boils and LSU football games are just two of the events bettered by an ice cold Abita. In the wake of the BP fustercluck, Abita has established a fund to provide assistance in this most troubling time. Working in conjunction with the Louisiana Seafood Marketing Board, the fund will divert resources to bolster and eventually revitalize Louisiana's coastline and all who make their living plying those waters for shrimp, crabs, and oysters.

But even better for you, a major source of the fund's revenue will come from sales of a new beer. As the press release explains and this Police song sings:

Abita SOS, A Charitable Pilsner

The centerpiece of the fundraising effort is a new charitable beer created by Abita. The brew, called SOS – A Charitable Pilsner, will generate 75¢ for every bottle sold. In addition, related retail merchandise (hat, tee shirt, lapel pin, decal and car magnet) will be sold and 100% of the net proceeds will also go to the SOS Fund.

“Abita SOS is a message in a bottle. It is a distress signal we’re sending out all across the 41 states where Abita is sold. It is going to raise awareness and money,” says David Blossman, President of Abita.

The 22-ounce brew bears hand drawn iconic images of all the aspects that make the Gulf of Mexico so unique. Illustrations like those of pelicans, fish, shrimp and fishing boats are arranged in the pattern of the timeless distress symbol: S-O-S. Marsh grass and a symbolic pair of white “shrimp boots” also are highlighted in the beautiful design.

Abita began brewing SOS several weeks ago and now ages in holding tanks as it finishes the brewing process. It is expected to hit the markets in mid July. The beer is an unfiltered Weizen Pils made with Pilsner and Wheat malts. It is hopped and dry hopped with Sterling and German Perle hops. It has a brilliant gold color, a sweet malt flavor and a pleasant bitterness and aroma. The brew is 7% alcohol by volume.

Abita SOS merchandise is available for purchase immediately at a special website created for the fund, SOS.abita.com. Online donations can also be made directly to the fund.

Thank you Abita for making great beer and giving back.

Craft Beer Week

In the 1990's, beer finally broke free of the bonds of mass production and ushered in the era of the microbrew. There are many reasons why Americans began sipping better beer. Some believe it was due to Jimmy Carter's signing of a bill allowing homebrewing. Others claim the desire for great beer swelled with the Baby Boomer Generation and halcyon days of traveling through Europe.

Whatever and whyever is no bother. The American Brewing scene has never before been so strong and diverse. One can now walk into a bar and enjoy a piney, teeth-searing, hoppy ales of the Northwest or the sweet flavors of Lazy Magnolia. Abita, part of the vanguard of the microbrew movement, is now a big boy in the world of beer and newcomers like NOLA and Bayou Teche are staking a claim to be the new black.

American Craft Beer Week celebrates beer this week. The events are scattered around town and showcase the offerings of top craft brewers from San Diego to Brooklyn. So if you like beer check out the list of events and partake in the pleasures of the pint.

Oysters at the Bar

Unbeknownst to most locals, La Cote Brasserie has perhaps the best happy hour in the city. Everyday from 5:00 to 7:00, the bar at La Cote serves raw oysters for only $7/dozen.

"But, Peter, we need something to wash down those oysters with." Thankfully, the powers at be are one step ahead of you, folks. How do $2 Abitas sound? I thought so. And this happy hour price covers the entire spectrum of Abita beers, from Amber to Golden to... (drum roll please)... Strawberry Harvest Lager, which was just released on Monday.

But as JC said, "Man shall not live by raw shellfish alone." La Cote also offers an abbreviated bar menu which include housemade pate and alligator beignets (pictured above).

So the next time you are looking for a place to have a few drinks before the Hornets game, or when Lucy's is so crowded that you can't even get a drink, head on over to the bar at La Cote. It's one of the most underutilized bars in the Warehouse District; but with prices like that, locals should take note.

Abita Satsuma Wit

Lots of hype surrounding this new seasonal brew from Abita, so I thought that I should crack open a few and let you know what I think. It's a wheat beer that I would group in the same category as Shock Top or Blue Moon. The results of our blind tasting below:

Peter: Eh. Kind of disappointing. Not nearly as good as Strawberry. I give it a par.
The Folk Singer: I like it.
Rene: I heard it sucks.

Let us know what you think. Happy Monday.