Best Abita Beer, Ranked | Sporked

Every Mardi Gras season, folks take the opportunity to Louisiana up their life, swapping out rice pilaf for red beans and rice, cookies for pralines, and, of course, Bud Light (or whatever your domestic brew of choice is) for Abita beers. Luckily, more and more Abita beer flavors are being widely distributed outside of LA, so you don’t have to only drink Purple Haze. But maybe you should? I tracked down all of the Abita beers I could find in the Los Angeles area and ranked them. 

But before we laissez les bon temps rouler, let’s bone up on the history of Abita. According to the brewery’s website, it was founded in 1986 (what up, fellow ‘80s baby!) about 30 miles north of New Orleans. They started as a microbrewery, making just 1,500 barrels of beer. But today, they’re brewing over 125,000 barrels of beer and they also make soda! (They’re root beer made our best root beer ranking.) They’re committed to energy conservation—they even have their own industrial wastewater treatment plant, which generates energy. And, unlike so many treasured regional breweries, Abita is still privately owned and operated. 

Side note: Does this sound branded? It’s not sponcon. I just really like Abita! 

Abita makes lots of seasonal brews—many of which are tough to find outside of New Orleans. So, if your favorite isn’t on here, it’s only because I couldn’t get a hold of every single Abita beer. But I vow to update this list as more and more Abitas come into my life. With that caveat in place, here are six Abita beer flavors, ranked. 

Abita Beer!

Let’s start with dessert. This doppelbock has a cooked strawberry aroma and it follows through with that promise upon first sip. It is sweet. It is a sweet beer. If you do not like beer because you do not like the taste of beer but you do like strawberry crumble, go ahead and give this beer a try. Watch out, because this Abita strawberry beer packs a wallop at 8% ABV. A fine way to end the evening, but definitely not something you can guzzle down unless your sweet tooth is actually a full-on sweet mouth.

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

Abita Beer!

This is not the most remarkable of the Abita beer flavors, but it’s a fine amber lager. It would be good with a roast beef po’ boy. I helpfully wrote in my notes that, “It’d be good if you’re doing other stuff.” What I was trying to say, so eloquently, was that this is a good background beer. You won’t think about how good or bad it is. You’ll just drink it because it’s beer and you’ll go on with your life, trying to catch a few strands of beads or appreciating a Trombone Shorty solo. I do think it’d also be really good with a shot of bourbon for a boilermaker.

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Abita Beer!

Forget everything you think you know about how an IPA should taste. It’s not like a West Coast or East Coast IPA—it’s entirely its own thing. It’s a little bit tarragon-y. It’s unique. It’s not for everyone. But if you are intrigued by the idea of an herbaceous IPA, this is the best Abita beer for you to try. It makes your mouth water. Try it with some fried gator bites.

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Abita Beer!

Here’s a textbook brown ale in the best sense. This is a rich, coffee-tinged brown ale. It’s not too bitter; it’s easy drinking. This is like a lesson in what brown ale should taste like. Out of all the Abita beers we tasted, this one is the most discounted. More people should be praising Turbodog. It’s a great beer and definitely one of the best Abita beers available.

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Abita Beer!

When you think, “Abita beer,” “Purple Haze” is probably the one that comes to mind. Brewed with actual, real-deal raspberries, it’s fruity but not too fruity. You don’t take a sip and immediately think you’re drinking a raspberry soda. Instead, the raspberries complement the flavors of the lager. It definitely has some sweetness, but it’s not cloying. The Abita beer website recommends pairing it with cheeses, and I agree. Though, I personally have always enjoyed it on its own as an early afternoon beer. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Drizly

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Abita Beer!

Once a seasonal offering available just three months out of the year, the best Abita strawberry beer became a year-round Abita beer in 2019. And thank god it did. Because I love this beer. It has a bright and fruity nose. And the flavor is the perfect balance of lager and tangy, not-too -sweet strawberry flavor. I could drink this all day—starting with brunch. What a lovely brunch beer. It’s just tart enough to give it a little zing but not too fruity that you think it’s soda or too sour to make you think it’s a sour. If you’ve tried this beer, then you know it’s the best Abita beer. If you haven’t tried it, seek it out and find out just how right I am. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

ncG1vNJzZmiroKS%2FrLHDZ5qopV%2BWv7W1wqWcaJqVqMFurcGiq5plkpqys3nFpZivp6KofA%3D%3D