New Orleans on Tap Recap

Yesterday I was able to make it out to the New Orleans on Tap beer festival at City Park. This event is put on by The Bulldog and the LSPCA with all proceeds go to the LSPCA. I missed the event last year but thankfully made it this year and I must say what a kick ass event.

It was different than most beer festivals that I have attended in that you don't pay to get in but rather pay for tickets. This is genius as it allows you to pick and choose the beers you want instead of feeling like you MUST try everything in order to get your moneys worth. You can choose to pay your tickets for a sample size of 3 oz or a larger 9 oz size. This has got to be the future of beer festivals. Loved it!

They also had two live bands with Rotary Downs and Flow Tribe who both laid it down. And there was a very special guest appearance from Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune who make up the craft beer dynamic duo The Beer Chicks. They were there filming a new show for the Food Network. Can't wait to see that show!

This whole event was a helluva lot of fun and in my opinion is NOT to be missed!!! Here are some of my pics from the event. Maybe next year I'll get better pics! I was busy dranking!

The Abita stage

Longest line had to be Gnarley Barley's.

Gnarley Barley's tap handles. Made from broken skate boards.

Me with Polly from Avenue Pub, Christina Perozzi and @BrewSleuth

Me with Zac from Gnarley Barley

Me with Brad from The Shed BBQ. If you know good BBQ you know The Shed!

More people drinking!

Be there next year people! I mean it! It was a great time! Thanks to The Bulldog, LSPCA and to all the other companies who helped put this together!! And a special thanks to Polly from Avenue Pub who let me tag along as a volunteer which I did turribly as Charles Barkley would say.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

New Orleans on Tap: October 1st, 2011

The Bulldog presents the second annual “New Orleans on Tap” Beer Festival to benefit the Louisiana SPCA at New Orleans City Park by the Big Lake Boathouse, from 2:00pm-7:00pm.

Come sample over 200 beers, groove to live music by Rotary Downs and Flow Tribe, see the LA/SPCA Adoptables, grab some food and win great raffle prizes! Free admission and samples start at $1. Public transportation to the event is encouraged, and there will be free cab rides home courtesy of Southern Eagle. Bring your chairs and blankets! Discounted advance tickets available the week of the event at The Bulldog New Orleans locations and Lager’s International Ale House.

For more info go to NewOrleansOnTap.org. We are still in need of about 50 volunteers to help serve beer, food and help in any way you can. You can sign up at NewOrleansOnTap.org.

The Gambit's Top 50 Bars 2010

Once again Gambit Magazine has released their Top 50 Bars list. I know that this list has to be a difficult list to put together for those guys since there are like 5 bars for every resident in New Orleans. Ok, maybe not that many but there is a damn lot of bars here.

Anyways, my focus is always on the beer bars on this list and where they fall so I could give to craps about the other bars. Every year is usually a yawnfest for me with your typical bars like Cure and The Columns and beer bars like The Bulldog and Cooter Browns but this year the folks at Gambit have been paying more attention.

Last year Avenue Pub, who had just begun to change themselves into the world renowned beer bar they are, ranked "49 or 50" according to owner Polly Adler. This year they rank number 5. That's a huge jump so congrats to Avenue Pub!! As you'll see Cooter Browns and The Bulldog are 24 and 27. Ouch. Not even in the Top 20. d.b.a ranked number 14 which is pretty good since their beer selection is maybe a little better than my own stash in my beer fridge.

But take note beer writers from other states. Cooter Browns is NOT the best beer bar in New Orleans. The people have spoken. And take note Cooter Browns and The Bulldog. Pick up your game. This is just embarrassing. Oh and d.b.a please fix your beer list. There is no Medecino. It's Mendocino and they don't make Racer 5. Bear Republic does. If you're going to pretend to be a beer bar at least get it right.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Abita Brew News

January 28, 2010 6:00PM


The Abita Brewing Company invites you to experience the 2010 Abita Dinner Series. Each course of the meal is paired with an Abita Beer for the ultimate dining experience. Dine with Abita as New Orleans' favorite chefs bring Louisiana's favorite brews to the table.

La Petite Grocery
4238 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA

Beer-tails at 6:30pm
Seating at 7:00pm

$75 per person
All Inclusive (Beer, food, tax & gratuity)

Call (504) 891-3377 to make reservations.
Mention Abita Beer Dinner : Seating is Limited



The Menu
Each course is paired with an Abita Beer that complements the dish.

Beer-tails:
Blue Crab Beignets with Charred Onion Tarter Sauce
Fried Boudin with Green Tomato Chow Chow
Pickled Gulf Shrimp with Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette
Served with Abita Golden

I Course:
Gulf Shrimp and Collard Green Stew with Louisiana Popcorn Rice and Col. Newsome's Smoked Bacon
Served with Abita Andygator

II Course:
Corn Bread Griddle Cakes with Chicken Confit and Smoked Pork Jus
Served with Abita Amber

III Course:
House-made Lamb Sausage with Charred Tomato Ragout and Hand-made Pappardelle
Served with Abita Jockamo IPA

IV Course:
Abita Root Beer Braised Beef Shortribs with House Pickles and Potato Croquettes
Served with Abita Turbodog

V Course:
Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding with Louisiana Strawberries and Bourbon Creme Anglaise
Served with Abita Abbey Ale



Abita Pub Crawl

January 29, 2010 5:30PM


New Orleans Bock Pub Crawl
Friday, January 29th @ 5:30pm

Come celebrate the release of our next Abita Seasonal Beer with visits to some of our favorite New Orleans places serving Abita Mardi Gras Bock.
What started out small has grown into giant movable parties loved by thousands!

$1 Abita at every location!
First 500 people to arrive receive a FREE commemorative t-shirt.


Start the party at...


Rendezvous
3101 Magazine Street
5:30pm-8:00pm (Registration)

Then make your way to...


Balcony Bar
3201 Magazine Street
8:00pm-10:00pm

&

Rum House
3128 Magazine Street
8:00pm-10:00pm




Finish the party at...


The Bulldog
3236 Magazine Street
10:00pm- till

&

Catch Seafood Pub
3226 Magazine Street
10:00pm- till

For more info go to Abita.com

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Mardi Gras Beer Hot Spots: 2010 Edition

Every year across the country New Years Eve marks the last party of the old year and for many a huge partying dry spell until the 4th of July. Not here in New Orleans. The day after New Years in New Orleans is when the city once again comes alive with the buzz of Mardi Gras. And with Mardi Gras comes tourists.

There are all sorts of magazines and guides that will tell you the best spots for food and drink while you're visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras. But what they won't be telling you is the best beercentric spots. That's where I come in. The following list is my top five recommendations of beer places to go while visiting during Mardi Gras or anytime for that matter!



1) Avenue Pub- 1732 Saint Charles Avenue-
This former dive bar turned New Orleans craft beer mecca is a must while visiting New Orleans. With 31 rotating taps and a bottle selection that'll make most bars jealous it's a can't miss. They even serve their beers in the proper glassware. During Mardi Gras season however expect the beer selection to be a bit more suited for parades and also expect plastic cups. And when I say beer that's suited for parades I don't mean Bud, Miller or Coors I'm talking Stone, Anchor, etc. They may have some glassware during the slower times but just be prepared. And of course I can't forget the food. J'anitas on the Avenue, located inside the pub, has the best pub grub in town and it ain't your average pub grub. Name another bar where you're gonna get a duck sandwich(The St Chuck Duck)! And don't forget to order some Buddha's Temptation!

2) Steins Deli- 2207 Magazine St- This Jewish/Italian style deli located at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Magazine St isn't your average New Orleans sandwich shop. If you are looking for a poboy go somewhere else. Why do I have this on a beercentric list? Because the owner, Dan Stein, is considered by many to be the craft beer Godfather of New Orleans. This little deli also has the best bottle selection in the city. You can't drink on premise but trust me when I tell you he is the best.



3) NOLA Brewing- 3001 Tchoupitoulas St. New Orleans newest and only brewery makes some of the best beers in Louisiana and a visit to New Orleans isn't complete without a brewery tour. I would recommend calling ahead since Mardi Gras season can be quite busy for breweries! 504-613-7727. Their Hopitoulas IPA will blow your mind!

4) The Bulldog- 3236 Magazine St This uptown beer bar started in 1994 and is one of the first true beer bars in New Orleans. With 50 beers on tap and 100 bottled beers it will definitely have something to please your palate. One of the cool things here is that you can head across the street to Big Fisherman Seafood pick up a sack of crawfish and bring it back to the bar and enjoy the tasty mudbugs with your favorite brew. And don't forget to check out the beer tap fountain outside!



5) d.b.a- 618 Frenchman St- This beer bar located in the heart of the Marginy has a decent beer selection but has great live music. Nothing beats listening to some great live tunes while sipping on a good brew.

Well that's my top 5. If anyone has any other suggesstions please jump on here and comment! If you're visiting New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year please be careful and have an incredible time!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

New Orleans Beer Spotlight: Avenue Pub

Yes, yes, I've been away for a bit but I swear I'm trying!! I've been really busy at work helping build our customer base and when I get home I'm beat. Not only that but this New Orleans heat really saps your energy dry!

Anyways, enough excuses! I wanted to start a new segment called New Orleans Beer Spotlight in which I focus on places here in New Orleans to get great beer. Things are truly changing here with the New Orleans beer scene and I am lucky enough to be a part of it. My first New Orleans Beer Spotlight pick Avenue Pub, has in my opinion become one of the BEST beer bar in New Orleans. I know, you're thinking I'm an idiot and have no clue what I'm talking about because I didn't pick The Bulldog or Cooter Browns but you're going to have to trust me on this one folks. Don't get me wrong both of those places are great and will be featured later on but you need to check out Avenue Pub!



Located on St. Charles Avenue(1732 St. Charles Ave.) the Avenue Pub is open 24 hours a day and 7 days week. After the current owner's(Polly Adler) father passed away she took over and made some major changes some which included the balcony, the second floor party room, the bathrooms and more importantly the draft system. In 2008 Polly dropped a lot of money in her draft system and now it is the best draft beer in town using a nitrogen/CO2 gas mix. She is also very particular about her draft lines making sure these are cleaned regularly. Clearly a better draft system deserved better beers on tap and Polly has made some incredible changes to her draft selection. With selections like Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA, Delirium Tremens, NOLA Blonde and Brown, Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan, Brooklyn Lager, North Coast Brother Thelonius and 23 more(30 taps total) how could you go wrong! Just recently she purchased a beer engine and firkin and will be the first place in all of Louisiana to serve cask conditioned ale. Her bottle selection is pretty impressive as well with the likes of Mikkeller IPA series, North Coast Old Rasputin, Brooklyn Local 1 and Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye to just name a few. The Avenue Pub is also currently doing great beer dinners and other beer events throughout the year so sign up on their email list to get all the updates!

So yeah, Pub is in the name and implies that food is served there. This is where you're thinking "I knew it was to good to be true. The food must suck." This is where you would be totally wrong. This is where it gets so much better. How could it get any better you ask? One name. J'anitas. Craig and Kimmie Giesecke are the culinary geniuses behind such dishes as The Sweetspot Burger(burger marinated in Cabernet, caramelized onions, caramelized pears, blue cheese and a balsamic reduction glaze), The St. Chuck Duck( a roast duck sandwich!) and of course my favorite...Buddha's Temptation(apricot stuffed with bleu cheese, wrapped with bacon and then fried!). This most definitely ain't your daddy's pub grub!!! Great beer and great food! It's the perfect combination!! You can go to the website to check out J'anitas hours.




So there you have it. Without a doubt, Avenue Pub is one of the best beer bars in New Orleans. You can think it's The Bulldog or Cooter Browns, everyone has their favorite, but trust me check this place out and I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised! Tell 'em Buddha sent you! You won't get anything for it but you can still tell em!

Cheers!

The Beerbuddha