This used to be my brew of choice circa 2003 - 2004. Every Wednesday & Thursday night, my friends & I would go to either the Bulldog or Balcony Bar on Magazine Street in New Orleans and get pitchers of this beverage. At the time, it was marketed as a barley wine and was claimed to sport an 11% ABV rating on draught. The brew held an elusive mystique since you could only find it at the Abita Brew Pub in Abita Springs, and a mere handful of other locations around Louisiana. For college students, it also packed a great bang for your buck.
Beginning in the Fall of 2008, Abita decided to expand the beverage's market and begin bottling the brew. In the process of shedding its draught-only status, the recipe seemingly changed, too. In its currently form, it's advertised as a Helles Doppelbock and distributed in 22 oz bottles. The ABV rating has also dropped from 11% to 8%.
The back of the bottle reads:
"The Andygator is a fearsome beast...much too big for any little bottle. Don't let his toothy grin, slightly sweet flavor and subtle fruit aroma fool you: this cold-blooded creature is a Helles Doppelbock that can sneak up on you. Sip, don't gulp and taste the wild of Abita Andygator."
Even in its modern form, I still consider it a delicious brew and try to keep a minimum of two 22 oz bottles in my beer fridge at all times to share with out of town guests. You can find it in the Houston area for between $4 and $6 per bottle. There's also distribution along the Eastern seaboard and throughout CA & OR on the West coast.
Photographs of the bottle enjoyed this evening are illustrated below.
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