Between Two Shells: Raw Gulf Oysters and Fresh Margaritas

by Blair Loup aka BRFluff

A Raw Gulf Oyster paired with a Fresh Margarita at Jolie Pearl

I remember as a child growing up in Southwest Louisiana, all of the men in my family gathered around a table slurping oysters out of shells at crawfish boils and fish fries. When my dad handed me my first Gulf oyster he encouraged me to try it without crackers and cocktail sauce. I looked at this slimy thing with a few drops of Tabasco and a squeeze of lemon cautiously, then knocked it back in true YOLO fashion (sorry not sorry). I’ve been a sucker for raw oysters ever since. When Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar opened up in downtown Baton Rouge I was excited to taste oysters from other areas for the first time.

Jolie Pearl offers a wide range of raw, baked, and chargrilled oysters and we at Bite and Booze have made it our self-serving mission to pair each of these with a delicious craft beer, wine, or one of Jolie Pearl’s stellar cocktails.

While I enjoy trying different types of oysters, the Gulf oyster tastes nostalgic to me for obvious reasons. It’s creamy, briny, and slightly murky (which is where the flavor comes from); add to that a little pop from a spicy horseradish sauce and you’ve got yourself a bite of Louisiana. Most of the time I would pair this with a beer, but I couldn’t pass up the fresh margarita. This version is made with freshly squeezed lemon, lime, and orange juices in addition to a little agave nectar. There’s something about the taste of fresh citrus and tequila with a sugar/salt rim paired with a freshly shucked Gulf oyster that makes me feel like I’m in one of those wind machines with money flying all around.

It’s a good time at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar. There’s a vinyl happy hour (because yas) Monday-Friday from 4-7pm, and live music most Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

We’ve only shucked the surface with these pairings, so check back here every month for more Bite and Booze pairings from Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar!