5 Awesome Louisiana Game Day Brews

Found this one floating around on the internet.  Not sure who did the original.

Another football season is right around the corner and nothing goes better with football than beer.  If you're drinking wine or cocktails you're doing it wrong.

And just because Bud, Miller and Coors like to pay billions in advertising to capture your taste buds doesn't mean you have to drink it!

Drinking local Louisiana beers while cheering on your Saints just makes sense.  Hell, who knows, maybe it'll bring some good luck to the team this year.

According to the Beer Institute Louisiana ranks 11th in the country in per capita beer consumption. With only 7 Louisiana breweries in production we need to do everything we can to support them!

Below are my 5 picks of great Louisiana brews to drink while supporting the Who Dats.  I based my picks on drinkability, availability and price.  I also chose beers I felt would be accepted by those who mostly drink mass marketed brews and may be willing to branch out and drink local.

NOLA Brewing Hopitoulas

If you're looking for nice hoppy brew this one fits the bill.  Perfectly balanced but be careful because at 6.7% ABV it packs a punch.  Comes in convenient 16oz cans which is perfect for your tailgate!

Bayou Teche LA 31 Biere Pale

If you're tailgating at a Saints game most likely you're serving some amazing Louisiana cuisine like jambalaya, boudin or some ettoufee.  It's just how Louisianians tailgate.  This pale ale has a wonderful balance between hops and malts and there possibly isn't a better beer to go along with our cuisine than Bayou Teche's LA 31 Biere Pale.

Abita Amber

This classic Munich style lager is another beer that goes great with our Louisiana cuisine.  With a 4.5% ABV it's easy to drink a bunch and still be able to support your team without being the obnoxious drunk fan like the Falcons have!  It also comes in a can and I'm pretty sure this is the only Louisiana craft beer being sold at the Dome during the game.

Tin Roof Blonde

The Baton Rouge based Tin Roof Brewing produces the light, crisp Blonde ale which is a great game day brew that comes in a can!  I hear that this one is also a staple at LSU tailgates!

NOLA Brown Ale

NOLA's Brown Ale is a tasty malt bomb with a nice, low ABV which makes it the perfect sessionable brew to have while watching the Saints.  It's also a fantastic choice for tailgaiting as it comes in a can as well.

Remember, these are just my picks.  What local beers will you be drinking while watching the boys in black this season?  What are your favorite tailgate food and beer pairings?

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Back in The Big Easy

So we made it safe and sound back to the Big Easy on Friday. I haven't posted anything for awhile cause I've been trying to settle in and look for some employment. That and we have a virus on our computer which is making life hell for me. I did have the chance to stop by The Avenue Pub, Steins Deli and NOLA Brewing which was a breath of fresh air compared to the Panhandle. No offense to my people out there but man there was just nothing going on out there. I was lucky enough to try NOLA Brewing's Saison which was nice. Peter, NOLA's Brewmaster, said they had decided to change up the recipe and remove some of the sugar which they believe was making it too sweet. It was definitely on the sweet side but was still pretty good.

I was told by Kirk that NOLA Brewing hopes to be bottling by the end of this year. I think the people of New Orleans are really looking forward to being able to pick up some NOLA beer in bottles. They do have the NOLA draft packs out there on the market so be on the lookout. I saw some NOLA Hopitoulas at Rouses on Tchoupitoulas St for $36.99.

Apparently Bayou Teche Brewing is bottling their beer and were handing out samples of their LA 31 to local bars and stores here in town on Monday. If I can get my hands on a sample I'll be sure to review it here on the website.

As most of you know the New Orleans Saints are in the Superbowl and the city is gearing up for Mardi Gras as well. The next couple weeks I will probably be sporadically posting if I survive. No job + Mardi Gras = Hella Good Time.

Cheers and Who Dat!!

The Beer Buddha