Among the many beer-infused dishes that Y&H explored in this week’s beer-themed paper, maybe my favorite is chef David Guas‘ New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp (pictured above), served on special every Friday night at Arlington’s Bayou Bakery. I’ve tried the version at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace in Logan Circle. But with all due respect to Jeff Black, Guas’ version is saucier, spicier and just plain heartier. One big difference between the two dishes: Guas infuses his sauce with beer, specifically Abita Turbodog dark brown ale.

As the chef explains in this week’s column:

“You drink a Turbodog, what flavors do you get? You get that malty, sort of rich, rounded Guinness Stout-y kind of flavor, and so you bring that into a really spicy, bold, black-peppery, heavy garlic dish and it just sort of balances everything and mellows it out. Turbodog, believe it or not, has got a sweetness to it. Just like Guinness has got a sweetness to it. When you taste the head on a Guinness, it tastes sweet. I mean, it’s got that black strap, molasses-y sort of snap at the end, that bitter roundness. But, still, there’s a complexity to it. I just think it makes [the dish] bolder and sort of reinforces the flavors you’ve already put into it.”

Photo by Chris Shott