The Beer Buddha™: A New Orleans Beer Blog

Avenue Pub to Host La Chouffe Gnome Week June 6-9th

2012-05-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

So how does one prepare for Gnome Week and the Worlds Smallest Toast? By getting the smallest mug of course! La Chouffe just sent me a Gnome Week Preparedness Kit. I am now prepared! Below are the details for Gnome Week courtesy Avenue Pub and some photos of the kit! See ya there!

Gnome Week – June 6th thru 9th

Wed. June 6th on the balcony – Houblon Chouffe, La Chouffe
Thurs. June 7th on the Balcony 7pm – Biere de Soliel Nationwide Launch Chouffes summer seasonal: Amber coloured, fruity, hoppy, sparkling
Fri. June 8th 5pm – Gnomegang release This delectable blonde ale is a co-creation of two famed farmstead breweries: Brewery Ommegang and Brasserie d’Achouffe. It employs five fine malts, two noble hops, and both of the distinctive Chouffe and Ommegang yeasts. You’ll enjoy the smooth drinkability, fruity aromas and flavors, and warming finish
Sat. Jun 9th 6pm – Worlds Smallest Toast: Dress like a Gnome and get your first pour free plus $1 off all your Chouffe beers all night long! Gnome Hats,tshirts, key chains, free glassware!
Gnome Thyself – Iphone App!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Beer Review: Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale

2012-05-23T13:49:00.001-07:00

Last week I received an email from someone over at Shiner Brewing or their marketing people and they wanted to send me free beer. In the interest and integrity of this blog I respectfully declined. Pssh, yeah that's bullshit! You are DAMN skippy I want some free beer! This is my disclaimer. This was some free ass beer. Free beer always tastes better right? Unless it's Bud Light Platinum of course. On that note I did try and review the beer objectively. No seriously. Check it out.

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery

Beer: Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale Style: Pale Ale

ABV: ???

Louisiana Availability: I....think so? I gots mine for free in the mail.

Appearance: The beer poured a nice copper color with a decent white head and nice lacing with very little head retention.

Smell: Hints of orange peel, bread, brown sugar, grass.

Taste: Very nice balance of hops and malts. Slight earthy, grassy bitterness with a nice fruity note. The beer is definitely on the maltier side. Less focus on the hops. Hops are present but the sweetness hides the hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium carbonation.

Overall: Not a great beer but a good, solid brew. Easy to drink and enjoyable. Tastes just as good in the bottle as it does in the glass so perfect for parties with no proper glassware.
Score: 3.5 out of 5 Buddhas

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Green Flash Rollout Info

2012-05-21T16:40:00.002-07:00

Three Day Roll Out at Avenue Pub

Tuesday June 18th 8pm
Green Flash Trivia- with Green Flash questions & Green Flash giveaways
on Tap:
West Coast IPA
Hop Head Red

Wednesday June 19th 7pm
on tap:
all of the drafts above plus:
Founders Brewing & Green Flash collaboration Linchpin White IPA
Double Stout
Le Freak
Saison Diego
Belgian Trippel
Bottle Pours: Rayon Vert

June 21st 6pm
All of drafts the above plus:
Retro Extra Pale Ale
Barleywine
Imperial IPA
Belgian Trippel
Bottle Pours: Rayon Vert & St Feuillian Green Flash Collaboration Beire de L'Amite

Northshore Rollout

Barley Oak June 21st 7pm

The market in general will have the following beers and formats:
Everyday Draft Items:
West Coast IPA 1/6
Hop Head Red 1/6
Everyday Package Items:
West Coast IPA 6/4/12
Hop Head Red 6/4/12
Double Stout 6/4/12
Rayon Vert 6/4/12
Imperial IPA 12/22oz
Belgian Trippel 12/22oz

Thanks to Polly for this information!!!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

WYES BEER WEEKEND KICKS OFF JUNE 1

2012-05-14T17:07:00.001-07:00

New Orleans, LA - Friday, May 11, 2012 - If you find yourself with a hankering for beer – and lots of it – then
don’t miss a weekend of beer tasting with WYES. Join local and national beer companies and homebrewers for
two nights of beer sampling, beer talk, food, and entertainment.

On Friday, June 1, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. enjoy a relaxed evening of beer tasting during the WYES PRIVATE BEER SAMPLING.

Julie Council’s Jubilee German Band will welcome guests to the Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, 1751 Gentilly Blvd. in the Black Gold Room, 2nd Floor in the Derby Building.

Guests will enjoy 75 plus rare craft brewed beers, specially made cask and home brewed beers, as well as special one-off beers from local breweries. The majority of the beers sampled here, will not be at Saturday’s tasting, which include Abita’s barrel aged Abita Abbey Ale, Bayou Teche’s Cafe Brulot Biere Joi, Crescent City Homebrewers Pineapple Cilantro IPA, Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co.’s Southern Hops'Pitality, NOLA Brewing Company’s cask of Hurricane Saison, Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s cask of Elissa IPA, Tin Roof Brewing Co.’s Black Tin Coffee Porter, and many more!

Since this event is limited to 250 guests, this is a perfect time to talk one-on-one with brewers, homebrewers, and other beer industry members. Tasting tickets are $50 which also includes food
provided by Zea Rotisserie & Grill, with snacks from Cabot Creamery, Jagerhaus German Restaurant, and Zapp’s Potato Chips. Tickets to Friday’s event can be purchased by calling (504) 486-5511 x 200 or by visiting Stein’s Market & Deli at 2207 Magazine Street.

When you hear the bagpipes from the Kilts of Many Colours you know it’s time for Louisiana’s oldest and largest beer event – WYES INTERNATIONAL BEER TASTING!

For the 29th year in a row, attendees will enjoy a quarter-mile of beer sampling with over 275 beers! For the first time at this event, beer enthusiasts can purchase beer memorabilia from some of your favorite regional distributors. On Saturday’s event, be sure to get your MBA! Don’t miss the Master of Beer Appreciation classes, 15-minute seminars, on everything beer related from the art and science of home brewing to pairing your favorite beer and spirits with cheese. Enjoy performances by the New Orleans Ragtime & Dixieland Band while sampling tasty nibbles from Cabot Creamery, Cook Me
Somethin’ Mister, Cousins Products, Jagerhaus German Restaurant, and Zapp’s Potato Chips. Tickets are $30 to $35 in advance and $45 at the door. Purchase tickets online at wyes.org/beer through Ticketmaster; any Ticketmaster location; or with no processing fee by calling (504) 486-5511 x 200.

At both beer events – there is free parking, a raffle opportunity with a chance to win an enormous amount of beer, the 2012 WYES beer shirt designed by Lauren Thom of Fleurty Girl, beverages from Community Coffee and Kentwood Springs, and you must be 21 to attend.

For details on both beer events and to download the 2012 WYES beer brochure, which lists a majority of the
beers you will be sampling, visit wyes.org/beer. WYES encourages everyone to drink responsibly! United Cab
is the official taxi of the WYES beer events.

If you go look for me! I will be at the Friday night event!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

American Craft Beer Week New Orleans Style!

2012-04-25T14:22:00.001-07:00

Below is the list of the happenings for American Craft Beer Week! The color is off because I copied and pasted straight from Avenue Pubs website. That's a hell of a lot of writing! I did get Polly's permission though! It looks like a seriously kick ass week and I am looking forward to hitting some of these events!

Wed May 9th

The Avenue Pub

A Drinkable History

Pretty Things Once Upon a Time 1838 & Once Upon a Time 1945 A real back to basics brewing. These guys went back to historical recipes and recreated beers the exact way they were made in 1838 and the same beer as it would have been made in 1945. Lots of differences in history and culture in those two separate dates. Queen Victoria was crowned in 1838 ushering a golden age and by 1945 Europe was at War for the second time. Come taste the difference that history makes in the beer.

Click here to read more about the project

Friday May 11th

Martin’s Wine Cellar (Metairie)

“Drink Local, Drink Global”

Abita, NOLA, Sam Adams, Stone, Brooklyn, Harpoon, Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat and more..

Mon May 14

The Avenue Pub

Barrel Aged/Barley Wine night St. Arnold’s Draft, Divine Reserve 10 (Barley Wine), Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Brooklyn 2009 Vintage Monster, Three Floyds BooGoop Barley Wine, 2010 vintage Harpoon Triticus, Sierra Nevada, Big foot, Lazy Magnolia bourbon Barrel aged southern Pecan.

Barley Oak (Northshore) – 7:00pm

Stone Brewing Night Vertical Epic 11.11.11, Imperial Russian Stout, Pour Me Something Mistah, and Cali Belgique. Meet the brewery rep, Shawn Geiser.

Bulldog (Canal) – 7:00pm

Abita Specialty Night Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrel Aged Abbey Ale

Bulldog (Magazine St) – 7:00pm
NOLA Brewery Cask Night

Tuesday May 15th

The Avenue Pub

American Funk &Saison Sorachi Ace Brooklyn, Stillwater Table Beer/ Brett, Jolly Pumpkin ESBam, Jolly Pumpkin Mardaguda Obscura Jolly Pumpkin OI Baudelaire Saison, He’Brew Funky Jewbulation, St. Somewhere Saison athene, Pay de Soliel. Lectio Divina, Anchorage brewing Tide & its Takers Belgian Triple with Brett

Bulldog Mid City

Meet the Future Brewers of Louisiana

Chafunkta and Gnarly Barley for beer and conversation about the joys and challenges of opening a new brewery

St. James Cheese Company (Uptown)
Craft Beer Education and Cheese Abita, Nola, Sam Adams, Brooklyn

The Boot (Uptown) – 6:30pm
Summer Seasonal Craft Sampling featuring Magic Hat Elder Betty, Brooklyn Summer and Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Barley Oak (Northshore) – 7:00pm
NOLA Brewing Night featuring Pour Me Something Mistah, Flambeau, Hopitoulas, and a specialty cask.

The Chimes (Northshore) – 7:00pm
Abita Specialty Night featuring Centennial Hopped Jockamo IPA

Bulldog (Magazine) – 7:00pm
Abita Specialty Night featuring New Orleans Rum Barrel Aged Honey Rye

DBA (Frenchman) – 7:00pm
Crispin Specialty Night featuring Marvin Cider

Calcasieu (Warehouse District) – 7:00pm
Crispin Cider Dinner featuring Original, Fox Barrel Pear, Brownslane, Cho Tokkyu, and Lansdowne

Swamp Room (Metairie) – 9:00pm
Craft Sampling – Magic Hat, Laughing Skull and Dixie

Wed May 16th

The Avenue Pub

Nano/Gypsy Brewers night Hopfenstarck Blanche de Hermitage, Faust, Saison Station 55, Stillwater Existent Black IPA, Folklore Dark Belgian, Brewers Art Stillwater collaboration Debutante, Local Option Chicago Dampf Loc, Pretty Things Draft Jack D’or, Beer Valley bottle pours Leafer Madness & Black Flag Imperial Stout, Parish Brewing Canebrake, Evil Twin US brewed – Biscotti Break, Ron And The Beast Ryan, Not So Uncommon IPA

Old New Orleans Rum Distillery

The Art of Beer Cocktails with Special Guest Liam Deegan from Sylvain

Barley Oak (Northshore)

Lazy Magnolia Night Southern Gentleman & Specialty Pin

Tin Roof Brewery (Baton Rouge)

Food Truck Roundup Open House

Ernst Café (Warehouse District) – 7:00pm
Sam Adams Night featuring Whitewater IPA, Summer Ale, and Lager

The District (Warehouse District) – 8:00pm
Abita Specialty Night featuring Bourbon Barrel Aged Vanilla Doubledog

Thurs May 17th

The Avenue Pub

All About Hops

St. Arnold’s Endeavor & Divine Reserve – 11 (what an aged hoppy beer tastes like & yes its still tasty), Brooklyn Blast, He’Brew Hop Manna, Stillwater As Follows Hoppy Saison, Tin Roof Zythos project, Mikkeller (brewed in the US) Invasion IPA, High & Mighty Draft, Purity of Essence Very Hoppy Lager, Stone Brewing Calibelgique IPA

Bulldog (Magazine)

“Lazy Magnolia Firkin Night”

Barley Oak (Northshore)

”Saint Arnold Night”

Sylvain (French Quarter) – 4:00pm
Beer Cocktails featuring NOLA Brewing

Craft Beer Crawl (Frenchman) – 5:00pm

- Three Muses – 5:00pm – featuring Abita SOS, Nola Hopitoulas and Harpoon UFO White
- DBA – 6:00pm – featuring Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
- Blue Nile – 7:00pm – featuring Stone Arrogant Bastard and Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner

Bruno’s Tavern (Uptown) – 5:30pm
Craft Beer Sampling featuring Sierra Nevada and Laughing Skull

The Bricks (Warehouse District) – 7:00pm

Craft Beer Sampling featuring Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams

Fri May 18th

The Avenue Pub

Regional Breweries Night

St. Arnold’s Farmer Brown – aged in Chardonnay barrels CASK with Brock the Owner, NOLA Brewing – Pour Me Something Mistah Draft & Yeast series, Bayou Teche beer cocktials, Lazy Magnolia cask ale

The Irish House

“Saint Arnolds Beer Dinner”

Fat Harry’s

“Saint Arnolds Tour Party”

Heiner Brau Brewery Northshore

Spring Fest

NOLA Brewery (Uptown) – 2:00pm
ACBW Brewery Tour

Stein’s Deli (Uptown) – 3:00pm
Craft Sampling featuring Brooklyn, Stone, Harpoon, Stone, and Shmaltz

The Bulldog (Uptown) – 7:00pm
Sam Adams Specialty Night featuring Norse Legend, Imperial White, Tasman Red, and
Summer Ale

Barley Oak (Northshore) – 7:00pm

Abita Specialty Flight Night featuring Oyster Stout, Centennial Jockamo, Amarillo Restoration,
Beire de Garde, St. Gleason Red Ale, Run Honey Rye, Triple Haze, Buffalo Trace Barrel Aged
Abbey Ale

Sat May 19th

The Avenue Pub

4th Annual American Craft Beer Tasting

Anchorage Brewing The Tide &; It’s Takers Belgian Tripel with Brett, Brooklyn Blast, Sorachi Ace, Vintage Black Chocolate Stout, Brewers Art Stillwater collaboration – Debutante, Beer Valley Leafer Madness &; Black Flag Imperial Stout, DDC! Equinox de Printemps, Evil Twin US brewed – Biscotti Break, Ron And The Beast Ryan, Not So Uncommon IPA, Harpoon 2010 Triticus, Hofenstarck Blanche de Hermitage, Saison Station 55, High & Mighty Purity of Essence Very Hoppy Lager, Jolly Pumpkin ESB, Jolly Pumpkin Mardaguda Obscura, Jolly Pumpkin – Baudelaire OI Saison, Les Trois Mousquetaires Weizenbock, Local Option Chicago Dampf Loc, Pretty Things Draft Jack D’or, Three Floyds BooGoop Barley Wine, St. Arnold’s Divine Reserve 10 (Barley Wine) &; Divine Reserve 11 Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Endeavor, St. Somewhere Draft – Saison Athene, Lectio Divina, Pays de Soliel, Stillwater Draft – Existent Black IPA, Folklore Dark Belgian, Kopstootje, As Follows Hoppy Saison, Stillwater Table Beer /Brett, Stone Brewing Stone VE 2011 double dry hopped IPA cask, Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean, Tin Roof Zythos Hop project, Lazy Magnolia Cask

Barley Oak (Northshore)

“ACBW Bash” Specialty Beers from all of our breweries

Saint Arnolds Pub Crawl

Bulldog Magazine & Balcony Bar & Rendezvouz & Tracey’s

Heiner Brau Brewery (Northshore)

Spring Fest

Mellow Mushroom (Northshore) – 3:00pm
Homebrew Invitational and Multi Craft Beer Pint Feature featuring Abita, NOLA, Sam Adams, Stone, and more

Sun May 20th

The Avenue Pub

Cure the Hangover Brunch 10AM + Crawfish boil with St. Arnold’s at noon!

NOLA Pie guy is coming in and doing our beer brunch – 10AM till noon, then at noon the crawfish take over.

Brunch beer: St Arnold’s Bourbon Barrel Aged stout cask

Crawfish Boil Beer: St. Arnold’s Amber (special delivery JUST for our crawfish boil, this beer is not currently distributed in La.) & Weedwacker

Tin Roof Brewery (Baton Rouge)

Crawfish Boil and Open House

Tues May 22nd

Le Booze Bar & Cigars in the Royal Sonesta

French Quarter

”Cigars and Craft Beer“

Wed May 23rd

The Avenue Pub

American Brewers – Northern Neighbors (Québec) We include Canadian beers in our ACBW celebration because a few tiny Québec brewers that we have access to are creating exceptional versions of styles that are not reproduced in the U.S. We lucked out this year and got some very coveted kegs…too many to tap on nano night so this Wednesday we will feature some of them separately.Les Trois Mousquetaires Dopplebock, Hopfenstarck Draft, Faust, Seven Sisters Maia, possible Epilogue, DDC! Equinox de Printemps

As always these events are subject to change!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Saint Arnold's New Orleans Super Weekend!

2012-04-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

This just in from Saint Arnold's Brewing!! This will be taking place during American Craft Beer Week which is from May 14th-May 20th! Looks awesome!!

Friday, May 18th

Beer Dinner at The Irish House Have your appetite ready at 7:00 PM. Saint Arnold Founder Brock Wagner will be on hand to talk about the beers and guide the pairings. Reservations are $70 each (gratuity not included). Make your reservations here.

Tap Takeover at Fat Harry's Hop on a street car and head to Fat Harry's where Saint Arnold beers, including the rare Bitter Belgian, will dominate the taps. Buy a Saint Arnold - keep the pint glass! Glasses are limited to the first 100 people.

Saturday, May 19th

Meet & Greet at The Avenue Pub

- Stop by The Avenue Pub at noon, and have a pint with Saint Arnold Founder Brock Wagner and Brewer Vince Mandeville at The Avenue Pub's 4th Annual American Craft Beer Tasting.

Pub Crawl on Magazine Street The first three stops (where we will be simultaneously between 3:00 and 6:00 PM):

Tracey's
The Rendezvous Tavern
Balcony Bar & Cafe
At 6:00 PM, everyone will head to The Bulldog
Click for full Pub Crawl details.

Sunday, May 20th

NOLA Pie Guy and Crawfish Boil at The Avenue Pub

- Enjoy the breakfast creations of The NOLA Pie Guy, Nathan Winner, at 10:00 AM. He will be using some Saint Arnold in his delicious treats, and you can wash it all down with a cask of Bourbon Barrel Stout. Please note - pies will be available for cash only. Make sure you save room for the Crawfish Boil because The Avenue Pub will be serving up crustacean goodness!

As soon as I get more info regarding American Craft Beer Week I will post it here!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

TIN ROOF BREWING COMPANY LAUNCHES TIN ROOF BLONDE CANS AND ANNOUNCES WATERMELON WHEAT BEER

2012-04-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

From Tin Roof Brewing:

BATON ROUGE, LA (April 23,2012) - Tin Roof Brewing Co. is kicking off the summer with two very exciting announcements.

First, the brewery is pleased to launch the very popular Tin Roof Blonde in 12oz aluminum cans. The cans will hit store shelves in the Baton Rouge area starting Tuesday, April 24^th. Other local markets, including New Orleans and the Northshore area, will begin seeing Tin Roof Blonde cans in early May.

"We’re extremely excited to finally have Tin Roof Blonde in cans” said William McGehee, Tin Roof co-founder. “Louisiana outdoor activities are heating up, and this beer in a can is the perfect fit.”

Cans are rapidly becoming a popular package for well respected craft breweries across the country. They are lighter than bottles, chill faster, and require less fuel to transport. “Cans are also the most recycled package in the world, and they protect the beer from the degrading effects of light and oxygen," McGehee added.

Tin Roof is also thrilled to announce their first seasonal offering, Tin Roof Watermelon Wheat. The American wheat beer is brewed with Louisiana watermelon and is set to release in just a few short weeks. Tin Roof Watermelon Wheat will be available on draft only for several months this year.

According to Tom Daigrepont, Tin Roof’s brewmaster, the recipe for the new brew has been in development for several months. “We’ve worked really hard perfecting this beer,” said Daigrepont. “We had to experiment with several different yeast strains until we found one that melded just right with the watermelon.” The brewery credits their commitment to the use of local ingredients as their inspiration for the unique brew.

Tin Roof Brewing Company was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and began operations in November 2010. Brewery tours and tastings are held every Friday from 5:00-7:00. For more information, follow Tin Roof on Twitter, find them on Facebook, or visit www.tinroofbeer.com

Watermelon Wheat??? Hell yeah!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Beer Rumor: Green Flash Coming to Louisiana

2012-04-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

Received a tip today that Green Flash Brewing will be entering the Louisiana market sometime in the next couple of months. Considering the beer is already being distributed in Alabama, Florida and Texas I would say it's about damn time. From what I hear there are still contract negotiations between Crescent Crown and Green Flash to get through but it looks like it will be here.

Either way this is fantastic news for Louisiana! Looking forward to buying Le Freak on a regular basis! When I get more information I will let you know!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Beer Review: Ghost Face Killah

2012-04-13T17:25:00.001-07:00

It is said that there are 5 traditional senses: sweet, bitter, sour, salty and umami(or savory). I think they forgot one. Burn.

Here in New Orleans we recently held the International New Orleans Beer Festival. I didn't attend. I had to work. Despite not being there I was able to keep track of what people were enjoying via Twitter and Facebook. The one beer name that kept showing up was Ghost Face Killah.

Ghost Face Killah from Twisted Pine Brewing claims to be "the hottest beer this side of hell." Named after Wu Tang Klans Ghostface Killah, this beer has 6 peppers including the bhut joloklia aka the ghost pepper. This pepper is 200 times hotter than a jalapeno. The full lineup of chilis are Anaheim, Fresno, Jalapeno, Serrano, Habanero and the Bhut Jolokia.

People from the festival kept saying that GFK was their favorite beer at the festival. The irony here is that they will NEVER drink a full bottle. Their favorite beer is a beer they will never actually drink. After reading this I felt it my civic duty to buy some bottles and report back to you. By the way if you are interested you can get them at Steins Deli for about $4 for a 12oz bottle.

