C'mon, Rob, this is Baltimore. Natty Boh or Budweiser.

Crabs--Agree with Hugh wholeheartedly. His brew is pretty spot on for this.
Crabcake--Now, then you are in a different realm. I like something light, most likely a saison. Hennepin is pretty nice with a well done crab cake with jumbo lump. However, if you are talking one of the Asian crab filled Phillips crab cakes, then I'd go for a hoppy IPA to at least have some flavor in my mouth.

Yuengling tickles my fancy come crab time.

I sort of agree with TCK. Basically, the only beer to have with crabs is you basic domestic mass produced "beer".

No pale ales, lagers, porters or stouts. No raspberry wheats, honey wheats, brown ales, red ales or other types of dark beers.

With crabs, it should be ice cold "beer"-- Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light, MGD, Coors, Michelob, Natural Light, etc...and of course the mother of all crab beers, he legendary Natty Boh (but it has to be ice, ice, ice, ice COLD...!!!!). Too bad it''s no longer served in granade bottles.

But the BEST beer with crabs is no longer made, and that would be the wonderful National Premium, the Pride of Baltimore!

Natonal Premium was the sister beer to Natty Boh, and biu was it good.

Can someone explain to TCK and Donny B that the whole point of pairing beer with food is to pair GOOD beer with Good Food. As much as crabs cost you want to buy some good beer that will allow to keep tasting crab. Drinking these cheap Domestic Lites will do nothing to clear your palate.

Backfin, of course.

Can someone explain to Steve that beer with crabs aint about "clearing your palate." Save that for Lobster.

I totally agree with Mr. Sisson - McHerny with steamed crabs and BaltoMarzen with crabcakes. They are both made here in Baltimore and quite frankly are tuned to our palettes.

ICE ICE ICE ICE COLD!!!!!! Yes, you should drink those girly skunk waters super-ice cold so that your taste buds are numb to their banal insipid non-taste. Why not just have an ice cold Fresca or Zima? Singha would probably be good to stand up to the spiciness and it's higher alcohol content will cleanse your palate better, I think, but be careful, it's strong.

I had some Pyramid Curveball Kolsch with crabs last week. Very nice match.

Natty Boh. Don't care that it sucks.

Donny B

The best beer for crabs is still made.

The recipe for Clipper City McHenry is National Premium......

I posted this on the EL Blog--

There's no better food and cocktail pairing than ice cold domestic beer and a pile of freshly seamed blue crabs smothered in Old Bay (or your favorite maryland crab seasoning--some prefer the Obrycki's black pepper/dry mustard blend, others prefer the traditional Old Bay/J.O. style. I like both ).

But please, when it comes to steamed crabs, NO European beers, Canadian beers, Mexican beers, or Australian beers. Hold the Bass, the Molson, and the Fosters. No thanks for the New Castle, the Amstel, or Heineken. No fancy microbrews, pale ales, nut brown ales, amber ales, oatmeal stouts, Irish stouts, porters, bachs, brown lagers, red lagers, cherry-wheats, honey wheats, raspbery wheats, weizenbachs, or heifweizens. None of the above! Not with steamed crabs, hon!.

When it comes to steamed crabs, it HAS to be ICE COLD domestic American beer. I'm talking about beer that tastes like "beer." Your Miller, your Natural Light, Michelob, Coors, Bud, and of course our beloved Natty Boh. I'll even take a Schlitz, a Pabst, or a Stroh's. My all-time favorite with crabs was the late great "National Premium". Oh what I wouldn't give to get National Premium back in its original form. They didn't call it "The Pride of Baltimore" for nothing. And it was GREAT with crabs!

There really is no better food/drink combination than beer and crabs, period. Whoever married those two together deserves a statue and an official state holiday.

I agree with no European brews and nothing too highbrow but let's get something straight on these glorious domestics. If you are going to eat Blues from the Bay, why would you drink beer made in PA, NC or wherever Boh carpetbags from now. Miller is owned by a South African corporation. Coors is half Canadian these days. Even old man AB is about to be an internatonal conglomerate. Drink local when it comes to the MVP of the Chesapeake. A maryland bred lager is the way to go. I'll cast my vote for a cold McHenry.

Natural Light has always been my 'go-to" beer to drink wiht crabs. It trylu is "the beer with the taste for food"....What's more natural then--Natural Light?"

Back in the day, I used to love National Premium with steamed crabs.
Today, I tried McHenry for the first time.
Mr. Boh's cousin, Mr. Pilsner, would be proud.
McHenry with steamed crabs for this ol' Bawlamer boy.

I agree with the Natural Light choice. I haven't hear that slogan in awhile.