NOLA Brewing Brings Beer Back Home to New Orleans - invadeNOLA

How could a city like New Orleans ? so known for partying, food, and drink ? not have its own notable locally brewed beer? Seems unnatural, right? This was not always the case.

New Orleans was once a Southern beer production capital, rather than just its consumption capital. For years, the locally-brewed Jax and Dixie beers were favorites across the state, and even around the country. But, over time, both NOLA beer stalwarts disappeared off shelves and taps due to financial and natural disasters ? Jax due to bankruptcy and Dixie to Hurricane Katrina. Though Dixie?s Mid-City brewery was flooded, the label has managed a modest comeback years later thanks to outside breweries, like Heiner Brau in Covington and others nationwide, taking on a limited production to help keep it alive.

After the storm, a void was left in the beer production in New Orleans. Though a few microbreweries across the state either started or increased production in that time, Louisiana?s major city ? the home of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street, Hurricanes and Hand Grenades ? was left rather dry.

This beer deficiency was not lost on locals, and it certainly did not go unnoticed by Kirk Coco. While serving in the Navy and deployed in the Arabian Gulf, Coco, a native of New Orleans, watched from afar the effect Hurricane Katrina was taking on his hometown. He knew when he returned he would contribute to the rebuilding process by starting a business and help develop commerce in the city.

But, what business to start? The answer to this question was found by asking himself another question, ?Why doesn?t New Orleans have several great local micro-breweries like Portland or Seattle to offer a variety of beer to a city full of brewing history??

Enter Peter Caddoo, a highly skilled and well-respected brewmaster, who is a significant figure in the city?s rich beer history as a former brewmaster at Dixie Beer. After meeting through mutual friends in 2007, the two ventured out to the Craft Brewer?s Conference in San Diego to learn the ins-and-outs of business. During this time, with the company still very much in its infancy, Coco and Cadoo met the third key figure in the NOLA Brewing family ? Dylan Lintern ? and together they put the brewery together on Tchoupitoulas. Not long after, Melanie Knepp joined the team and NOLA Brewing got rolling in earnest.

Part of the NOLA Brewing team: Dylan Lintern, Kirk Coco,?Peter Caddoo,?Melanie Knepp

Throughout the process, one key element remained constant ? the importance of New Orleans? location and culture. New Orleans has a uniqueness and an openness unparalleled in major American cities and the NOLA Brewing team certainly wanted that to come through in their product. From the individual brew names (Hopitoulas, 7^thStreet Wheat, Flambeu Red, Irish Channel Stout, etc.) to the fleur-di-lis-topped wrought iron fence that encircles the brewery, NOLA Brewing honors its hometown city, and in turn, the locals have graciously welcomed them. The Bulldog in Mid-City was the first to carry NOLA Beer on tap and others soon followed. Read my previous article to learn more about all of NOLA Brewing?s individual beers.

?The city has really embraced us. It has been really great for us to put something like this in the city and have this great product for everyone. It makes people feel that they are drinking the New Orleans beer,? says head brewer, Melanie Knepp.

NOLA Brewing

Though NOLA is the heart, they have not limited themselves to just the local market. Like all craft breweries, expansion is slow, especially when the demand locally is so high. But, in a relatively short time, NOLA Brewing has expanded into Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Through craft brew festivals, magazines, etc., NOLA Brewing?s presence has increased and distributors are constantly inquiring about their product. Further expansion is planned soon, once productivity is streamlined. As the demand increases and territory expands, NOLA Brewing had no choice but to spread out, buying the adjacent warehouse and doubling its factory size. With that expansion, plans have also been set in motion for an adjoining brew pub or tap room to help further connect with customers in the next year or so.

But even as it grows, NOLA Brewing still relishes in the microbrewery scene, a highly collaborative community of small brewers spread out across the country sharing processes, recipes, and secrets with one another. ?The whole industry in itself is unique in that aspect. You don?t feel like you are competing against all these other craft breweries; you?re allies rather than enemies,? explains vice-president Dylan Lintern. ?It?s like the music industry: you?re not going to listen to the same band all the time and craft brew drinkers don?t drink the same beer all the time. They like to try different things,? Melanie adds. Craft beers companies only about comprise about 5% of the American beer market, the rest is still dominated by the ?big? companies Anheuser-Busch and Miller-Coors. But, NOLA Brewing is more than happy carving out their own little niche in the market, having fun making great beer, and re-establishing a great New Orleans tradition of homegrown beer.

As a perfect example of NOLA Brewing?s development and expansion, their newest creation ? Mechahopzilla Double IPA ? is finally set for release. The beer will be premiered at the Avenue Pub on Thursday, September 20 starting at 6pm upstairs. So come celebrate the new beer and all NOLA Brewing has to offer this week. Check out the Facebook event page here.

Chris Henson

Source: http://invadenola.com/2012/09/nola-brewing-brings-beer-home/

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