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Beers for Carnival/ Mardi Gras Season

jsecpa

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I live in New Orleans about 1 block from a parade route. Every year I host an open house. This year I am thinking of being generous and providing 4-5 kegs of homebrew. I'm big into brewing beers that match the season, but not so much spices and non-grain adjuncts.

Carnival and Mardi Gras is about drinking good drink and eating good food, and overdoing it. It requires a serious party attitude as during the height of the season there are back to back parties every day for about three weeks. My thought is that a Mardi Gras beer needs to be sessionable and somewhere between 4.5-5.5 ABV as you can't be to hungover for the next days festivities. But the beer should have some character and be interesting at the same time.

Abita releases it's Mardi Gras bock, which I think is a bit bland. Another region brewery (Bayou Teche) releases a biere de gaurde, and claims it is traditional for the Cajun Mardi Gras. I think there is a Mississippi brewery that releases a vanilla porter. I have never tried it, but I imagine the masses could not drink it in much quantity.

Anyway I am looking for input and others opinions about what qualities a mardi gras seasonal brew should exhibit, and any style suggestions.
 
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