The Porch Taproom at Lazy Magnolia Brewery

by Charles Pierce

A few weeks ago I had the chance to visit the Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company located in Kiln, MS. At their quaint taproom, affectionately named The Porch, I was able to enjoy some food and delicious taproom only brews. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to my next visit.

The Lazy Magnolia Brewery has been distributing delicious craft beer since opening in 2003. In the last few years they have been doing contract brewing for some smaller breweries, including Chafunkta Brewery out of Covington.

During my visit I tasted quite a fed of their taproom exclusives while enjoying some delicious pimento cheese and artisan bread from their kitchen. 

Though all of them were tasty as hell, these are the ones that stuck out to me the most:

Southern Pecan w/Rum - This one was probably my favorite. The booziness of the rum shined through but didn’t take away from the true flavor of the brown ale. With no ABV listed I’d guess it’s close to at least 9% if not more.

Bramblin’ Man Sour - This is the perfect sour for anyone wanting to try this style for the first time. Subtle with just enough bite. This is a beer I could drink many of in one sitting.

Mole Ole - This reminded me of the Cocoa Mole from New Belgium’s Lips Of Faith series but with less heat which isn’t a bad thing. This would be great on a nice cold evening.

Black IPA - This one had some nice roasty notes to it and a touch of sweetness. Reminded me a bit of Dr. Hoptagon from Parish Brewery. Very tasty indeed.

If you find yourself traveling the Gulf Coast either on a local brewery tour or just looking for a pit stop for some food and good beers I highly suggest stopping off in Kiln and visiting the folks at Lazy Magnolia. Tell them Chuck P sent you!

Wakey Whiskey: Larceny Bourbon Whiskey

by Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone, and welcome to two consecutive SEC wins for the LSU Tigers. If they can win tonight, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before. I'm not superstitious, but bourbon has given us wins, so here's another #wakeywhiskey bourbon.

This morning's selection is the 92 proof Larceny from the Old Fitzgerald distillery out of Bardstown, KY. This distillery is currently owned by Heaven Hill, but has ties to Stitzel-Weller of Pappy renown. That's certainly promising!



Nothing remarkable about the appearance here, just a clear bronze gold of a straight bourbon. The aroma is very clean and smooth with hints of cocoa and leather.

The initial taste is strong cinnamon and licorice, the latter of which is unexpected but not unpleasant. There is a good bit going on and the 46% abv is pretty noticeable especially on the finish. The spicy notes coat the tongue and linger after each sip in an aggressively pleasing manner.

This isn't my all-time favorite bourbon, but I will have no problem finishing it off either. Cheers everyone, happy #gameday and #geauxtigers

A Day in the DR

by Blair Loup

People are always telling me how fun and cool my job is and they’re 100% correct. As a result of being a Bite and Booze employee, I’ve landed a seat on several adventures, but my trips to the Dominican Republic are always at the top of my list.

Sipping on a Santo Libre on the North Coast. Photo Credit: Dawn Garcia

Walking around with an ice-cold beer in hand past walls and doors bursting with color and music flooding the streets is an all too familiar feeling for a Louisianan in Santo Domingo. The people, culture and food of the Dominican Republic always make me feel at home…until someone asks me something in Spanish.

Jay and I posing in Santo Domingo. Photo Credit: Dawn Garcia

While the taste and ingredients are far from Louisiana dishes the cooking methods and love that goes into their food hits home. Inspired by the dishes that are classic Dominican for me, Jay and I have created an authentic, sort of “Day in the DR”, menu we’ll be cooking at Red Stick Spice Co. Oct. 23rd and 24th.

Trust me, this four-course paired dinner is one worth getting out on a Monday/Tuesday night for.

Here’s a look at some of the dishes and drinks we had all along the island that we’ll be recreating:

Goat Empanadas:

Goat Empanadas made with yucca flour.

They’re not the prettiest bite you’ve ever seen, but these flavor-packed pockets are a must-try. Stewed down with tomato and plenty of strong, fragrant oregano, the goat is stuffed into yucca flour dough.

You’d be hard-pressed to not find yucca in something you eat in the DR. The yucca flour comes out a little more flat than the dough you’d use for a Natchitoches meat pie, but holds up against the filling and coconut/habanero hot sauce I doused mine in.

This will be paired with a Passion Fruit Sangria made with Jay D’s Blanc Du Bois. I would say that passion fruit, yucca and plantains are some of the most often seen ingredients on a menu. There’s passion fruit juice everywhere you go, fresh passion fruit at breakfast every morning, passion fruit candy…you name it. It’s tangy, tart and naturally sweet all at once which will balance well with the crisp, honeysuckle vibes of the Blanc Du Bois.

Sancocho:

Sancocho with long grain rice and fresh avocado.

Everyone’s mom makes it differently, but they’re all good. This stew is as comforting as a bowl of gumbo, but with more vegetables and less fat. Sancocho combines, different roots and tubers, often times a mixture of stew meats and fresh herbs.

Jay loves Brugal Rum. 

