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
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