Mardi Gras Match-up

This Tuesday was Fat Tuesday, the culmination of the Carnival season of Mardi Gras. Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. If you're still celebrating, if you're still enjoying some leftover crawfish jambalaya, or if you're just in the mood for some great Cajun foods, you might be wondering what beverages would work well!

Cajun food is traditionally spicy. I've had the pleasure of attending Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest in Augusta, NJ many times. It's a weekend full of zydeco music and great food, including freshly boiled crawfish that are purchased in large, overflowing styrofoam take-out containers. Like tiny lobsters, you crack and eat the tail and claws, and then suck out the spicy, salty juices and fat from the crawfish's head. It's a lot of work, but a lot of fun, and very delicious. At the end, you're left with a full tummy and lips that burn for hours afterwards.

If you're looking for a wine to pair with such spicy foods, you want to stay away from high-alcohol wines with big tannins. Tannins accentuate spicy food and will make for a mouthful of fire. To combat the heat of Creole cooking, a white wine would be your best bet. German Rieslings, with their lower alcohol content and sweet touch are known to pair very well with Cajun food, as are Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer or Gruner Veltliner. And without a doubt, any off-dry Champagne or sparkling wine would match excellently.

If you just have to have a red, go with those with very low tannin levels, such as a Beaujolais, South African Pinotage, or a Spanish Red.

Of course, one great way to soothe the flames would be to enjoy your Cajun food with a nice, refreshing beer. IPAs, Pilsners and Bocks would all make a good match, but if you want to go authentic, we carry a selection of brews from Abita Brewery. Founded in 1986, the Abita Brewing Company is nestled in the piney woods 30 miles north of New Orleans.