A locally brewed stout so good, you'd think Kerry Yoes had some Irish in him
Published November 7

We have become a nation of home-brewers and a country that embraces regional microbrews. We can all be thankful for that. But unless you get to travel around the country tasting what people are cooking up in their backyards, then many of the home-brewed products can start to taste a bit samey. This is because the mineral content of a local water supply, the native, airborne yeast and climate for fermentation in any given area will tend to nudge small batch beer creators towards similar styles.

Every once in a while, however, someone will produce something that stands far above the rest of the local brews. And if that person is very good and also very lucky, then they just might win Abita’s homebrew competition and actually get their beer into production at one of the nation's premier microbreweries, right down the road in Abita Springs.

This same Abita-sponsored competition brought us Andygator about a decade ago. Now a home brewer in Zachary and his very Louisiana take on Russian Imperial Stout has been given the nod to be the newest Abita Select product. Stouts (and particularly home-brewed stouts) are often the blunt instrument of the beer world—the bellowing, crashing-through-coffee-tables member of the beer family. A really good stout, on the other hand, is a dance between delicate, velvety texture and robust earthy flavor. Judging by many of the products on the market that bear the stout label, making a refined version of the classic variety is no easy feat, but Kerry Yoes has done just that.

Louisiana Oyster Stout sounds bit unconventional until you hear the story (for which you will have to wait until the print edition of Country Roads comes along in December), but trust me when I say that this is very fine stuff. It has a head like whipped cream; tiny bubbles hold the form of this creamy topper like few others I have tasted. I spent some time studying in Ireland (read— drinking Guinness and unsuccessfully courting Irish girls). While there I darkened the door of many a Dublin establishment claiming to serve the best pint of Guinness. To a twenty-something set loose on the other side of the pond, they all tasted pretty good, but I did acquire a bit of palate for the stuff. This may sound like hyperbole, but of all the American produced stouts, Yoes’ Oyster Stout comes as close to a pint of the dark stuff served near a peat fire you are likely to find this side of the Liffey.

For now Abita is only producing Louisiana Oyster Stout in kegs through their Abita Select program. Hopefully it will be embraced by the beer-drinking people of Louisiana and make its way to growlers, six-packs and a wider audience in general. Until then, make a point to stop in at one of the local bars currently serving the stuff. It is remarkable, and not just because it is local. This stuff deserves to compete with the best home-brewed products out there.

And yes, there are real Louisiana oysters involved in its production (though you won’t find any at the bottom of your pint glass). But those details will have to wait for next month’s issue. Happy drinking!

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