The beer was...hot. The flavor was...burn? It's probably best just to read my review. One thing to remember here is this is a fun novelty beer and most likely was never intended for the consumer to drink as an every day brew. I would be shocked and would think you a liar if you said you drank it every day. I did get a lot of feedback regarding using this beer in chili. Apparently it is a welcome addition to some foods. This beer was certainly not a welcome beer to my anus. Be weary dear drinker. Drinking this beer can lead to...gastrointestinal issues. Burning ones. Enjoy the review!

Brewery: Twisted Pine Brewing

Beer: Ghost Face Killah

Style: Chili Beer

ABV: 5%

Louisiana Availability: Yes. Steins Deli $4

Appearance: Poured a hazy orange with little to no head at all.

Smell: The aroma was roasted peppers. And more peppers.

Taste: Really wasn't much flavor. Your lips are immediately hit with fire. Then your throat catches on fire. DEEP BURN!

Mouthfeel: A bit on the thin side. Carbonation was low.

Overall: For a novelty beer it did what it promised. Burned. I can't really knock it because it didn't really promise anything other than that. My expectations were met. I personally didn't enjoy it but for the novelty aspect it was great! For the beer flavor aspect? Not so much.

Score: 2.5 out of 5 Buddhas

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Pics from NOLA Brewing Easter Keg Hunt

2012-04-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was NOLA Brewing's annual Easter Keg Hunt. We got some great pictures and the team I was on, Team Mixed 6 achieved the ultimate honor! Last place!!! You have no idea how difficult it truly is to get last place. It was a great time and I look forward to doing it again next year!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Ban The Southern Craft Beer Conference

2012-04-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't been paying much attention let me fill you in. Apparently some Texans decided to hold a Southern Craft Beer Conference and the debut will be here in New Orleans. Today is the first I have heard of it. Today is the first everyone involved in the craft beer community in New Orleans has heard of it. I just received word that NOLA Brewing hasn't heard of this event. Not off to a great start.

Want to know how I found out? Eater New Orleans did a wonderful piece called The Guy Behind Disastrous Houston Beer Fest to Hold 'Beer Conference' in New Orleans. Yes, you are reading that title correctly.

The people that can't run a beer fest properly in Houston or Austin want to hold a beer event here in New Orleans. Folks, I can't let that happen. People have worked really hard here in New Orleans to establish our beer scene and I refuse to allow some Texans who have been run out of their own state to come into ours and use it to make some money. Not gonna happen.

I am calling for a ban of this event. These guys are just attempting to cash in on the growing craft beer experience and since they can't do it in Houston or Austin they want to use New Orleans. We need to stand up and say no. That means breweries, distributors, bars, retail stores, bloggers and anyone else who enjoys craft beer. We need to unite and make sure this Southern Craft Beer Conference does NOT happen.

Below is some more reading of the colossal fuck up that was Austin Beer Fest. The Yelp page is quite a fun read.

Austin Beer Fest Yelp review

Austin Eater Austin Beer Fest

Just say no to SCBC!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Bugs and Brew 2012

2012-03-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

The 3rd Annual Bugs 'n Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival will take place on April 21, 2012. This year we're bringing you live music by Brass-A-Holics, Flow Tribe, Stone Rabbits and 3 Guys 1 Cup! We'll have teams from around the city boiling up their best crawfish and beer on tap by local craft breweries such as Abita, Nola Brewing, Heiner Brau, Bayou Teche, Tin Roof and more. Proceeds from this event benefit The Drew Rodrigue Foundation and its various charitable activities

WHEN

April 21, 2012
12:00-6:00 PM

WHERE

The field behind Jesuit High School in New Orleans, at the intersection of Banks St. and S. Solomon St.
Map it!

WHAT
- Crawfish Boil Cook-off open to the public
- Local Craft Beer Exposition, including participating breweries and tastings provided by members of Louisiana-based home brew clubs
- Live Music by Brass-A-Holics, Flow Tribe, Stone Rabbits and 3 Guys 1 Cup
- Artist Row, with several talented artists from the New Orleans area showcasing their work
- Entertainment for your kids, with spacewalks and slides
- Raffle and Silent Auctions, where you can take home gift certificates to local restaurants, local artwork, vacation packages at hotels along the Gulf Coast, and more

HOW MUCH

Parking and entrance to the event are FREE! Crawfish and beer will be sold individually by participating Cook-off teams and Breweries.

Basket of Crawfish with some fixin's...$5
Draft Beer from participating breweries...$3
Wine and Daiquiris...$5

If you want to party all day hassle-free, VIP passes will be available for $50 and that gets you all the beer and crawfish you can eat...all day long. You'll also get access to free tastings by new breweries that are in planning as well as samples of home-brewed beers by members of local Home Brew Clubs. VIP passes also come with a schwag bag full of lagniappe from our local sponsors.

Note: Louisiana law prohibits the sale of beer by non-operational breweries and home-brewers so tastings will NOT be available for individual purchase, so get our VIP pass for access to free tastings.

TEAM INFO

Interested in forming a team? The team fee is $250 and that gets you two sacks of crawfish to boil in the competition along with free beer all day for your 5 team members. Anybody is welcome to compete so send us an email if you're interested. In the meantime take a look at the official 2012 Competition Rules and Regulations. Send inquiries to teams@TheDrewRodrigueFoundation.org.

VOLUNTEER INFO

If you'd like to help us out by lending us a little bit of your time the day of the event, please send us an email at volunteers@TheDrewRodrigueFoundation.org. There's plenty to do, from selling food and beverage tickets to serving up frosty beers so just let us know if you're interested and we'll find something that suits your taste!

SPONSORSHIP INFO

If you are interested in sponsoring our event, please review our Sponsorship Information Package. We'd love to have you and your company help us raise money for a great cause! Send inquiries to info@TheDrewRodrigueFoundation.org. There's plenty of perks, from having your company logo on all newsletters and social media to getting mentioned for your support during our TV and radio media events on WDSU and WWOZ. Here are our current participating sponsors...

My Problem With Beer Festivals

2012-03-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

The day before the "inaugural" New Orleans International Beer Festival I felt it important to discuss why I don't usually go to beer festivals. I know, sounds like a dick thing to do but you'll understand. I promise. And hopefully agree. A lot of people have been asking if I will be attending tomorrow and are pretty shocked when I tell them no. Then they ask why.

I need to tread lightly here as I am friends with many of the people that put on the events/sponsor the events/donate or sell beer to the events and I promote their events every year. My intention here is not to bash any of the beer festivals that take place here in Louisiana but rather I hope to address what I don't like about the current culture of beer festivals here and what I think the future of beer festivals should be.

Since the New Orleans International Beer Festival is tomorrow we will pick on them. The price is $50. That's $40 plus the $10 you will pay in service fees to Ticketmaster. That's general admission. According to the website here is what that will get you: Souvenir 2-Ounce Sampling Mug, Full Color Festival Guide, Unlimited Sampling of 150+ Craft Beers, Live Entertainment, Games and access to the Samuel Adams Brew University Tent with Seminars such as Cooking with Beer, Brewing 101, Pairing Beer with Food and More! You can pay $75($85 after fees)for Zea VIP tickets which gives you: entrance into the Festival 1 Hour Early to Take Advantage of Exclusive Beer Tasting Experience, access to the VIP Lounge, exclusive Beer Selections Not Available to the General Admission Ticket Holders and complimentary Food from 2pm - 5pm plus all the other stuff you get for paying the commoners prices. And then, if you are responsible and have a designated driver they have to pay $20.

I don't know about you but $50 is a lot of money. Oh sure, I can afford it but the question is why would I want to pay it? Out of the 200 beers(not homebrewed) listed on their website there are only 12 I haven't had before. That means I have had 94% of the beers they are serving. Why would I pay $50 to try 12 beers? It just doesn't make sense. And in my opinion the designated driver should NEVER have to pay.

This goes for every beer festival that I have been to here in Louisiana. I can go for maybe 1 hour try a couple of beers and then I am done. If I'm lucky there are homebrews there or some of the local breweries have done something special on cask. And yes I know, not everyone has been able to try all those beers. But do you really think you will be able to try them all in 4 hours? Okay so maybe I shouldn't have said that because now some dumbass has just said, "Challenge Accepted." I heard it. Plus, if I want to bring my wife(who doesn't drink and is always my DD) I have to pay for her entrance as well. So now I am out another $20.

Anyway, events like this lead to people drinking until they puke or drinking so much they eventually puke then pass out. It certainly doesn't encourage responsible beer tasting. It creates more of a "I need to get my money's worth" attitude. I don't know about you but I can't stand being around drunk people. I'm not a big fan of crowds as is but now a crowd of drunk people. Ugh. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. In my opinion the beer festivals need to change their way of doing business.

Last year I experienced the future of beer festivals and it was awesome. New Orleans on Tap. A "pay as you drink" system. You buy tickets and trade your tickets for beer. And you can get two different sizes of beer. You just pay more tickets for a larger size. Genius. And they still had live entertainment and food available also. For someone like me this is perfect. I can buy $20 worth of tickets and have a great time and sample some great beers. Doesn't hurt my wallet and I don't feel the need to get my "moneys worth". Oh and my wife doesn't have to pay anything unless she wants food.

This is the future of beer festivals. And yes, I know it won't stop people from getting drunk and stupid but it may lessen that number and also may change people's perception of what a beer festival is for: the enjoyment of beer not the abuse of it. Let the Beer Buddha bashing begin.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Beerodamus 2nd Prediction To Come True?

2012-03-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

So back in December of 2011 I made some pretty wild predictions regarding 2012. One was NOLA Brewing do a collaboration brew which became a reality with Stone Brewing and their Pour Me Something Mistah!

Today it looks as if another prediction of mine is coming true. According to Shanken News Daily it appears that Lagunitas will be finishing a brewery expansion in April and will be distributing to "another 14 states, bringing distribution to 49 states." Tennessee apparently will not be getting it due to shitty ABV laws although at last check Mississippi still hasn't changed their laws yet either so I'm not sure how much of that is true.

Either way it appears another prediction has come true or at least is about to come true!!!!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Who Would You Drink With?

2012-03-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

The other day someone asked me if you could sit down and drink a beer with anyone alive or dead who would it be? It was a simple enough question but without a simple enough answer. One of the most important beers I have ever had was the first one I had with my dad. Hell, I remember the first beer that I ever had period. I was a sophomore in high school in Camp Lejeune, NC and it was a Colt 45 40oz with one of my best friends Randy Lenard. But I assume the question implied famous. No one wants to hear the sappy beer sharing stories.

I really started to think about this one. It can really have some fun answers. I decided it would be fun to come up with my top 10 famous people(dead or alive) that I would like to share a beer with. So in no particular order is my top 10.

1) Barack Obama- He is a sitting President. Like his politics or not it would be awesome. And most likely homebrewed.

2) Clint Eastwood- The man is a legend. Need I say more?

3) Steve McQueen- One of the coolest actors ever.

4) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin- How cool would it be to sit and listen to these guys talk over some beers?

5) Elvis Presley- I can just imagine the kind of experience this would be. Beer, guns and pain pills. Whoa.

6) Hall & Oates- For me this would be epic.

7) Hope Solo- Ah, Hope Solo. I love you. That is all.

8) Kurt Russell- One of my all time favorite actors.

9) Harrison Ford- Drinking beer with Indiana Jones and Han Solo himself? Count me in.

10) Matthew Mcconaughey- My man crush is on this dude. He seems like a cool dude to drink a beer with.

Well, that's it. Who is on your list? I would love to hear so leave them in the comment section!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Beer Review: Bud Light Platinum

2012-02-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

I honestly do my best to be fair when I review a beer. I also go in with the idea that you have no idea what anything tastes like until you try it so you never know. I have found decent and inexpensive beers that most beer bloggers would never even poop on much less drink. Yes, I said poop. Sorry I have been hanging out with my daughter today.

Anyway, my buddy Scott Schwin was attending a chili cook-off and told me he had picked up some Bud Light Platinum to take with him to try. I told him to bring me a bottle so I could review. You never know right?

The one thing that the Bud people are really good at is marketing. They should be considering they spend millions doing it. The Bud Light Platinum website shows a bunch of "cool" white hipster looking people with tats and funky hair color enjoying themselves drinking BLP. Oh, and there is one black dude. Gotta have him. Just in case. Poor guy. So far they are telling me that I'm not cool unless I am drinking this beer with hipsters while listening to Bon Iver and that I could have more fun if I did. They are also telling me I should tell Twitter that I will #MakeItPlatinum.

The website claims that BLP has "reinvented the category of light beer". I think they have truly achieved that claim. By making a "light" beer that has more calories(137) than Busch, Milwaukee's Best(Da Beast), Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale and only 8 more calories than Yuengling. All NON light beers. I can burn 8 calories by lifting the glass to my mouth. How is this a light beer? I'm confused.

I'll be honest I'll let my confusion go away because it really doesn't matter. This beer sucks. If any of you at Southern Eagle try and contact me saying this is a good beer you are a liar. You and I both know this beer is garbage and will not last. If it does than America is doomed. Continue stocking the shelves with the local beers you guys are grabbing up!!

I will NOT review this beer. It is undeserved of anymore of my attention. Shame on you Budweiser for making your brewmasters make this beer. You are truly wasting their talents. I REFUSE to #MakeItPlatinum. That is all.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Beer Review: NOLA Brewing/Stone Brewing Pour Me Somethin' Mistah

2012-02-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hype Slang
n.

1. Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion: the hype surrounding the murder trial.

2. Exaggerated or extravagant claims made especially in advertising or promotional material: "It is pure hype, a gigantic PR job" (Saturday Review).

Hype. It can be a really bad thing. We get so excited about something that we are chomping at the bit to get to it and no matter what we will always be let down. And it's our own fault. We are letting ourselves down.

I think that Pour Me Something Mistah has fallen prey to hype. My own to be exact. I think I went into this expecting WAY too much. It's not that this beer was bad but maybe my expectations were too high? Hell, when Jesus shows up to a beer release how do you NOT expect something to be mind blowing.

Jesus standing in line to get some Pour Me Somethin' Mistah

My first taste of the beer was just a kick to the taint. A friend standing behind me(not naming names)asked me my thoughts and I think I stammered a bit before just staring at him and shaking my head back and forth. I went outside and some other people(again no names) sampling the beer had the same reaction. We were all a little stunned. It just....wasn't that great. Not horrible mind you just not what we expected. Thankfully after the beer warmed up it DID get better. This is a beer that MUST be served at room temperature.

The Baton Rouge Krewe. Yes, that's Jay from Bite and Booze and Eric from Baton Rouge Beer Scene. And that dude with the mustache had the awesomest mustache ever.

But there is a moral(yes, a moral) to this story and it is to never expect too much. We can be excited about things but we need to remember that we can ruin shit by getting too excited. I think this clip from Tommy Boy sums up how we can get all excited and ruin shit.

We are all "blowing it" by letting hype overtake our senses. Perhaps if I had gone into drinking Abita's 25th Anniversary thinking it will taste like Budweiser I would have enjoyed it more. Maybe I should do that with all beers.

This is where being a blogger becomes difficult though. I know, I know, how can being a beer blogger be difficult. Free beer, free beer fest tickets, invites to celebrity only events, hanging with P. Diddy, threesomes with Victoria's Secret models. Yeah it can be awesome but it's tough too. I support ALL local craft breweries and I know a lot of the people that work for the breweries. It becomes personal then. I've hurt feelings and pissed people off. I hate it. I want to be everyones friend. And I will wrestle(just like I did with the Abita 25th Anniversary post)with the idea of not posting anything.

I know I'll catch some shit with this review. Some people will say I have a duty to craft beer and especially local craft beer to not be so opinionated and give people a break. I can't do that. I feel that I would be doing a disservice to not only my readers but the brewery themselves by lying. In the end it's just my opinion and my taste buds. You have to judge for yourself and not let me or even Jesus sway your opinion. Anyway my review is below:

Brewery: NOLA Brewing/ Stone Brewing

Beer: Pour Me Something Mistah

Style: Imperial Porter

ABV: ???

Louisiana Availability: VERY limited.

Appearance- Served in plastic cup(it's Mardi Gras). Poured a nice medium brown, ruby color. No head present(beer had been poured already and had been sitting due to how busy it was).

Smell- Slight smell of burnt malt, coffee, slight hoppiness(expected more since it is Stone) with hint of sweet molasses.

Taste- Very strong, sharp burnt malt flavor. Bordered on being acrid and astringent. I was not impressed after first taste. After letting it sit for about 10 minutes or so the flavors seem to balance out and the beer improved. The sweetness of the molasses balanced out the roasted malt flavor. Slight citric acidity from the satsuma peel. Hop presence seemed distant. I wanted(and expected) more hoppiness.

Mouthfeel- Medium body with medium carbonation.

Overall- I'll admit, although a good beer I was a little let down as were some others drinking it with me. Still awesome to have a collaboration brew with NOLA and Stone!!

Score: 3.5 out of 5 Buddhas

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Pour Me Somethin' Mistah Logo

2012-02-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

HOLY S%#T!! SOME SERIOUS NOLA BEER HAPPENINGS!!!

2012-02-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

Holy shit we have some seriously awesome beer happenings going on in the next couple of months! Be ready my friends be ready. Have your liver prepared!!! Check it:

February 3, 2012 6:00PM

New Orleans Can Release Pub Crawl

Be among the first ever to drink Abita out of cans! Join us for our pub crawl through some of New Orleans' best bars as we unveil Amber, Purple Haze and Jockamo IPA before they're available in stores and bars. Each beer purchased during the pub crawl is only $2!

February 4, 2012 1pm

Flambeau Red Ale to Release Feb. 4 with French Quarter Bar Crawl

NEW ORLEANS, La. (January 30, 2012) This year for the release of Flambeau Red Ale NOLA Brewing Company is having a Bar Crawl through the historic French Quarter before the Krewe du Vieux parade. The Krewe du Brew Bar Crawl theme will be "Mardi Gras on Fire" and costumes are encouraged.

The Bar Crawl is set to begin promptly at 1:00pm starting at R-Bar (1431 Royal St). From R-Bar the Bar Crawl will then head over to Balcony Music Club (1331 Decatur St) at 2:30. After Balcony Music Club the Bar Crawl will meet at Turtle Bay (1119 Decatur St) at 3:45. Then to end the Bar Crawl everyone will meet at Molly's at the Market (1107 Decatur St) at 5:00. Each bar will be serving the Flambeau Red for $3.00 a pint during our hour there. The Krewe du Vieux Parade starts at 6:30 so everyone will be in perfect position.

Flambeau Red Ale™ differs from the classic red ale style by the addition of a rich malt bill and hops. “We feel the hop addition plays well with the mix of pale and dark malts to create balanced, hoppy red ale,” said Kirk Coco President of NOLA Brewing Company. NOLA Brewing Company will offer Flambeau Red Ale™ only as a Spring seasonal so enjoy it while it's here. The company already boasts a number of high-quality microbrews including Hopitoulas™, Irish Channel Stout™, Hurricane Saison™, NOLA Blonde™, NOLA Brown™, 7th Street Wheat™ and Smoky Mary™.

March 24, 2012 2pm

New Orleans International Beer Festival

So do you remember the Top of the Hops festival that they held on the North Shore last year? It was a good festival but it was on the North Shore. Yeah I know, some of you readers are on the North Shore but to me it just doesn't make much sense. Hold the festival in New Orleans. I complained both years about them holding this event over there and apparently some others did too because they decided to move it to New Orleans. They also changed the name.

Please welcome the New Orleans International Beer Festival! It appears tickets are $40 and you can get the via Ticketmaster. The event will be held at the newly built Champions Square which is awesome. Get your tickets now before they sell out! Have fun!

Now I know Avenue Pub is doing some events for Mardi Gras but I can't access their website right now so check back later!

EDIT: Here are the Avenue Pub events! Thanks Polly!

Beer events for the first four parades at Mardi Gras

Our balcony, great beer!

For the second year we have taken the first week of Mardi Gras to line up some great beer events. This is the weekend that the balcony is open to the public. We, of course, want our beer peeps up there and the best way to get them to show up and watch the parades with us is to line up some great beers. Drinking the beers will get you access to the balcony for the parades(first come first serve of course) there will be lots of industry people in town for these events and I'm sure they will be even more fun that last year!

Friday Feb 10th

Saint Arnolds night: Divine Reserve 11 & the rollout of their Newest beer Bitter Belgian.
Krewe of Oshun parade start 6pm, by the pub by 8pm

Saturday Feb 11th

Stone Brewing & NOLA collaboration rollout:" Pour Me somethin' Mistah" on cask and in draft. plus a couple of other goodies that stone is sending and a special cask of their wheat with grains of paradise.Krewe of Ponchatrian parade Start 2pm, by the Pub 330pm
Krewe of Sparta parade start 6pm, by the Pub 730Pm
Krewe of Pygmalion parade start 6;45pm, by the pub 830pm
http://www.facebook.com/AvenuePubNOLA?sk=notes_drafts#!/events/228247680590591/

Sunday Feb 12th

Sierra Nevada Releases Torpedo on Draft!
Krewe of Carrollton parade start 12 noon, by the pub 130pm
Krewe of King Arthur parade start 1pm by the Pub 3pm
http://www.facebook.com/AvenuePubNOLA?sk=notes_drafts#!/events/351036021582176/

Wens Feb 15th

Abita night!
Rum Barrel Aged Abbey Ale & Double dry hopped Jackamo on cask.
Krewe of Druids parade start 630, by the pub 8pm
Krewe of Nyx, parade start 7pm, by the pub 830.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

NOLA Brewing Mechahopzilla

2012-02-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

NOLA Brewing Mechahopzilla. Don't know much about this. But it is without a doubt the coolest tap handle I have ever seen. Take note of the hop juice falling on the Superdome. This will probably be the best beer ever.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Beer Rumor: Sante Fe Brewing to enter Louisiana

2012-01-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

So okay I know it's just a rumor and I won't name my source. It could have just been drunk rambling as well but I was told that Southern Eagle Distributing will be picking up Sante Fe Brewing Company sometime this year. I was also informed no contract has been signed yet but that it is something that will happen. If this is true I have to say great job Southern Eagle! This beer is definitely a great grab!

On a side note I'm really happy to see the distributors as a whole here in Louisiana doing a great job picking up new beers and supporting the craft beer community! We are making progress for sure! Slow but steady!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

When The Gargoyle Comes Marching In....He Brews With NOLA Brewing.

2012-01-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

Do you remember in my Beerodamus' New Orleans Beer Scene 2012 post when I said, "NOLA Brewing will team up with another southern brewery to make a kick ass collaboration beer. I really feel this one. For real." Remember that? Well, it turns out I was right. Sort of.

I did say another Southern brewery but I didn't specify what South. At least this is what I am going with. Turns out NOLA Brewing is brewing a collaboration brew with Stone Brewing Company. That's right, you kept hearing from Polly over at Avenue Pub that Brewmaster Mitch Steel was coming to town and now you know why! I know, I know. You're thinking, "Stone Brewing isn't a Southern brewery you dumbass". But here is where I win on a technicality. Technically, Stone Brewing IS a Southern brewery. A Southern California brewery. Winning.

The beer they are brewing is going to be an Imperial Porter called Pour Me Something Mistah and is made with satsuma peels and Steens cane syrup. It will only be available on draft and will be available(tentatively) on February 11th. Avenue Pub will be hosting the release party. When I get more details I will let you know.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

The Beer Buddha's Beer Geeks Guide To Mardi Gras 2012 Edition

2012-01-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again!!! CARNIVAL TIME! And also time for the 2012 edition of The Beer Buddha's Beer Geeks Guide To Mardi Gras!! That's right! Your favorite guide to where to drink great beer while doing the Mardi Gras mambo!

Last years guide was a great success and even ended up being published in The Gambit! In this years addition you will still see your favorites but also some places that weren't on the list last year either because they weren't around or because I completely forgot. Yes, beer will do that too you.

THE FRENCH QUARTER

Most likely if you're coming for Mardi Gras this is where you will spend most of your time. We locals know to pretty much stay away but we do like to venture down there during Mardi Gras to watch out of towners make complete idiots out of themselves. It's quite fun! The following places are my recommendations on where you should be able to find good beer:

1) Club Decatur- They have a decent tap list with beers like Stone, Sierra Nevada, NOLA and Abita. They also have a decent bottle list. I would recommend getting bottles. Not sure the last time those taps have been cleaned.

2) Rouses on Royal St.- This is a grocery store but they've got a great selection of beer. Stone, Bayou Teche, Abita, etc. REMEMBER: You CAN walk around the streets with beer but it needs to be either in a can or a plastic cup.

3) Rouses in the CBD- This is the new fancy schmancy Rouses they built this past summer. Located close to Lee Circle this is a great place to pick up a quick sixer or case of your favorite brew.

CBD/Warehouse District

This is the area located according to the City Planning Commission: Iberville, Decatur and Canal Streets to the north, the Mississippi River to the east, the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, Julia and Magazine Streets and the Pontchartrain Expressway to the south and South Claiborne Avenue, Cleveland and South and North Derbigny Streets to the west. Basically it's the area with all the big buildings not in the French Quarter. Not much going on in this area beer wise but here is my pick:

1) Gordon Biersch- There is no beer to go option but if you want to get away from the crush and chaos of the crowd this is a great place to get fresh beer and good food.

2) Cochon Butcher- GREAT food and nice beer selection. Not sure how I missed this place last year but this year I make amends. This place is a must go! Pork and beer? It doesn't get any better. I recommend the Cubano with the Bayou Teche LA 31 Biere Pale.

FRENCHMAN STREET

If you're looking for good music go to Frenchman Street. If you're looking for good music and good beer go here:

1) dba- Owned by the late Ray Deter this is similar to the one in New York. The one in New Orleans however seems to focus more on music than beer. Still has a good beer selection though.

UPTOWN

For all tense and purposes we're going to just use the term Uptown. There is more to Uptown than just Uptown but we'll just make it easy. I'm sure people will want to argue with me but let it go. Let's make it easy for the tourists.

1) Avenue Pub- In my opinion there is no other place to go bar wise. You can catch almost ALL the parades from right here and also have the best beers in the city to choose from. Please note that the beers will be served in plastic cups because of the no glass outside rule and because it'll get way too busy in there for them to serve in proper glassware.

2) Steins Deli- If you're looking for a great selection to take back to your hotel room look no further than Steins. You can't drink on premise but you can stock up here. My favorite sandwich? The Rachel. Get it.

3)Slice Pizza- Damn good beer selection and even better pizza! AND located right on the parade route.

4) Squeal- This BBQ joint has a very nice selection of craft beer while also having some kick ass BBQ. Oh and the BBQ tacos kick major ass!

5) Whole Foods- It's Whole Foods. You've been to Whole Foods I'm sure. This one on Magazine St has a great beer selection. Perhaps one day they will have taps like their stores in New York.

6) Breaux Mart- This small locally owned grocery store also located on Magazine St has a nice diverse selection of craft and imports. They even have a section devoted solely to local beers.

7) Cooter Browns - a legend in New Orleans. Nice beer selection on tap and huge bottle selection. DO NOT go by their online beer list as it hasn't been updated in a long time. They have beers on the list that aren't even distributed here. I would highly recommend the cheese fries, Radiator's Special and the NOLA Philly.

8) The Bulldog - Large selection of beers on tap and decent bottle selection. Nice outdoor patio which can be irrelevant in cold weather. Lately however we have been blessed with unseasonably warm weather. Perhaps it can stick around for Mardi Gras! Check out the outside fountain made from taps and also make sure to try the Crawfish Banditos.

9) Le Bon Temps - This place is a true dive bar and can get rowdy at times. I've seen(yes seen- I used to live right down the street) someone who had been shot right out front of the bar. That being said it's a must go to in my opinion because it's a great neighborhood bar. You can get NOLA on tap here as well. The night to go is Thursday nights to check out the Soul Rebels Brass Band. Go early cause it gets packed.

10) Midway Pizza- I really dig this place. They have a great beer selection and I really enjoy the pizza here. It's not quite deep dish but similar and good. They also do a lunch buffet. Yes, a buffet. Of pizza. Not that I need that.

11) Ms. Maes- Oh yeah I did. Located right at the corner of Magazine and Napoleon there is no better place to get your cheap beer(and well drinks!)fix then Ms Maes. Get your Miller High Lifes and wait to check out the 610 Stompers!

12) The Irish House- Authentic Irish upscale pub grub with an amazing beer list? Yes please. And no it isn't just Irish beer. They have options like Mikkeller, Lindeman's, Stone, Delirium and local favorites like Abita, NOLA and Heiner Brau.

13) J'anitas at the Rendon Inn - Another place with a great beer and food selection! J'anitas, which was formerly housed in Avenue Pub is now located in the Rendon Inn. With new owners of the bar and the addition of J'anitas you need to go visit. I recommend Buddha's Temptations with a NOLA Hopitoulas. For obvious reasons.

14) Boucherie Upscale southern cuisine with a fantastic beer list? Check. A bread pudding made from Krispy Kreme donuts? Check. Need I say more?

MIDCITY

If you're in Midcity it's only because a local dragged you to see Endymion. But if you find yourself out there here is where you go!

1) Cork & Bottle- This small store is mainly wine focused but has a nice beer selection. I used to be the former beer guy here so hopefully they kept it up!

2) The Bulldog Midcity - See The Bulldog Uptown. The difference is there is a lot more space at this location. Crawfish Banditos still apply.

3) Bayou Beer Garden Bayou Beer Garden is right near Cork & Bottle on Jefferson Hwy. Located in a unassuming double with neon all about this bar looks like your neighbor is just throwing a party. Great beer selection with nice food options. I recommend the Disco Fries with an Abita Andygator. Could be a really bad move but give it a try.

