Abita’s ‘Double Dog’ dare

Abita Beer’s Pecan Harvest brew, released each fall, is now on supermarket shelves. Like its two other specialty harvest brews, Strawberry and Satsuma, when it’s out, it’s out, so best to stock up if you’re a fan. The annually-released ale is made with the oil of toasted Louisiana pecans and makes for a great companion to sausage and smoky cheeses.

Also on the Abita front, you can track your favorite Abita brew’s whereabouts nationwide through its app released for iPhone users in April. An Adroid program is forthcoming this fall, company president David Blossman told me this week.

Local fans may not need a device to find Abita here, where our hometown fave is practically ubiquitous. But imagine the joy a mournful Gulf Coaster feels when he can pinpoint a cold Amber in a remote cross-country outpost. Abita is now sold in 46 states.

What is exciting to locals, though, is the imminent release of Abita’s 25th anniversary beer. Any day now, Vanilla Double Dog—a robust porter sold in 22 oz. bottles—will make itself available, delayed because of a production snafu at the bottle manufacturer, says Blossman. It’s Turbo Dog meets whole vanilla beans, producing a popular underground hit the brewery has tested in party kegs, he says.

“It’s got roasted overtones and hints of vanilla and is really quite interesting,” he says.

Abita may be standard issue alongside ribs and brisket at LSU tailgates, but Blossman encourages consumers to take a step further and regard these hometown favorites as winning culinary mates to a range of dishes.

“In general, there are just as many flavors in beer that there are in wine. You’ve got sweet, sour and interesting bittering components,” Blossman says. “In particular, we feel our beers go really well and are versatile with food.”