Brew Dogs New Orleans Episode Airs Tomorrow

Tomorrow 08/20 the Brew Dogs episode that was filmed here with NOLA Brewing and Bayou Teche Brewing will be airing! Most of you know about the event because, well, you were there.  

I have to admit the beer was not that great but the experience was awesome.  Really great of these guys to pick New Orleans to be represented among all the great beer cities.  

Here is a quick synopsis from Esquire:

In the NOLA episode of BREW DOGS, hosts James Watt and Martin Dickie create a New Orleans-inspired beer using local ingredients like Rose of Jericho (the "resurrection plant") and mayhaw fruit, brewed entirely on the back of a fan boat in the bayou. After a brief timeout from brewing to compete with Bayou Tech Brewing to see who can make the best craft beer pairings with local Cajun cuisine, the BREW DOGS then continue to the French Quarter to reveal their revival beer and convert a few local craft beer fans along the way.

I was lucky enough to see an advance screener for the show and will admit it was pretty awesome. Much better than the beer!  I saw a lot of familiar faces in the show as well!  Get ready cause if you were there you are probably in this episode!


Cheers!

The Beer Buddha

TWO SCOTTISH CRAFT BEER RENEGADES. TEN AMERICAN BEER LOVING LOCALES.

BREW DOGS RETURNS FOR SEASON TWO ON ESQUIRE NETWORK JUNE 25

LOS ANGELES – June 6, 2014 – James Watt and Martin Dickie, founders of the UK’s fastest growing brewery and creators of the world’s strongest ale, return to create more craft beer anarchy when season two of BREW DOGS premieres Wednesday, June 25 at 9/8c on Esquire Network.

In each of the 10, one-hour BREW DOGS episodes, James and Martinvisit a different American beer town, celebrate distinctive craft beers andcreate their own locally-inspired draft. Along the way, they break every rule in modern brewing, seek out (sometimes bizarre) local ingredients for theirbrew, and challenge American brewers to help them create the most outrageousbeers on earth.

BREW DOGS episodes include:

·       Alaska – Cut off from civilization in the Alaskan wilderness, James and Martin brew a survivalist beer with glacier water, spruce tips, winterberries, and a few old airplane parts.

·       Chicago -- In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, James and Martin team up with Revolution Brewing in Chicago to create the “greenest” beer ever, and not just in terms of color. For the brewing process, they enlist the aid of an engineer to build a wind-powered brew system atop one of the manyhigh rises in Chicago’s famous skyline.

• Colorado – After meeting with an archeologist and scaling giant pine trees, James and Martin brew a modern take on an ancient beer style using primitive brewing equipment that they’ve actually built themselves.

·       Delaware -- James and Martin visit Dover Speedway, where they team up with Dogfish Head Brewery’s Sam Calagione and attempt to brew an all-new beer in the back of a truck racing around the Monster Mile—the world’s fastest one-mile oval.

·       Las Vegas -- In Las Vegas, where millions are won and lost every day, James and Martin brew the most expensive beer ever—even if that means melting down gold, shaving truffles, and finding water from halfway around the world.

·       Los Angeles – The BREW DOGS go head-to-head, competing alongside local home brewers to make the best new boundary-pushing beer in LA. Each team must successfully design their own brew, sourcing local ingredients.

·       Maui – Sugarcane and toasted coconut flavor James and Martin’s newest brew, a Hot Lava Rock beer based on the lifestyle and history of Maui—and brewed amid hula skirts and fire dancers at a local luau.

·       New Orleans – The BREW DOGS turn to swamp fruit and a voodoo priestess to create a revival beer in New Orleans. To capture the true bayou experience, they build a mobile brewery on the back of a fan boat.

·       NorCal – In an RV in Northern California, James and Martin make impromptu craft pairings with campfire food and create the ultimate collaboration beer with Sierra Nevada and Bear Republic, and brew it with the help of a local professor, the “Pope of Foam.”

·       North Carolina -- James and Martin brew the most caloric beer ever, a Maple Bacon Ice Cream Stout, in Durham, NC. And they do it on bikes. Burn calories while brewing calories.

BREW DOGS is produced for Esquire Network by Custom/Redtail Partners LLC. Executive producers are Steve Stockman, Chris Burke and Jared Cotton.

Great Raft Brewing More Than Doubles Capacity with Two-Phase Expansion Plan

Received this press release from Great Raft Brewing today.  Looks like we could see some of their beers here pretty soon!

- New fermenters in first phase to add 55 percent more production capacity
- Second phase targets South Louisiana launch in First Quarter 2015 

August 7, 2014, SHREVEPORT, La. – Great Raft Brewing plans to increase production by more than 160 percent with its expansion in 2014. The expansion includes adding fermentation tanks that will increase capacity from 2,500 to 7,000 barrels (bbls) annually.

