All the Luças

The piri-piri peppers in these (classic Portuguese) sardines is not crazy hot, just a little bit of zip to excite your taste buds and cut through the oily.

120g (4.2oz) tin

One of the quintessential products the world can offer: Portuguese Sardines in Olive Oil with Lemon. Fork them onto your favorite saltine and nod to yourself or your companions in the knowledge that this is living.

120g (4.2oz) tin

One of the legendary brands from Portugal, this cannery was established in 1896 and remains one of the prime reasons why Portuguese sardines are the standard against which all others are judged. We love to gently mash these in the tin, then spread onto garlic toast.

120g (4.2 oz) tin

The smallest of the tinned tunas, skipjack is meaty and toothsome and so low on the food chain there are none of the heavy metal concerns that come with the apex predators. Makes a killer tuna salad, but is also good enough to fork onto crackers and hold its own on a seacuterie tray.

120g (4.2oz) tin

The belly is where the fat is, and fat is where the flavor is. Maybe your partner doesn't understand your tinned fish obsession? Add a can of this to your sardine order and see if you can convert them. If not, you still win, it's a great tin.

110g (3.9oz) tin

White, flaky cod in garlic olive oil. Great straight from the tin, but you really want to use this to make your own riff on brandade.

120g (4.2oz) tin

Petingas aka sardinillas aka sardinettes are very small sardines. Some people prefer the chonkers and their spine action. Some people prefer the little guys, where all evidence of bones is completely melted away by the canning process. We like them both.

81g (2.8oz) tin

Squids stuffed with rice in an onion and tomato sauce. Great straight from the tin on toasted slices of bread. The sauce is as yum as the squid.

115g (4.06oz) tin

The hint of garlic and the use of wine vinegar gives these medium sized mussels in escabeche the edge of many rivals. If you haven't tried them on a plain potato chip, take this as your prod: it's time.

110g (3.88oz) tin

What's better than the tart tang of a vinegar-based sauce? Add some heat. Now all you need is an adult beverage of some sort (Dan calls them "acki-dackies", we don't know why), and you'll be slivin' your best slife. Not sure that's a word, but you get it.

110g (3.88oz) tin

Hey, here's a great idea, make a salsa fresca, heavy on the lime and cilantro, and toss together with the entire tin contents, and then make octopus tacos. Maybe topped with queso blanco? Report back!

110g (3.88oz) tin

Vintage sardines aren't just regular sardines that got old, oh no, not at all. In the American tradition sardines are sometimes viewed as taking the worst of what's available and selling it on the cheap. But in the European tradition the fresh products are in overabundance during the peak of the harvesting season, so they take the very best of what's available and can it so that the bounty of the sea can be enjoyed during the months when fresh is not available. These 2020 season fatties are packed in one of Portugal's best EVOOs, from Occidens.

120g (4.2oz) tin

This project all began a couple of years ago when someone asked a question on the r/CannedSardines subreddit about pairing beer and tinned fish. We didn't know the answer, but we knew the person who did, which is not just the next best thing, it's one of the great perks of a life well lived. So I reached out to Evan Benn and asked if he'd be willing to write an answer to the question, which we would then share with the group. He did, and we loved it so much we didn't want it lost to the composting action of all things social media. We worked off and on for many months to find the right way to present it. And during that time we became acquainted with Mitchell and his work with at haley.henry. It seemed to us a great pairing.

We hope their thoughts on pairing beverages with tinned fish serve as springboards for your own explorations. We invite you to agree, to disagree, and to engage in conversations regarding the nuances of every point along the range.

32 page full color booklet, 4.25" x 11", which means getting into most smaller boxes will involve bending it a bit.

Mitchell Walker Simon is a sommelier currently slinging wine at Haley.Henry wine bar in downtown Boston. Having spent his formative years in Montréal, QC, he has deep affection for the European way of life and has a je ne sais quoi countenance. MWS is passionate about literature, perfume, and history. His birthday is February 25 (*Pisces/°Cancer/^Virgo) and can be found @mwsimon on Instagram.

Evan Benn is Senior Director of Special Projects and Communications at The Philadelphia Inquirer and former Food Editor of the Miami Herald and Editor in Chief of INDULGE magazine. His freelance writing on food, beer, and travel has appeared in The New York Times, Esquire, Bon Appetit, Travel & Leisure, and other major publications. He is author of "Brew in the Lou: St. Louis' Beer Culture — Past, Present and Future" and is a co-author of "This Is Your Song Too: Phish and Contemporary Jewish Identity," coming in Fall 2023 from PSU Press.