Support Local Beer: Deadbeat Brewing

Back in October, the wife and I took a trip over to Hammond and of course I made a point to find a brewery. We headed over to Deadbeat Brewing and met the owners, Danny, Luke, and Brad. I had tried their stuff previously at a beer fest so was eager to try their beer again as they had just opened the brewery in June of this year.

Danny, Luke and Brad met while attending Southeastern and used to homebrew in Danny's garage before making the leap to brewing as a business. The brewery is a 7 barrel brewhouse nestled on a lake on the property of Blackened Brew restaurant which is where the old Catfish Charlie's was located. Their first year expectation is to brew 300 barrels with very limited self distribution.

Their name, Deadbeat Brewing comes from their time participating in homebrew festivals. They wanted a name which was a play on words that included music, skeletons, and voodoo dolls and Dead and Beat fit. Their logo is a reflection of that, with the voodoo doll playing the drum. They call the voodoo doll Stitch and even have a beer named Super Stitch Wit and use drum sticks as tap handles.

I had the Karate Class Dropout which is a West Coast IPA and Vacation Camo which is a Helles. Both were awesome. Next time you are in Hammond make it a point to stop at DeadBeat Brewing! These guys are doing good things!

14258 W Club Deluxe Rd. Hammond, La 70403

Monday-Closed

Tuesday-Closed

Wednesday 4-8pm

Thursday 4–8 PM

Friday 12–9 PM

Saturday 12–9 PM

Sunday 12–5 PM

The 6 Pack: BJCP with Sal Mortillaro

Ever curious about the Beer Judge Certification Program?

Meet Sal Mortillaro, a renowned Louisiana-based BJCP judge, who ansered some questions I had for The 6 Pack to shed light on the program. As the BJCP Southern Representative and one of only 19 Grand Master 2 Judges worldwide, Sal is a wealth of beer knowledge. Notably, he was the first Louisiana judge to achieve Master and Grand Master ranks.

1) Tell me a little about the BJCP? What made you do that vs Cicerone?

The BJCP is the Beer Judge Certification Program. It is a world-wide organization which has been around since 1985 and since then has certified over 15,000 judges since its inception. It is considered the “gold standard” of both home brewing and commercial / professional competitions and its “Style Guidelines” and judges are regularly used in those competitions. The BJCP’s mission is to encourage knowledge about the world’s diverse beer, mead, and cider styles. To promote beer, mead, and cider tasting, evolution, and communication skills. To Develop standardized tools, methods, and process for structured evaluation, ranking and feedback of beer, mead, and cider.

I started my journey with the BJCP in 2011 because of the “Beer School” Carol Rice of the Crescent City Homebrewers of New Orleans put on. I attended Carol’s classes, which essentially got you prepared to take the BJCP exam, and went from there. Being a home brewer, the classes delve very deep into brewing technique and brewing science, which is something the Cicerone program only recently began doing and only at the more advanced levels. Also, the Cicerone program wasn’t as popular during this time.

2) Whats the most memorable beer you've judged?

One of the most incredible beers that I’ve ever judged was a homebrewed beer for the 2021 NOLA on Tap competition where the bottle had a literal scorpion in it (yes, the bug, not the pepper). That was pretty interesting to say the least and it was a pretty decent beer.

3) You're invited to a crawfish boil. What beer are you bringing?

Personally, I’m bringing an easy, clean drinking lager that has a touch of malt, like a Munich Helles, to balance out the spice from the crawfish. Or if I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll bring something much more hop forward, like a German Pilsner or an IPA, to increase the perceived spice from the crawfish.

4) What's your favorite beer style? Least favorite beer style?

My absolute favorite beer style is English Barleywine; they are so complex, deep, and tasty when done right. My least favorite beer style is a little harder to answer as I enjoy all beer styles for what they are. However, I’m over hazy IPA’s as a whole, unless they are super interesting.

5) What is your guilty pleasure beer?

My guilty pleasure beer is Sam Adam’s Utopias; I pick up a bottle whenever I have the chance.

6) What is your current favorite beer from a local brewery in Louisiana?

My current favorite beer is Radio Lager from Ecology Beer Creative in New Orleans; it’s extremely clean and crisp, and easy drinker, and just a really great example of the Helles style.

Throwback photo at Whole Foods when we did a Local's Recommendation thing.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed reading this please stay tuned for more of The 6 Pack.

Low Road Brewing Closing

Saw this post on Low Road Brewing's Facebook page:

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure of Low Road Brewing, effective January 1st.

Several factors led to this difficult decision:

• The shutdown of our previous distributor, Pelican Craft Brands, where, in addition to the money they owed us, we lost 50% of our revenue. After experiencing significant growth before their shutdown, we had invested in new equipment to sustain that momentum—but when the growth stopped, the payments for that equipment did not.

• Our partnership with Champagne Beverage Company has not yet returned us to our previous distribution levels in the area, and despite promising potential, our new partnership with International Wine & Spirits has progressed too slowly.

• As with many small businesses, we’ve seen a decline in taproom sales, rising costs, and shifting consumer preferences, making it impossible to continue operations.

When we first purchased Low Road during the pandemic, our goal wasn’t just to sell beer—it was to keep a community space alive, where we met so many great friends. Lynette’s passion for brewing was an unexpected bonus. We want to thank our amazing staff, who became family, as well as our friends in the brewing industry like Zac & Cari at Gnarly Barley and Josh & Jamie at Chafunkta, and many others. The collaborative spirit in this industry has been incredible, and we are so grateful for everyone who supported us.

We want to thank you, our loyal customers, who made Low Road your go-to spot. The taproom will remain open through December 31st, with a farewell party to celebrate. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for any changes in hours. If you pre-ordered a 2025 Mug Club membership, you will receive a full refund before December 31st.

There’s still plenty of beer and merch available, so come by for a pint or to grab some to-go. Weekly Bingo & Dart Tournaments will continue, but Trivia will no longer be hosted.

Ducks & gift cards will be available for purchase through November, but all ducks, gift cards, and free beer tokens must be redeemed by December 31st. #GiveADuck drawings will be held weekly starting this Friday.

Thank you all for being part of this amazing journey and we hope to see you at our Farewell Party on December 31st.

This is sad. Since being back in Louisiana, I only had the opportunity to head over to Low Road Brewing once. The beer was good, the space was nice and a lot of folks appreciated the product they were putting out. Definitely saw people supporting them on the local FB page Church of the Sacred Brew.

The repercussions of Pelican closing and owing small breweries upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars will continue to be felt for years though. Obviously, there are other market forces at play such as consumer preferences, increase in prices, competition, etc but its tough to combat those when you are small brewery owed so much money. The good news is that I feel Louisiana isn't really a saturated market like Florida or other states so there is some room for new breweries.

*In full transparency(if you know me personally you already know) I used to work for a brewery that was distributed by Pelican and owed money. I also work for an AB wholesaler in Louisiana now.*

Ain't Dere No More: New Orleans Brewing Company

The Formation of the New Orleans Brewing Association

In the late 1800s, an English brewing syndicate, represented by Edward York Ames(see Algiers/Security Brewing), sought to expand its market share by acquiring American breweries, particularly targeting successful New Orleans-based breweries. To counter this threat, a group of German brewers formed the New Orleans Brewing Association in 1890.

Founding Members and Breweries

Key figures Peter Blaise(Algiers/Security Brewing), JJ Weckerling, and several others joined forces to create this association, comprising six prominent breweries:

1. Southern Brewing

2. Louisiana Brewing

3. Weckerling Brewing

4. Pelican Brewing

5. Lafayette Brewing

6. Crescent City Brewing

A Unified Defense

By consolidating their resources, these breweries aimed to resist the syndicate's acquisition efforts. Although the syndicate successfully purchased breweries nationwide, acquiring the New Orleans Brewing Association proved too costly, with a price tag of $3 million for the six breweries.

The Breweries

Southern Brewing

The origins of Southern Brewing Company date back to 1858 when George Merz founded Old Canal Brewing. Merz pioneered lager production and introduced innovative cooling technology. He installed an air compression system designed by Charles Tellier, making his brewery the first to utilize air-conditioning. Although Tellier's system didn't succeed as intended, local engineer F.V. De Coppet adapted it into an ice-making machine, earning several patents.

In 1880, Merz sold the brewery to Peter Blaise, who launched Southern Brewing in 1881. The new operation expanded significantly, occupying most of a city block and featuring a bottling works across St. Louis Street. By 1889, Southern Brewing had become one of New Orleans' largest enterprises, boasting a daily capacity of 1000 barrels a day and employing 200 men. Southern Brewing merged with NOBA in 1890 but ceased operations in 1900. Today, the site is home to the Vieux Carre RV Park.

Louisiana Brewing Co

George Guth opens a Louisiana Brewery on Conti St. in 1851. His brewery was quite small by today's standards but it was quite succesful until 1861 when it closes most likely due to the Civil War and threat of Union occupation. This brewery is NOT part of the NOBA but relates to the Weckerling Brewery below.

Weckerling Brewing

Jacob Zoelly was a German immigrant who opened City Brewery at 139 Delord(Now Howard St), between Camp and Magazine St around 1849. He brewed City Beer which was a cheaply brewed beer made for immediate consumption. In 1872 he sells his brewery to another German immigrant named JJ Weckerling who renamed it Louisiana Brewing Co but shortend the name to Louisiana Brewery in 1877 since the name hadn't been used since 1861.

In 1884 a group of investors came together and organized the Louisiana Brewing Company(at Jackson St and Tchoupitoulas St), also in New Orleans. Because of this Weckerling decides to close the 139 Magazine St brewery and open a second, larger facility with the name Weckerling Brewing in 1885 at 945 Delord and Magazine St. His new brewery opens on Oct 13 1888.

Ultimately, in 1890 both breweries would be swept into the New Orleans Brewing Association conglomerate. Weckerling, then in his 70s, retired from the business. He died on the 23rd of December, 1908 at 87 years of age. The Weckerling branch of NOBA was in operation until 1911. In 1925 it was sold to Gallagher Transfer and Storage Company and sold again in 1995 and as of 2000 is now home to the National WW2 Museum.

Pelican Brewing

Opened by Philip Wirtz in 1870, Pelican Brewing was located at 282(now 1230) Villere St. In 1887, it was purchased by Eugene Erath and moved to a larger facility on the river side of Chartres St, between Louisa and Clouet St. Merges with NOBA in 1890 and is closed in 1910. Today it is a parking lot. A second, short lived Pelican Brewery was opened in the 1930s.

Lafayette Brewing

In 1867, Henry Bassameir opens Lafayette Brewing at 1010(now 1310)Tchoupitoulas and 9th St with Nicholas Gunther. The building was a three story building and took 6 months and $30,000 to build. In 1884 Bassameir sells to Joseph Wegmann and partners Henry Lochte, Joseph Wegmann, Th. Rothenbilder, & George T. Hodgins. They merge with NOBA in 1890 and the plant is closed in 1892. It was demolished and is now part of the Port of New Orleans as a truck and railway roadway of the port.

Crescent City Brewing

There was a Crescent City Brewing that was started by John Gros in 1870 and closes in 1874. This brewery is not the brewery that sells to NOBA. Crescent City Brewing Co is started by Edward Y. Ames(yes, that same guy that started Algiers Brewing) in 1887. In September of 1889 it appears the brewery was having financial difficulties and goes into receivership.(see picture below) The brewery that is descibed seems impressive. It uses the De la Vergne direct expansion cooling method which is used to provide refridgeration for beer. Crescent City Brewing Co merges into NOBA in 1890.

Pre-Prohibition Pivot

In 1900, the newly named New Orleans Brewing Company was quite successful, brewing Columbus Beer (1900-1919), Louisiana Pilsener Beer (1900-1919), Eclipse Pale Beer (1900-1919), Export Lager Beer (1900-1919) and the popular 4-X. With Prohibition around the corner though, New Orleans Brewing Association planned to shift production to vinegar and soft drinks, but this proved unsustainable and in 1923, NOBC divided and auctioned its extensive property.

Post-Prohibition Success

After Prohibition's repeal, the company reformed and repurchased its main buildings. On September 1, 1934, 4-X Beer once again flowed from taps, sparking citywide celebrations. The demand required them to install 26 new fermenting tanks in order to meet demand. They introduced bottled 4-X(1934-1949), Eagle beer and Double Eagle(1937-1944) which was originally brewed by George Auer at his Eagle Brewery. The brewery had a bottling plant with the capacity of 85 bottles/minute.

Wartime Challenges and Liquidation

During WWII, grain usage was reduced by 30%, limiting production for breweries and NOBC hobbled along until March 1949 when 93,000 gallons of beer were poured down drains under government supervision due to the company’s liquidation proceedings, marking a somber day for local beer enthusiasts. Part of the building still stands at Jackson and Tchoupitoulas St and you can make out New Orleans Brewing on the backside. It is currently used as a marine repair works.

SOURCES:

New Orleans Beer: A Hoppy History of Big Easy Brewing

Historic New Orleans Collection

Tavern Trove

NOLA History Guy: New Orleans Brewing – a brief history of a long NOLA tradition

Times Picayune Archives

Ain't Dere No More: Algiers/Security Brewing

The Beginning

Edward York Ames, a Tulane educated doctor and visiting physician at Charity Hospital, founded Algiers Brewing after previously forming Crescent City Brewing in 1887 which went into receivership before later being absorbed into New Orleans Brewing Association(Southern Brewing, Louisiana Brewing, Weckerling Brewing, Pelican Breweing, Lafayette Brewing and Crescent City Brewing) in 1890. Ames then briefly went to New York City and took charge of the Bohemia Brewing Company and managed that firm for a year. He returned to New Orleans where he represented an English brewing syndicate that wanted to buy the 6 breweries that later became New Orleans Brewing Association for three million dollars but the deal fell through. With no job and numerous brewing industry contacts he decided to start another brewery.

Early Challenges

Algiers, mostly farmland and industry at the time, offered lower land and water costs but lacked electricity until 1892. Despite these challenges, Ames saw potential. However, competition was fierce. In addition to New Orleans Brewing Association the 1890s also saw the formation of Jax Brewing(1890), American Brewing, who made Regal(1891), Home Brewing(1893), Standard(1898) and Columbia(1899).

The Rise and Fall of Algiers Brewing

On September 30, 1891, a cornerstone-laying ceremony aimed to raise funds via stock purchases. While they had some success, the estimated $75,000 construction cost and initial brew expenses still led to financial difficulties. By 1893, stockholders refused further contributions, prompting creditor Lafayette Bank of St Louis to file suit to have a receiver appointed to take charge of assets. The brewery was sold at auction for $85,000 on June 13, 1894.

Rebirth as Security Brewing

St. Louis malt merchant Q.W. Tinker purchased the brewery, renaming it Security Brewing Company. Ames stayed on, and the refitted brewery reopened in 1896. By 1899, Security Brewing had invested $150,000, earning recognition as "one of the best breweries south of the Ohio River."

Expansion and Eventual Decline

Security Brewing acquired buildings on North Diamond Street for offices, cold storage, bottling, and delivery. A special rail line connected the Algiers brewery to the North Diamond depot. However, George Blaise, who joined in 1909, eventually gained control and closed the Diamond Street depot and main office in 1910, returning operations to Algiers.

In April 1912, a bank holding the mortgage on the bottling plant petitioned the court, claiming the brewery's insolvency and requesting a receiver. This move aimed to prevent another major creditor from seizing the property. With no objection, two receivers took over the brewery, deeming its operations "altogether disastrous." On March 13, 1914, the court ordered the sale of the brewery's assets.

The proceeds went to unpaid suppliers and material providers, while secured creditors received nothing. The building changed hands in 1914, sold to Algiers Distilling, and later acquired by American Solvents & Chemicals Corp. Tragically, it burned down on August 30, 1928, destroying 250,000 gallons of alcohol.

SOURCES:

New Orleans Beer: A Hoppy History of Big Easy Brewing

Tavern Trove

Old Breweries

The Breweriana Collector: Journal of the National Association of Breweriana Advertising(Post Convention Issue Fall 2003)

Frédérique Soulé: A Brief History Of The Woman Behind Soulé Brewing

Frédérique "Frédricka" Soulé (née Dockter) was born on December 6, 1831, in Alsace, France. In 1848, she immigrated to New Orleans, where she married Jean Pierré Sebastien Soulé in 1853. Sebastien founded Soulé Brewery around 1866, following the Civil War. Tragically, he died in January 1867, possibly due to the yellow fever epidemic sweeping New Orleans that year, leaving Frédérique with two young children and thriving businesses to manage.

Despite the social norms and gender roles of the era, Frédérique demonstrated exceptional business acumen and leadership skills, guiding Soulé Brewery to become one of the more popular and successful breweries in New Orleans at the time. In addition to the brewery, she owned World Bottling Company who manufactured Dr. Nut almond soda in the 1930s. World Bottling later sold to Wright Root Beer Company in the 1950s and continued producing Dr. Nut into the late 70s.

Frédérique's impressive 21-year tenure at the helm ended in 1888 when she handed over management to her brother, George Dockter. She passed away on September 13, 1915, at the age of 83, and was laid to rest in Metairie Cemetery.

Frédérique Soulé's remarkable story serves as a testament to her pioneering spirit, entrepreneurial drive, and determination, paving the way for future generations of women in business.

Locations of the Soulé brewery:

113 Front Levee- 1867-1868

112-114 N.Peters St.(now 2707-2909 N. Peters)-1870

114 Front St(now 724 Convention Center Blvd. A parking lot between Girod and Julia Streets)-1872-1892

SOURCES:

New Orleans Beer: A Hoppy History of Big Easy Brewing

Tavern Trove

Family Search

Remember that history is an evolving story so if I find anymore info on Frédérique Soulé I will update.

The 6 Pack: Bobby Hoyt From Gilla Brewing

1) What is your favorite beer that you guys brew? What's the beer you hate to brew?

A) My favorite is either Ænigmatic Parabol or Crimea River to drink but if we are talking the task of brewing, my favorite would be seltzer or Gilla Low Life just because its the easiest. The beer I hate to drink would be the Not the Gumdrop Buttons or any of the sours. I've never developed the tast for sour beers nor pumpkin/spice stouts. I can't really say I hate actually brewing any beer but our IPAs are kind of a pain in the ass because of the process of cool wort whirlpool hopping.

2) People keep saying craft beer is dying, what are your thoughts on the current state of beer in Louisiana?

A) I wouldn't say craft beer is dying because I think that suggests it'll eventually be dead but there has been a clear retraction with the rise of seltzers, Cocktails in a can, THC drinks and the younger generations just not drinking like the older generations grew up doing. Beer has been around for centuries and I don't see it going away.

3) Other than your own, what is your favorite Louisiana brewed beers right now?

A) That's a tough one. I'm a big fan of The Se7enth Tap Brewing Kolsch and Juiceport. Grain Creation's schwarzbier was fantastic. I don't really have a go to LA beer outside of our own but those would top my list for sure.

4) What is your favorite beer to drink at a crawfish boil?

A) Miller High Life all day.

5) What was your job before Gilla? What inspired you to open a brewery?

A) Well, I still have a fulltime job and it's the same one before Gilla. I am inside sales/procurement for an Industrial Safety and Rescue company. While not a founding owner of Gilla, from the day I started homebrewing, I knew I wanted to own a brewery. I've always wanted my own business and brewing was the only thing I was ever super passionate about enough to make that leap.

6) If you could give some advice to someone who wants to open a brewery here in Louisiana what would it be?

A) Well, in this environment, my advice would be to not do it right away and wait for the economy and beer business to get better. However, if youre gonna do it, be well funded and do it with the least amount of debt you possibly can. Things are more expensive than you ever think, things break and this shit isn't cheap to fix.

When it comes to brewing, keep your ear to what is popular and selling. Some brewers go into it with a mentality that they are gonna brew what they like or gonna brew nothing but traditional beer styles. That ain't gonna cut it these days. We live in a world of haze bros and fruity sour beer lovers. Like Joe Dirt says "Its not what you like, it's the consumers". Brewing for the register allows you some freedom to brew the styles you like. Also, do not try to be cheap or look for too many ways to save cost on brewing itself. Quality matters and it takes quality ingredients and in the right quantities. Being too cheap when it comes to adjucts and hops will result in an inferior product. There are ways to be efficient and save money when brewing but dont skimp on the hops or the adjucts in your flavored/fruited beers.

Lastly, WATER IS IMPORTANT FOR GOOD BEER. Too many people underestimate the importance of water chemistry and I think its one of the most important things to consider when brewing quality beer.

Gilla Brewing

Address: 13025 LA-44 suite 108, Gonzales, LA 70737

Hours:

Friday 11 AM–11 PM

Saturday 11 AM–11 PM

Sunday 11 AM–5 PM

Monday Closed

Tuesday 4–10 PM

Wednesday 4–10 PM

Thursday 4–10 PM

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed reading this please subsribe and stay tuned for more of The 6 Pack.

New Orleans Beer History At Antique Stores

Hit some antique stores in Ponchatoula today looking for furniture pieces for the house. I love seeing the New Orleans breweriana stuff. Jax Brewing, Falstaff Brewing, Regal Brewing, Dixie Brewing, Union Brewing, and New Orleans Brewing Co. The prices were way too damn high, but it was neat to see them. Here is what I saw today.

Ain't Dere No More: Jax Brewing

If you've ever been to the French Quarter and Jackson Square then you will know that massive building with the Jax Brewing sign on it. Here is a little history on the brewery:

Jax Brewery was founded by Lawrence Fabacher in 1890 as the Jackson Bohemian Brewery. It was later renamed Jax Beer and eventually became Jackson Brewing Company, inspired by Andrew Jackson and Jackson Square. It quickly established itself as a leading regional brewery, and alongside Dixie Brewing, was one of the few New Orleans breweries to survive Prohibition.

In 1935, Jackson Brewing Company entered a legal battle with Jacksonville Brewing Company over the "Jax Beer" trademark, which both companies used. A compromise was reached, granting Jacksonville exclusive rights to sell in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, while Jackson Brewing retained rights to the western states. The brewery expanded in the 1940s due to rising demand, but faced increasing competition from larger national breweries in the 1950s. In 1954, Jackson Brewing acquired exclusive rights to the Jax trademark after Jacksonville ceased operations, making it the 10th largest brewery in the U.S. and the largest in the South.

In 1974, the brewery faced some serious financial issues and was acquired by Pearl Brewing Company out of Texas. Production of Jax Beer continued into the mid-80s until Pearl was acquired by Pabst Brewing.

The old brewery now houses some shops, restaurants and the WWOZ studios. I'm not sure if the old museum is still upstairs.

Location: 600 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130

If you'd like more information on Louisiana breweries you can buy our book here.

Beer News: Abita New Orleans

Interesting news from Abita:

Abita New Orleans. Coming early 2025. The opening of our secondary location reflects our continued investment in the New Orleans community. We’ve always been a proud supporter of New Orleans vibrant culture through food, music, festivals and community engagement and this new brewery will allow us to further enhance those collaborations with the local community from both sides of the lake. In addition to the brewhouse and tasting room, the facility will be able to host events and community gatherings to support local projects. This initiative, on the heels of the partnership with the New Orleans Saints as their Official Craft Beer, is another example of how we are staying Louisiana True.

According to Abita the location will be 1st and Tchoupitoulas. Address is 2375 Tchoupitoulas.

Support Local Beer: Care Forgot Beercraft

Wife and I drove into New Orleans for the day and made a stop at Care Forgot Beercraft on St Charles Ave. Connor Martinez is over here pumping out great beer. I got the Fo Ya Momemnnem Lager and the Parran's Pale Ale.

The beer list is a wide variety of beers with names that are inspired by Martinez's New Orleans upbringing. In addition to Fo Ya Momemnnem and Parrans they have names like Steiny The Elder(for of course Dan Stein), Dark Roux, Fess and Biere Des Allemonds.

If you get hungry while crushing all these beers they also have a small pizza menu. The pizza's are personal pan pizzas with a sour dough crust and they have Margherita, Pepperoni, Tomato with Anchovy and a Lemon Garlic White. Honestly, at this point if you are opening a brewery and don't have food good luck. It's the best way to keep asses in the seats.

Care Forgot's location is also perfect. Situated next to famed craft beer bar Avenue Pub on St. Charles, it's conveniently on the streetcar line and just a short walk from Courtyard Brewing and Ecology. Mardi Gras is going to be wild for these guys and a perfect spot for craft beer drinkers during parades

Having been away from New Orleans for the past 10 years, it's awesome to see so many breweries still popping up in the city. This day and age it's tough to open a brewery in general and to do it in New Orleans has to be even tougher. If you haven't had a chance to grab some pints from Connor make sure you stop in!

Care Forgot Beercraft

1728 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Monday Thru Wednesday: 12pm-930pm

Thursday Thru Saturday: 12pm-11pm

Sunday: 12pm-930pm

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha is Dead, Long Live The Beer Buddha

For a long time I considered this blog dead. I've attempted to revive it a couple times but it never felt right. I was no longer living in Louisiana and blogs in general seem to have gone the way of the Sour IPA. One of those things changed and thank God it's not the sour IPA.

I'm back in Louisiana(Baton Rouge) and working for a local beer wholesaler. I'm not exactly sure what I am going to be writing here or if anyone will even care but I have been feeling the urge to write and want to write about beer, breweries and cool places to get beer in the state.

The title says The Beer Buddha Is Dead, Long Live The Beer Buddha and there is a reason why I'm using that. People still call me Beer Buddha when they see me in public and I always jokingly say, "The Beer Buddha is dead". I say it because the guy that used to write this blog is, for lack of a better word, dead. I'd like to say it's a good dead. Basically, he died from knowledge of beer and experience in the industry. I guess that sounds kind of pretentious but the last 10 years I have been working in this industry has changed who I am. I read some of the shit I wrote here and I cringe.

Beer everywhere is hurting right now and the Louisiana beer scene is no exception. Is it just another reset? Too many breweries? People have moved on from beer? I don't know. I have my guesses but that's for another time. For now my goal is to have some fun promoting local breweries and great places to get beer in Louisiana. Stay tuned!

Cheers!