Abita Brewing Company - Abita Wheat

Abita Wheat is a very unusual brew as it separates itself from the multitude of other wheat ales by actually being a wheat lager. Brewing Abita Wheat as a lager ensures a very clean and refreshing crispness that’s perfect for the warmer days of the year. On the pour, expect a pale golden color with a very bright white head. Typical of wheat beers, there’s a haziness to the color, and as you take a sniff you’ll notice the distinct twang of wheat malt. Also apparent is a lightly sweet cereal grain aroma not unlike Cheerios, and as you swirl the glass the wheat notes amplify along with a light hay-like impression, a faintly minty, grassy hop quality, and an impression of fresh soil. On the palate, the malt sweetness and hop bitterness are both mild, but perfectly balanced, and the flavor profile is very grain-forward, intensifying at the finish. Brewed annually as a summer seasonal to be supremely drinkable, refreshing, and light, Abita Wheat hits the target spot on.

Abita Brewing Company, situated approximately 30 miles north of New Orleans, is the oldest craft brewery in the Southeast and one of the oldest in the United States. At the time of its founding in 1986, we were still very much within the early days of the American craft beer renaissance. Clearly there was an untapped market for better beer in the region, as their product was a hit and in 1994 they moved the main brewery into a larger facility a short way up the road, leaving the original building to become their popular brewpub. Currently Abita is brewing at a pace of 90,000 barrels annually (a far cry from the 1,500 of their first year!). Despite their growth, Abita still brews each beer in small batches, taking advantage of protected artesian wells so pure that the water is fit for brewing directly from the ground, and is added straight to the brew kettle without any chemical preparation. The local Choctaw Native Americans believed the water to have curative properties, and it was they who named the springs “Abita,” which translates as “healing waters.” Abita Brewing Company is also notable for their charitable work. Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which spared the brewery any major damage, Abita brewed Restoration Pale Ale to raise money for hurricane relief. One dollar from every six pack sold was donated to the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, amounting to over half a million dollars. Additionally, $115,000 has been donated to the town of Abita Springs to expand and revitalize the historic Tourist Park in the town’s center. To celebrate Abita’s 20 year anniversary in 2006, the brewery threw a massive party; thousands attended and $20,000 was raised to benefit the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s Employee Relief Fund, which is dedicated to helping displaced food service workers return to their homes and their jobs. For more information about the brewery, brewpub and/or scheduled tours, call (985) 893-3143.