6 Food and Beverage Options From the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Vacationing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is appealing for a variety of reasons. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons is because this little corner of the world is a spectacular haven for great food and drink.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast offers not only great food and drink but also some distinct menu options that you're not likely to see elsewhere. This obviously means that you need to learn what these one-of-a-kind culinary experiences are before your trip so that you can sample them when you have the chance.

The following are six food or beverage options you're likely to see on Mississippi Gulf Coast menus that you don't want to miss out on during your trip.

If you're a seafood lover, you may be interested to know that the Gulf Coast actually produces 70 percent of the oysters consumed in the United States.

While you might be able to order oysters most places, you won't experience the quality, size, flavor, and freshness of Mississippi Gulf Coast oysters elsewhere. Gulf oysters from Mississippi coastal waters are fantastic whether eaten raw or baked in Oysters Rockefeller, which is a recipe that was created in nearby New Orleans.

Crawfish étouffée is a dish that capitalizes on the unique cultural combinations found in the history of the Mississippi Gulf area. While the dish itself is a blend of Cajun and Creole cuisines, its French name is a call back to the European origins of much of the area's culture.

Crawfish is a classic and distinctive ingredient of southern cooking. You should definitely try this freshwater crustacean if you want to experience all the flavors of the South.

The Cat Island Cruiser was listed as the official cocktail of the Gulf Coast by Deep South Magazine. If you're a cocktail drinker or a rum fan, you should definitely give this one a try.

The Cat Island Cruiser recipe calls for a mixture of rum, mango chunks, cilantro-mint syrup, and club soda. This cocktail is highly refreshing and will help you cool down and cope with the southern heat.

Teetotalers can cool off with a refreshing glass of sweet tea. Sweet tea can cool down your pallet when you're sampling all of the Gulf Coast's spiciest cuisine.

A glass of sweet tea will typically consist of sugar or syrup added to a glass of cold black tea. Often, sweet teas are flavored with fruits like peach, raspberry, or lemon.

Of course, you'll want to finish a scrumptious southern meal off with an appropriate dessert. Mississippi mud pie is a classic option. Mississippi mud pie is a combination of brownies, marshmallows, chocolate icing, and the most famous nut of the south, pecans.

This decadent dessert is typically served warm with a heap of ice cream as a topping. This is definitely the perfect dessert option for chocolate lovers. If you try this dessert, you'll be impressed with the enormous quantity of chocolate packed into even a small slice.

Another interesting southern menu item you may see that capitalizes on the flavor of the pecan is Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale. This beer is actually the first beer in the world to be produced with roasted pecans.

The addition of pecans to this successful southern brew makes this beer distinctive. Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale has been heralded by beer authorities by being awarded a bronze metal in the Best Specialty Beer category in 2006 at the World Beer Cup.

If you're looking for a great option for lodging during your Mississippi Gulf Coast trip, contact us at Bed, Breakfast, & Beyond to inquire about room availability and other amenities for your stay.