 To better meet market demand and ultimately grow into new markets within the region, Great Raft Brewing will undergo a two-phase expansion over the next six months. The first phase is underway now, as the team is installing two new 60 bbl fermenters that will add 55 percent more production capacity. The additional capacity will help Great Raft Brewing better fulfill distributor orders and maximize its footprint within the North Louisiana markets it currently serves.

 “We are excited for the opportunity to serve our existing customer base more consistently, as well as establish Great Raft Brewing within the state. We want to share our beer with as many people in the region as possible, without overextending ourselves or compromising quality,” said co-founder and vice president Lindsay Nations. “Making the jump to New Orleans and surrounding markets is the next logical step for us to be able to meet that goal.”

 The second phase of production expansion lays the groundwork for distribution expansion into South Louisiana. Beginning in December and slated for completion in January 2015, four additional 60 bbl fermenters and one 60 bbl brite tank will be added to the cellar. This equipment will increase capacity by an additional 70 percent, leading to a 163 percent increase in total capacity within the brewery’s first year. The additional 240 bbls of fermentation space will be used to brew products that will be shipped to South Louisiana.

Great Raft Brewing will release specifics around its plans to enter South Louisiana later this year. Distributors and timelines have not been announced.

In addition to an upgrade of brewing operations, Great Raft Brewing will also work to launch a barrel aging program, expand in-house lab capabilities, and add a meeting space at its Dalzell facility. The company expects to create five new jobs as a result of the expansion.

Great Raft Brewing brewed its first beer in October 2013, becoming the first Shreveport brewery to operate and sell beer since prohibition. Since then, the brewery has produced beer as fast as possible to keep up with demand for its products. In late March 2014, Great Raft expanded distribution into Monroe and Ruston markets, but hasn’t been able to maximize the full potential of that market due to production limitations.

Great Raft Brewing’s location in Shreveport is on track to produce 2,500 bbls this year. The expansion will give them the ability to produce close to 7,000 bbls in 2015. The current cellar is taking up only a small footprint within the 27,000 square foot warehouse, allowing for plenty of room for growth. “We knew from the very early stages that we wanted to brew more beer than we would initially be able to produce. That’s why we picked a building with growth potential. But we wanted to take it slow, grow organically and be smart about it. Our growth in volume will be met with a continued focused on quality. The equipment upgrades to our lab and canning line give us invaluable insight into our beer. Additional volume is great, but it will always come second to quality,” said co-founder and president Andrew Nations.

More information about Great Raft Brewing can be found at

www.greatraftbrewing.com.

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About Great Raft Brewing: Great Raft Brewing is a Shreveport, Louisiana based craft brewery dedicated to making creative, authentic beer and helping to build a great beer culture within communities it serves. Co-founders Andrew and Lindsay Nations are Shreveport natives with a passion for beer. Born from their desire to bring exciting, flavorful, fresh craft beer to their hometown, Great Raft Brewing is bringing the craft brewing tradition to Northern Louisiana.

Information about Great Raft Brewing can be found at www.greatraftbrewing.com. Learn more on Twitter https://twitter.com/GreatRaftBeer and Facebook www.facebook.com/greatraftbrewing.

Abita Collaborating with Italy's Birrificio del Ducato for Two Boots Saison

See below.  This looks pretty cool.  Looking forward to trying this beer.

We are happy to announce that Abita Beer will be creating our first ever collaboration brew with Birrificio del Ducato. Two Boots, appropriately named for the shape of Louisiana and Italy, is a Saison brewed with peppercorn, lemon balm and honey.

Birrificio del Ducato is an award-winning craft brewery located in Parma, Italy that uses natural and local ingredients. Brewmaster, Giovanni Campari, visited our brewery recently to meet with me and conduct a small initial brew.

Two boots will be made with pilsner and wheat malts and hopped with German Perle hops. We used a local producer of raw honey, Blood River Honey, to give the brew a very dry finish, which is great for a Saison. The addition of the lemon, green and pink peppercorn enhances the overall flavor of the brew.

The honey is added in the brewhouse at the end of the boil, and then the lemon balm and pepper is added in the aging tank. Adding the pepper to aging tank will impart the flavor and aroma without adding as much heat and spice. Finally, adding the lemon balm to the aging tank will impart the fresh flavor and aroma of the herb. In the end this is a very balanced beer with the flavors of the malted barley, wheat, hops, yeast, herbs, and honey all blending together for a refreshing brew.

Two Boots will be released in very limited quantities on draft in August 2014. It will be available in 22oz bottles and as a select on draft in spring 2015.

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha