Abita was one of the gateway beers for me when it came to the craft beer world. From drinking Schlitz, Dixie, and Red Dog I picked up an Abita Amber one day and, well, the rest is history. They were also my gateway beer as far as styles too – with one of the first being the oyster stout.
Oyster stouts have a long history and any Louisianan can tell you how good oysters pair with beer, particularly stouts. The chocolate, toasty, rich flavors of stouts being perfectly complimented by the juicy, brininess of the oysters – the intermingling of the viscous stout washed away by the salinity of the perfect saltwater oysters is a mouthwatering mental image.