Mardi Gras is all about indulgence. America’s Fat Tuesday epicenter is New Orleans, where beads fly, shirts are lifted, and randoms on the street frequently throw up on your sneakers. But when it comes to drinking, Bourbon Street is generally about cheap beer poured from weird storefront taps, the obligatory Hurricane, and if you’re lucky, a well-mixed Sazerac (not one poured into a plastic cup).
Why not incorporate some quality beer into your own Mardi Gras celebration, a thousand miles north of The Big Easy? If you’re cooking up spicy jambalaya (there’s really no excuse not to) or trying out some Cajun recipes, it’s best to include palate compatible ambers or bocks.
It’s hard to not start with Abita Brewing, the most recognizable brewer in Louisiana. And you can’t go wrong with a bock named Abita Mardi Gras. It’s an easy drinker with plenty of malt and an ABV of 6.5. The Abita 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog is smooth treat from the folks on the Bayou. Vanilla flavor with a hint of chocolate makes it a perfect precursor to 40 days of fasting.
Lakefront Brewery’s Big Easy imperial maibock is another good choice (see below), but a six-pack comes with an added bonus–a string of Mardi Gras beads. Use the beads at your own discretion, but please try to avoid standing on your porch yelling at neighbors to “earn their beads”. That’s just bad Fat Tuesday form.
On the amber side, I’m going to go keep with the Wisconsin theme and recommend a Sprecher Special Amber. It’s crisp, balanced and comes in bottles bigger than you think they are. Watch out, those 16-ounce servings can sneak up on you.
I realize the skulls on the bottle of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith Cocoa Mole have a Dia de los Muertos feel, but with some imagination (and if you squint) they’ve got a voodoo vibe as well. And the flavor, a sweet chocolate that quickly ends with a spicy pepper bite, is what Mardi Gras is all about. Saint and sinner mixed into one bottle.
For dessert, try a Southern Tier Crème Brulee stout (I’m stretching with the French influence, but bear with me) which is about as decadent as you can get in a bottle of beer. The flavor of creme brulee is so dead on that it makes your teeth hurt.
Quick Taps
If you didn’t see my myriad giddy Tweets (@InsideBrewCity) on Wednesday, Bell’s Hopslam finally hit store shelves last week. The elixir isn’t cheap (around $16 a six-pack, $13.49 at Wine Cellar of Wisconsin), but shell out the cash now because I’m guessing it won’t be around very long.
I’m giving up bad beer for Lent.
Barley Pop of the Week
The previously mentioned Lakefront Big Easy imperial maibock is a no-brainer for the week of Mardi Gras. It’s sweet and smooth but checks in at a fairly substantial 7% ABV. Big Easy is an easier drinker than some of the heavy winter seasonals I’ve been featuring recently. Is spring around the corner?
Events Brewing
You can hang with the folks at Sprecher Brewery (701 W. Glendale Ave., sprecherbrewery.com) on Fat Tuesday. Take one of the best brewery tours around and sample Chameleon Ryediculous IPA paired with Monterey Jack cheese, morel mushrooms, and leeks. If you like what you try, you can save on a growlers and cases of Ryediculous. Hoppy Mardi Gras.
Capital Brewery’s 15th Annual Bockfest is a good excuse to drink beer outside in late February. The celebration of the release of the Blonde Doppelbock draws 2,500 lucky drinkers to Capital Brewery’s Bier Garten (7734 Terrace Ave., Middleton, capital-brewery.com) and includes music, food, a 1K race and, of course, beer. The festivities start at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $10 and you can call (608) 836-7100 for advanced ticket information.
Beer School is in session at Three Cellars (7133 S. 76th St., threecellars.com) on Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This session talks about cellaring beer (aka: aging already brewed bottles). Learn from the experts at Three Cellars which beers can be cellared and how to do it. Call (414) 235-3336 to register.
Tastings
Tuesday, Feb. 21: Capital Brewery brew master Kirby Nelson is at Rumpus Room (1030 N. Water St.) to show off some Capital creations at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 22: Grand Teton is the brewery of choice for Suds Club members at 7 p.m. at The Bomb Shelter (1517 S. Second St.).
Friday, Feb. 24: This is a biggie from 4 to 7 p.m. at Discount Liquor Waukesha (919 Barstow St.). Abita will be handing out Mardi Gras Bock samples, Bell’s is bringing the coveted Hopslam.
Saturday, Feb. 25: Sample Wisconsin wines and stout beers from 1 to 4 p.m. at Three Cellars (7133 S. 76th St.).
