Abita's SOS

A couple years ago, when we were visiting Clare's parents, her father bought a six pack of Abita Restoration Ale, which really got me interested in Abita beer.  Abita is one of a handful of breweries in New Orleans, Louisiana and, after Hurricane Katrina, it may be the only one left.  The troubles endured by New Orleans and Southern Louisiana have inspired Abita to produce some really good beers, like its Restoration Ale, which is dedicated to the restoration of the city after the hurricane.

More recently, while oil was spewing into the Gulf and devastating the environment, Abita used its beermaking prowess for good, brewing a beer called "Save our Shores," a charitable pilsner.  The SOS is a Weizen Pils that is brewed with pilsner and wheat malts. As you can see from the picture, the beer pours a nice golden color and is very carbonated, producing a thick foam at the top.  The beer is smooth, with just a hint of hoppiness from the Sterling and German Perle hops.  The beer has an ABV of 7.0%, which gives it a little more punch than your average pilsner. 

Abita dedicates seventy-five cents of every $4.99 bottle to the rescue and restoration of the environment and the the fishing industry, both of which have been devastated by the oil spill.  While I would normally encourage people to buy this beer for that fact alone, this little bit of charity has a good return, namely, a very good pilsner. 

ENJOY!