All About Beer Magazine

Beer Talk

Abita Restoration Ale

Published May 2007, Volume 28, Number 2

• Michael Jackson

  Hugely foamy cappuccino head and fine lace. Deep, refractive, gold-to-bronze color. Evocative aroma. Fresh beignets, orange-flower water, Ramos Fizz. Fresh flavors too: oranges and lemons. Smooth, engrossing, calming. Big, but easy.

• Charles Finkel

  Light and flavorful golden ale worth seeking out. It’s a win-win: your money goes to a great cause and you get to drink a damn good beer. Huge, handsome head with a clean, candy-like nose leads to a bread-like earthy malt flavor. Paired with gumbo, oysters on the half shell, or even red beans and rice, the richness of the beer is uplifting, like a trip to New Orleans.

• Stan Hieronymus

  This beer was created to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina, most of them in New Orleans 30 miles to the south of Abita Springs and across Lake Pontchartrain. It’s easy to imagine drinking Restoration on the north side of the lake, walking along still bayous among oak trees and scented pines after an early evening rain. Refreshing from the start— fruits and spices in the aroma; perfumy pineyness — with a light, undemanding palate. A tad grainy and grassy, its hop flavor easily balancing moderate sweetness. Finishes with a lingering impression of pine.