Thursday, January 30, 2014

New Orleans Beer Book Cover Preview and Party Announcement

 
Ok, so here is the cover of the New Orleans Beer book.  We are looking at a release date of March 4th, 2014.  Mardi Gras Day! 
 
The release party will be held at NOLA Brewing on Saturday March 8, 2014 from 12-3pm.  La Cocinita Food Truck will be there providing some food and our publisher History Press will be providing some free beer.
 
If you can't make this event we are working on a bunch of other events.  For you Northshore folks we will be working on one with Abita Brewing as well!
 
For those of you out of town you can purchase it via Amazon.com or at the History Press website.
 
 
Hope to see you there!
 
Cheers!
 
The Beer Buddha

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Bayou Teche Brewery's Loup Garou Awarded Silver Medal

Congrats to Bayou Teche Brewing!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


BAYOU TECHE BREWERY’S LOUP GAROU AWARDED SILVER MEDAL


Arnaudville, January 23, 2014 – Acadiana’s Bayou Teche Brewing’s recently released Loup Garou stout was recently awarded a silver medal in the Wood Aged Ale category of the annual World Beer Championships.  The competition, held by the Beverage Testing Institute is open to commercial beer brewers worldwide.  Beers are judged on a 100 point scale, and are evaluated by professional judges in a tasting room designed to minimize distractions.  Additionally the judges taste the beers blind – aware only of the category of beer, not the brand.  Said Bayou Teche’s brewmaster, Karlos Knott, “We have just released our Loup Garou beer and we just got the news and are still celebrating with a few of the bottles we had left at the brewery - we are just thrilled.”


The ale scored 87 points, and the tasting notes rated Loup Garou as highly recommended.  The judges’ notes also state that the beer has a black brown color and a dense aroma of wood charcoal, over roasted coffee, and burnt popcorn.  The beer finishes with a supple, dryish medium-to-full body and a finely carbonated cigar ash, grilled mustard greens, molasses and cocoa powder.


Said Knott, “For generations, Cajuns have told their children to hurry to bed or Loup Garou was going to get them – my brothers and I were scared by threats of his arrival by our parents and grandparents.”   Brewmaster Gar Hatcher says that the stout is brewed with werewolf-sized helpings of chocolate and roasted Belgian malts, brown sugar, and hops, then the ale is finished on oak.   The brewers suggest that this skillfully crafted, Belgian-style stout is ideal for sipping on well past bedtime, waiting on the fabled Loup Garou. 


The beer, like all of Bayou Teche’s ales are designed to go with the Cajun and Creole foods the brewers grew up with.  Knott suggests raw oysters as the perfect foil for the stout.  Says Knott, “We often slide a freshly shucked oyster in a shot glass and top it off with Loup Garou – that’s why there are so many oyster shells behind the brewery.”  The brewery also suggests pairing their new offering with Brie and French Triple-Crème style cheeses, smoked salmon or trout, dried country ham, a classic Rueben sandwich and rich vanilla ice cream.


Knott says that this is Bayou Teche Brewing’s fifth silver medal win at the competition in the brewery’s four year history.  The brewery’s distribution has grown and their beers are now available in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and New York.  Loup Garou is limited release for the brewery and only one batch is brewed a year.  Loup Garou stout is available currently available in bottles and on tap locally. 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Favorite Mardi Gras Beers



So, it's been awhile.  How you doing?  Book is done, currently in production and headed for a March release date.  We are looking at a release party on March 8th at NOLA Brewing right now.  I will post something on here when we get more details.  So now that the book is done The Beer Buddha can continue!

I figured the best way to get back into the swing of things was with a Mardi Gras post.  Every year I do the Mardi Gras guide but it seems to be getting a bit stale and usually has the same places listed with maybe the addition of 3-5 places.  This year I thought it would be fun to put up a list of awesome beers to drink during Mardi Gras. 

Lately we have seen a huge influx of beer coming into town with New Belgium, The Bruery, Sweetwater, etc.  How awesome is this?  Those of you who have been around in New Orleans for awhile can really appreciate this.  Those of you new to the area and from more beercentric areas this may be old hat but I'm sure you're excited still!

Instead of me giving you a list of beers I want YOU to list some of your favorite beers for Mardi Gras!

Ready....GO!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha