Saturday, December 31, 2011

The Beer Buddha's 2012 Resolutions



1) Lose Weight. Even The Beer Buddha struggles with weight loss. I need to realize that just because I'm lifting pint glasses to my lips it doesn't mean I'm working out.

2) Start homebrewing. It's time I really start doing this. I think it can help me become a better writer. Okay not writer but beer drinker for sure. Brewstock here I come!

3) Stop picking on Abita. Apparently they feel like my opinion is biased and I am picking on them. I'm not picking on you but in the interest of supporting local beer I shall stop. At least I will try to stop. Perhaps a beer summit with myself and the owner? That would be cool. I do however need to do the beer tour. Haven't done it yet. Will they let me in?

4) Go to the Great American Beer Festival. This looks like it is going to happen. Stay tuned!

5) I need to get back to my weekly visits to Avenue Pub. Once I got promoted at work it become tough but I need to do this.

6) Drink and review more beers. Tough one I know.

7) Build a bar in my backyard. I've really wanted to do this for a while. Turn my whole backyard into some awesome island oasis with a bar and shit. Maybe 2012 will be the year it happens.

8) Host a big ass craft beer party at my backyard bar(see 7 if you skipped).

9) Beer trading. I do this occasionally but would like to try more beers from around the country and share all the local beers we are beginning to see.

10) Make 2012 another great year for beer in Louisiana!



Do you have any beer related resolutions for 2012? Comment on this post! We would love to hear them!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Beer Buddha's Top 10 List of the Best(and Worst) Beery Shit That Happened in New Orleans in 2011




So a lot of people are coming out with these amazing Best of (insert whatever here) lists for 2011. Polly Adler of Avenue Pub and Nora McGunnigle of NOLA Beer Bitch and NOLA Beer Guide both came out with amazing Best Beers of 2011. Me? No, I'm not going to do that. They already did it and did it really well. Not sure I can top either of those lists.

No, instead I decided to do what I do best and use humor to mask the fact that I am a horrible writer. Get me in a crowd of people and I can talk beer all day but when it comes to writing things down my limited vocabulary and getting hit too hard while playing contact sports limits my ability. But then again perhaps that very thing is what makes you all actually read the blog?

So on to my list. What exactly is it about? Not really sure. It's a best of and worst of I guess. It will focus on New Orleans and the surrounding area however. That much I do know. At least I think it will. And I'm sure it may piss some people off too.

1) My Favorite Local Beer of 2011

So this is a tough one. Okay, maybe it isn't but I did try some great local beers this year but one really stood out. I will state now though that the beers I considered in this are beers that are actually distributed. But the one that I really enjoyed most was NOLA Brewing's Flambeau. I can hear it now, Abita is booing and yelling that I am biased. That brings me to the next category.

2) The Biggest Local Let Down of 2011

So yeah, I'm sure you saw this one coming but I think I am right when I say that Abita's 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog was the biggest let down by a local brewery in 2011. Abita is the 15th largest craft brewer in the country and this beer is what they chose to celebrate 25 years of brewing. Don't get me wrong it's an okay beer I just expected something better. I got a lot of flack for my review and apparently alienated friends that work there but I believe that the score of 81 on Beeradvocate.com justifies my feelings.

3) Best Beer Festival of 2011

I went to a bunch of beer festivals this year and had a blast at all of them but one really stood out and it wasn't because of the beers being served but rather the style of the festival that made it stand out. NOLA on Tap, which was put on by The Bulldog was THE festival this year in my opinion. Not only did proceeds go to a good cause(LASPCA) but it was a pay as you drink festival. That's right, you didn't have to pay to get in. You just paid for a certain amount of tickets which you traded in for brews. Full size or sample size. In my opinion THIS is the future of beer fests in the country.

4) Best Beer Bar in 2011

Honestly this category really isn't fair but why punish one bar because all the others can't hold it's jockstrap? We all know The Avenue Pub is THE beer bar in not only New Orleans but in Louisiana. Nothing against all the other bars in the state but you ALL know you have a long way to go to be mentioned in the same sentence with AP.

5) Beer Bar Let Down of 2011

Yeah this is a category. Normally it wouldn't be but why not. I was that disappointed. The wife, kid and I took a trip to Baton Rouge(I don't know why but the wife wanted to go) and did a visit of some of BRs beery places. We went to Tin Roof which was awesome but based on reviews on BA we made the fateful decision to go to The Chimes for lunch. The beer selection was plentiful. Quality was bull shit. Attention bars who want to be a beer bar: It's quality not quantity.

6) Best Out Of State Brewery Entering Louisiana in 2011

This one really isn't all that hard since we didn't have too many coming to Louisiana in 2011 but I'm giving this one to Stillwater Artisinal Ales.

7) Bullshit Out of State Brewery Entering Louisiana in 2011

This one goes hands down to Fort Collins Brewery for entering into the state in of all places Baton Rouge and NOT in New Orleans. Please take the picture of New Orleans down from your site until you actually distribute here please.

8) Surprise Beer of 2011

Big Flats 1901. Yeah that just happened. What do you want me to say? This beer came in at like $3 for a sixer and it wasn't half bad. Sometimes you just need a cheap, tasteless beer to get you through. This one fits the bill.

9) Louisiana Beer Trend of 2011

The beer can. Tin Roof, NOLA Brewing and Abita are all releasing beer in cans. The first two didn't really surprise me but Abita jumping on the band wagon at the last minute shocked me a bit. Now they could have been planning the canning line for years for all I know but it does look like a lame attempt. It's as if they realized that NOLA Brewing and Tin Roof are going to do awesome sales during Mardi Gras because of the can choice so they decided to get in the game too. All goes back to my assumption that Abita is a reactive not proactive company. But who am I to judge. I'm only a consumer.

10) Brewery to look forward to in 2012

Can I just say all of them? Well sure I can because I'm writing the damn thing! 2012 is going to be a great year for beer in Louisiana!

Well there you have it. Hope you enjoyed it. Hope you all have a Merry Christmakwanzakah!!!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Beerodamus' New Orleans Beer Scene 2012




2012. While a lot of the world is preparing for the end thanks to incorrectly reading a calendar from a group of people who couldn't predict their own downfall, I will be looking forward to the many beertastic things I hope to see in New Orleans in 2012.

Do I know for sure these things are going to happen(or not happen)? No, of course not but damn it would pretty kick ass if they did! Here ya go! Beerodamus' New Orleans Beer Scene 2012!!!

1) NOLA Brewing will team up with another southern brewery to make a kick ass collaboration beer. I really feel this one. For real.

2) Louisiana will have one brewery win a medal at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. The last Louisiana brewery to do this? Dixie in 1988 with a silver for their Dixie Amber Light.

3) Avenue Pub will continue to be the best beer bar in Louisiana. Duh.

4) We will begin to see a second wave of out of state craft breweries entering the state for distribution. Lagunitas will be one of them.

5) We will see at least 10 solid local breweries distributing in the state. New Orleans will still only have one.

6) We will find out the that rumor that Barcade will be opening a New Orleans location is true. And the story broke here. Just now. As you read it. Right now. Done been broke.

7) Abita will release a beer in bottles that will knock our socks off.

8) New Belgium Brewing will still not be distributing here in Louisiana. Neither will Yuengling.

9) More local New Orleans restaurants will figure out that carrying craft beer is where it's at. But they still won't hire anyone that will know anything about the beers thereby making their selection irrelevant.

10) New Orleans will begin to become a major player in the craft beer movement. We won't be mecca status but people will begin to recognize and respect our city as a great place for craft beer!

There you have it. My predictions for the New Orleans beer scene in 2012. If you have any that you think will happen feel free to comment! Would love to hear your thoughts!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Bayou Teche Brewing and Valcour Records Give Away the Ultimate Mardi Gras Package






“Courir de Mardi Gras” Facebook Photo Contest:

Bayou Teche Brewing and Valcour Records Give Away the Ultimate Mardi Gras Package

Arnaudville, La. – December 13, 2011 – What better way is there to celebrate Mardi Gras than by sipping on smooth Louisiana Biere and tapping to the tunes of the best of Louisiana music? Bayou Teche is celebrating by collaborating with Valcour Records on their latest "Best of Valcour Records” CD and with the creation of Courir De Mardi Gras beer. Now we want to see how others celebrate the beloved and unique holiday tradition.

Starting on January 9, 2011, Bayou Teche Facebook fans, and anyone else with a Facebook account, for that matter, will be asked to upload a favorite photo of their own “Courir de Mardi Gras” experience on Bayou Teche Brewing’s Facebook Page. Contestants’ photos will then be voted on by fans, and the photo with most votes by February 10 wins the Grand Prize below. Second and third place photos will also be awarded.

Grand Prize:
● “Best of Valcour Records” Cajun Music CD
● Traditional Courir de Mardi Gras Costume
● Assorted Bayou Teche Brewing gift bag

2nd Place Prize:
● “Best of Valcour Records” CD
● Bayou Teche gift bag

3rd Place Prize:
● “Best of Valcour Records” CD

**All winners must be 21 years of age or older.

“The promotion with Valcour Records on their new CD and our beer is a celebration of all that’s traditional and rural. We can’t wait to share both the beer and music with our customers,” says Brewmaster at Bayou Teche Brewing, Karlos Knott. “Not only will we be giving people a chance to win prizes in this contest, but they’ll be provided with 1 download from the CD with every purchase of Courir de Mardi Gras Beer.”

Bien faire et laisser dire!

For more information, contest details will be posted on www.facebook.com/bayoutechebrewing by Dec. 26, 2011, or call (337) 233-1010. And for more information on the “Best of Valcour Records,” visit Valcour Record’s website. To find Courir de Mardi Gras, visit Bayou Teche’s dealer listing.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

New Brewery: 40 Arpent Brewing Co.


I know this is last minute but I am just hearing about it this morning. It looks like we have been blessed with another local brewery. They are called 40 Arpent Brewing Co. and they will be introduced to the public tonite at the Rusty Nail from 6-9pm. It appears that they will also be looking for investors as well so if you are interested you need to go tonite.

40 Arpent Brewing is being spearheaded by Michael Naquin who co owns Beehive Hair Studio with his wife. As soon as I get more details regarding the brewery I will post on here.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha