Some of our taste testers recently met up with some beer drinkers for the 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. This is 10-day cultural feast with thousands of musicians, cooks and craftspeople showcase their talents. During this trip, it was only natural for us to test out some of the beers from Louisiana

Abita Andygator
This was a new one for us to review. The Andygator scored well amongst our reviewers. This is not to be treated lightly, because at 8% alcohol and at a 22 oz bottle, this is close to the equivalent of 3.5 regular beers (in terms of alcohol). The taste was not too heavy and there was the perfect level of carbonation in this beer.  Very good pairing with the seafood our taste testers had in New Orleans while trying this beer.  A definite crowd pleaser with a cool bottle as well.
Website: http://abita.com/brews/andygator.php

NOLA Brewing Brown Ale
This is the new comer and definite welcome to the beer tasting world. NOLA Brewing Company is actually the only beer we are told brewed in New Orleans. The overall rating from our taste testers was near perfect. This is a perfect compliment to any meal and kudos to the makers for being able to capture the ambience and comfort of a relaxing day in New Orleans into a cold glass.  Another perfect pairing with seafood or even a po-boy sandwich.  The fill was perfect and all of our testers were satisfied looking for another.  One of our reviewers commented it was the best beer they had the whole weekend.
Website: http://www.nolabrewing.com

Abita Amber
This is probably the most well known Abita brand outside of New Orleans. This was a nice compliment to everything from seafood to hamburgers. Not too filling, but definitely something to order which will let people know you have tried many beers and have found a comfort in its smooth taste and flavor. We were also told that the Abita Amber is also the perfect addition to any cooking recipe and is frequently used in preparation.
Website: http://www.abita.com/brews/amber.php

Abita Purple Haze
Our tasters were familiar with this beer from prior experiences and on the nice hot day in New Orleans, the perfect ending and feel to this beer were well received. The company’s website states it is best served with salads or light fruit desserts, but we found the raspberry wheat brew to be good with or without food.
Website: http://www.abita.com/brews/purple-haze.php

Our taste testers are looking forward to including all of the above in our upcoming taste testings and welcome responses and opinions on the above from all readers. We have not included the prices from the above as we normally do on a review, as no doubt the average price we paid is different from the actual retail value you will find and given it was a special event / weekend in New Orleans, and additionally as the beers were not all purchased from the same location.  Overall, we were very happy with our beer tasting experience and recommend each one of the above beers (as we also recommend Jazz Fest) for years to come. If you find yourself sitting in a lounge chair on a sunny day, watching live music, then you are in definite need of one (or more) of the above beers.