We’ll be pairing the Sancocho with the ever popular Santo Libre. Not a far stretch from its cousin the Cuba Libre, this rum and seven cocktail will be made with Jay’s favorite Dominican rum that we brought back with us: Brugal. Like Louisiana, the DR is flush with sugar cane and is home to some delicious rum distilleries.

Pollo Guisado:

La Bandera lunch plate: Pollo Guisado, tostones, rice and beans with a little fried chicken for good measure.

Pollo Guisado is a stewed chicken dish that has an extreme depth of flavor with a strong tomato backbone. Often served with different sides, the most common way to enjoy pollo guisado is with rice and beans.

This is typically called La Bandera Dominicana. A plate made up of red beans, white rice, a meat option and usually fresh slices of avocado and tostones (fried plantains).

You can find a meal like this at any lunch counter across the island. It’s always cheap and delicious.

It’s one of my favorite things to eat while I’m there and we’ll be pairing it with my DR beverage of choice: Presidente.

Beer. Beach. @bloup3.

A post shared by Gov't Taco (@govttaco) on Aug 18, 2017 at 10:00am PDT

Finding a frosted bottle of Presidente is more common than a bottle of water and I’m not complaining. A simple, crisp lager, Presidente is bright gold and light bodied with a foamy head that dissipates after a few sips. You can buy a regular sized bottle or go for the jumbo that gets served with a few dental office cups for you to share with friends…or not.

Coconut Cake:

We’ll wrap up our Dinner Dominicana with a piece of coconut cake. Dominicans love their sweets. They always spring for dessert and coffee, and yes, even the coffee comes pre-sweetened at times.

You can sip on a fresh coconut while you walk along the beach or find it in their dough mixes and hot sauces, but why not just eat coconut cake?

We’ll be serving Jay D’s Single Origin Coffee: a very special project using beans from the Dominican Republic. You can read more about our Dominican coffee project in conjunction with Lycoming College and local Baton Rouge roastery, Cafeciteaux here.

Tickets for Dinner Dominicana at Red Stick Spice Company on October 23rd are still available now (October 24th is sold out). Book your spot and take a stay-cation to the DR with us!

World Food Championships return to the Alabama Beaches!

by Jay Ducote

Once again this year some of the greatest chefs and food sport contestants from around the country and even from around the world will be descending on Orange Beach, AL for the World Food Championships. Now in it's sixth year, and second in Alabama, the WFC has positioned itself as a proving ground for cooks and culinary personalities. This year's event takes place from November 8th to 12th.

Suzanne Clark, Cassandra King and Jay Ducote host the TV show for the 2016 World Food Championships

With 500+ teams registered for 2017, The World Food Championships is the largest culinary competition on the planet. The event gives home cooks, pro chefs and professional cook teams from all walks of life a chance to be seen on TV and win a share of a the largest prize purse in the Food Sport industry.

From burgers and BBQ, to sandwiches and bacon, there is a $10,000 winner in each of ten categories, all which culminate in a grand finale of epic food proportions at the Final Table.

Check out this TV show from last year's WFC featuring yours truly as one of the three hosts for the competition!

I'll be back again this year to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of victory. I know there are other Louisiana chefs who have punched their tickets on the path to become World Champions as well. It's guaranteed to be a great time, so book your hotel room in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach now so you can enjoy the action!

Cassandra King, Jay Ducote and Suzanne Clark at WFC 2016

Adam Feinberg, Jay Ducote and Vic Vegas at WFC 2016

Jay Ducote hosts the first round of the BBQ Competition at the 2016 World Food Championship

Jay Ducote and WFC CEO Mike McCloud cheers with a pair of tomahawk pork chops

The hosts on stage with Mike to discuss the World Food Championships

Luke Darnell and Jay Ducote celebrate Luke's $10,000 prize check an title of World Barbecue Champion!

Mike McCloud, Moe Cason, Brad Orrison and Jay Ducote enjoy the Bourb'N'Que at WFC 2016

The Big Tyme Productions crew poses with the hosts of the WFC 2016 TV Show

Wakey Whiskey: Four Roses 2017 Limited Edition Bourbon

by Eric Ducote

Good morning Tiger fans (well, LSU Tiger fans to be more specific) and a happy game day to you all! The Fighting Tigers of LSU came through big time last weekend. So, I'm going to stick with a bourbon this week, but still switch it up from Coopers' Craft. 

 Again, thanks to the power of the Bite and Booze brand, I have a limited edition media sample to taste. This week it's the Four Roses 2017 Limited Edition "50th Anniversary Al Young" Bourbon.

This limited edition spirit (approximately 10,000 bottles were produced) is a blend of 23, 15, 13, and 12 year old barrels from the Four Roses warehouse intended to invoke cinnamon, peaches, and cherries. It's bottled at barrel strength and comes in at 108.98 proof, or just under 55% alcohol. With the youngest barrel at 12 years old I would expect a dark bourbon and the appearance of this one doesn't let me down at all. It's a deep reddish-brown color and although sometimes I'll add some ice to open up the flavors of a whiskey, I decided to enjoy this one neat. 

The aroma is rich and complex and can be smelled from a few feet away! I'm not really getting any of the peach or cherry, but there is a strong vanilla flavor, a bit of toffee, definitely a hint of the cinnamon they were going for, and some floral notes. 