4) Crescent Pie and Sausage Company- Ah, pizza and beer. Almost seems to be a recurring theme here. But this place isn't just a pizza shop. It's a Bart Bell owned restaurant complete with Bad Bart's Black Jambalaya, pizza and also a wide array of amazing sandwich options. Did I mention that they have homemade sausages and a great craft beer selection too? Well then yeah there is that too.

METAIRIE

If for some reason you find yourself in Metairie for Mardi Gras here are my picks of where to drink your sorrows away.

1) Lagers- This place is like The Bulldogs younger ginger kid sister. Great beer selection and oh yeah they have crawfish banditos too!

2) Phil's Grill- Possibly one of the best burger joints in the area because you can create your own burger. I'm still working on them working with me to create the Beer Buddha Burger. 100% black angus on an onion roll with creole aioli, beer sauteed onions, bacon and havarti cheese served with your choice of LOCAL brew!! Vegetables? What's that? Maybe we can get this in the works for American Craft Beer Week? Come on Phil!! What do you say?

3) Martin Wine Cellar Metairie- This Martins location is right on the parade route and has the best beer selection out of all the locations. Their cold selection is kind of slim but they do have a nice selection. And while you're at it grab some grub! I recommend the boneless pork loin with some havarti. And yes you can drink some beer at the deli!

North Shore

Okay so if you find yourself on the North Shore you are kind of far away from Mardi Gras. BUT you aren't far from a great beer bar!

1) The Barley Oak- HUGE beer list with a great food menu. THIS is the place to drink good beer when on the North Shore!

WESTBANK

There are parades over on the West Bank but you probably don't want to go to them. You should however take a free ferry ride across the Mississippi and visit Algiers Point. Why? Because this place:

The Crown and Anchor- Remember hearing about little bars nestled in old neighborhoods that you could just walk to? Yeah this is that place. Great beer selection with a wonderful mix of English and local beers. Ciders too! No food options but you can bring some grub to the bar. My recommendation is to order from Gulf Pizza.

BEER BUDDHA'S TIPS AND THINGS TO REMEMBER

1) Don't be a douche. Tip your bartender.

2) You are "allowed" to drink outside. Make sure it's either in a plastic cup or in a can.

3) BE CAREFUL! Like any major urban city New Orleans can be dangerous. We have our share of crime so always beer aware.

4) Downtown generally equals the "adult" Mardi Gras whereas Uptown is mostly the "family" Mardi Gras. Gray areas occur.

5) If you don't like crowds Mardi Gras isn't the place for you but Uptown would be your best bet.

6) Try to drink local! We could use your money!

7) Showing your boobs and or junk is still a crime. You could still get arrested for this. But we do like boobies. At least I do.

8) Unlike the parades you've been to our floats throw stuff off of them so like your old football coach from high school said, "Keep your head on a swivel!" Or if you played golf, "FOUR!!!!" Getting a smack in the face from some beads isn't fun so pay attention.

9) Yes it's true the beads aren't jewels or anything valuable but be careful. People will fight and claw for those damn beads. And DON'T pick them up off the ground cause you may have a little old granny stepping on your hand to get them.

10) Just because there is trash on the ground doesn't give you the right to throw more. Please respect our city and look for a trashcan. If it's full at least get the garbage in the general vicinity of the can.

ADDITIONAL TIPS FROM POLLY OF AVENUE PUB

1) It's a marathon not a sprint.

2) Most places charge for bathrooms but if they don't please try and buy something.

3) Know what you want before you approach the bar and order everything all at once. It'll make your life and your bartenders life much easier.

4) Get off your cell phone when ordering from your bartender.

5) TIP your bartender!

6) Don't play Jimmy Buffet on the jukebox over and over again.

7) Bringing food to the bartenders would be a nice gesture since most of them have probably not had something to eat for over 9 hours. Makes a great impression.

TOP 5 CANNED BEERS AVAILABLE IN NEW ORLEANS

1) NOLA Blonde- Yes you can drink NOLA on the parade route without dragging the party pack around now.

2) Abita- They will be releasing three of their beers in cans right before Mardi Gras. Sometime in late January perhaps. Turbodog in cans? Oh yes please.

3) Tin Roof Perfect Tin- This Baton Rouge beer is perfect for any parade.

4) Heiner Brau Kolsch- The perfect beer for the parade route in a can.

5) Miller High Life 16oz- cheap and good. Simple.

Well that's it folks. Hope you enjoyed the 2012 edition! As you can see we have some old standbys but also some new places to visit! If I forgot somewhere please let me know! Laissez les bons temps rouler!!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Twisted Pine Ghost Face Killah Coming to Louisiana

2012-01-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Just saw on wwwthefullpint.com that the "spiciest beer in the world" will be distributed here in Louisiana.

Here is the link to the article

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

BAYOU TECHE BREWING RELEASES COURIR DE MARDI GRAS BIERE

2012-01-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BAYOU TECHE BREWING RELEASES COURIR DE MARDI GRAS BIERE

Arnaudville, January 3, 2012 – Arnaudville’s Bayou Teche Brewing is releasing Courir de Mardi Gras, the brewery’s first seasonally produced beer. This limited edition beer honors Acadiana’s rural Mardi Gras traditions and is brewed as a Biere de Mars - a centuries old French style of farmhouse seasonal brew.
Says Bayou Teche’s brewmaster Karlos Knott, “Very few bottles of Biere de Mars are brought to the States from France. They are brewed in such small batches and are only released in March (Biere de Mars translates to March beer). These French beers are traditionally crafted at the beginning of winter with the farm’s freshest crop of barley, wheat and hops. The farm’s brewers then spend months aging what they consider their finest beer of the year.”
Continues Knott, “Bayou Teche Brewing’s Courir de Mardi Gras is our artisanal version of this elegant French ale. Biere de Mars is historically crafted with Pilsner, Munich, and a large dose of wheat malt – the wheat lends the beer a distinct, Spring-like quality.” When the brewers at Bayou Teche discovered this French style of ale, they decided to seasonally brew batches for South Louisianan’s pre-Lenten celebrations.

With originations in rural and Medieval France, several rural Cajun communities still celebrate the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras. Although there are variations, each Courir has a Le Capitaine who leads masked and costumed revelers on horseback to beg and gather ingredients for the large communal gumbo that lies at the end of their journey. A prized ingredient is a live chicken, which is often thrown into the air for the celebrants to chase through muddy fields.

Bayou Teche Brewing features organizations on the bottom of their six pack boxes that are working to preserve the unique cultures and environment of South Louisiana. For their Courir De Mardi Gras Beer, Bayou Teche’s Dorsey Knott says, “we wanted to recognizes the important work that Valcour Records is doing to preserve and showcase great Louisiana talent and roots music on the world stage. Valcour’s co-founders recognized that there was a remarkable wealth of talent in Acadiana that was under-represented and under-exposed. We wanted to thank them for the important work that they are doing.”

In conjucntion with the beers release, Valcour records is releasing their newest CD, The Best of Valcour Records Volume I. Said Valcour Records co-founder Joel Savoy, “This CD was created through a partnership with Bayou Teche Brewing Company and is designed to accompany their seasonal Mardi Gras beer: Courir de Mardi Gras. As you might expect, this CD makes a great sound track for any Mardi Gras celebration, just as the beer makes for a great beverage!” Courir de Mardi Gras six-packs will include a free download from the Best of Valcour Records CD Volume I CD.

The limited editon, seasonal batch of Bayou Teche Brewing’s Courir de Mardi Gras is now available in six packs and kegs across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.