 My first thought upon tasting was that the alcohol content is very well masked. I know I'm drinking whiskey but some barrel strength bourbons out there can kick your ass and this one is more of a gentle push. The vanilla charred oak flavors are still strong, and some of those fruit notes they were going for come though -- although I'm getting more prunes and maybe apricot than peaches and cherries. The bourbon finishes with some sweet grain notes and leaves me wanting more... a lot more. This is definitely one of those times when I wish we had more than a media sample to share. 

 If you see a bottle of this one around town, don't hesitate to buy it. It's going to be expensive, but this one is worth the money. Now we just need the LSU Tigers to play up to the level of this whiskey, and we just might see another ranked team go down.

Happy #gameday everyone! #wakeywhiskey and #geauxtigers

How Emeril Lagasse Throws a Party: An Insider’s Preview of Louisiana’s Biggest Boudin Bash

by Babes & Beignets

Baton Rouge listen up! It’s Babes and Beignets here – your festival aficionados and lovers of all things New Orleans. But of course, we love you too, BR! That’s why we’re here to tell you about our favorite can’t-miss fall fest coming up Nov. 3 in NOLA.

If you’ve ever wondered how Chef Emeril Lagasse throws a party, now’s your chance to find out. Celebrity chef and renowned culinary personality Emeril Lagasse puts on the biggest and booziest bash at his 7th annual Boudin, Bourbon & Beer event in New Orleans on November 3.

Yes, you read that right! Three of the South’s favorite food groups: boudin, bourbon and beer are all coming together at Champions Square, along with 65 chefs and four awesome musical acts to raise money for amazing charitable causes.

Wait, you get to party for a cause? Yes! – which is one of the many reasons we love this event so much.

Hosted by Chef Emeril’s non-profit organization, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, Boudin, Bourbon & Beer has become one of the South's biggest outdoor food and music festivals. Cajun country’s favorite sausage – boudin – takes center stage along with top culinary talent to raise millions for children’s charities along the Gulf Coast that support culinary, nutrition and arts programs.

The all-inclusive event brings together the country’s best chefs, including Bite & Booze’s very own Jay Ducote, to create their own one-of-a-kind boudin-inspired dishes.

Pork Temple Carbonara, boudin burritos, chicken fried boudin, fois gras rice crispy treats, boudin dumplings, crawfish boudin corndogs, bacon bread pudding and even a whole hog are just a few of the 60+ creative dishes we heard will be on the menu this year.




Aside from all the boudin imaginable, $99 gets attendees 10+ open bars stocked with a variety of craft brews from Abita Beer, signature bourbon cocktails from Buffalo Trace, Nat Sherman cigar tastings and all-night musical entertainment by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Langhorne Slim & the Law, Kristin Diable & the City and Silverado Pickups. Other goodies include Keurig coffee to keep the party going, photobooths and cool silent auction packages curated by some of NOLA’s best chefs.



If you think that’s the best $100 you’ll ever spend, we totally agree. These all-inclusive tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster until the event sells-out -- which trust us, it will! Get your tickets soon and make your way to New Orleans on Friday, Nov. 3 and come party with us for a great cause at Champions Square!

Make sure you’re following @EmerilOrg on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more Boudin, Bourbon & Beer 2017 updates and teasers. See you there, Baton Rouge!

Wakey Whiskey: Coopers' Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon

by Eric Ducote

Well Tiger fans... this season has been pretty disappointing so far, but that's not going to stop me from enjoying a #wakeywhiskey before this afternoon's game against Florida. All hate for Alabama aside, I think Florida is my overall most loathed SEC program, especially after last year's football debacle and the College World Series. So, here's to hoping Coach O gets the boys up to play and they bounce back... if not... at least I have some whiskey.

Today's selection is the Coopers' Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon out of Louisville, Kentucky. Coopers' Craft is made by Brown-Forman, a large beverage congolmerate that owns Jack Daniels, Early Times, as well as several scotch brands, tequila brands, vodka, and even wine. This bourbon was created to honor the company's history as a cooperage, as one of Brown-Forman's early ventures was raising fresh charred oak barrels for use throughout the American bourbon industry. One thing to note, barrels are not made or built, the proper term is that they are "raised".



This bourbon is a refined toasted wood whiskey taken through a unique beech and birch finishing process for a smooth and flavorful bourbon. It's a "straight" bourbon which means that it has been aged for a minimum of two years, and it shows, as the color is an amber on the verge of a true brown rather than a lighter straw or golden color. The char on the barrels comes though pretty strong and has done its job on this one.

The nose is char with a sweet undertone of apple or caramel, maybe even some brown sugar, and the taste follows through well with some of the more characteristic vanilla and oak notes I would expect from a straight bourbon. The 82.2 proof alcohol is present and pleasant, helping round off each sip with a little burn to balance out the sweet and rich flavors. Overall, very impressive. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from this one, but it holds it own against several of the better bourbons I've tried recently.

On that note, here's to hoping LSU can hold their own this afternoon. Cheers, and Geaux Tigers!