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August 3, 2008 - Sorry about the long delay in blog entries, but we have been very busy getting everything at the Tchoupitoulas Brewery geared up, as well as participating in the Lafayette Gulf Brew 2008 beer event.
This years’ Gulf Brew was a huge success with many great beers, including both our Blonde and Brown Ale. We served over 35 gallons of 3 ounce tasting cups and were out before the end of the event. We had some great response and many people came back for seconds and thirds. We even had a few people purchase additional tasting cards (15 tastes) and fill them all with NOLA ale!
Thanks to everyone that came all the way to Lafayette just to try our beer, and for those of you who haven't tried it yet, we will be at the East Jefferson General Hospital "Up on the Roof" fundraiser on November 7th. Because we have so much to do with our beer debuting about the same time in bars and restaurants, this will be our next official scheduled event.
Other exciting news is that a wonderful article was written in the August issue of Offbeat Magazine that gives a brief overview of our brewery and the products we will bring to the Crescent City. You can read the article here or grab a copy around town. However one change is that we will EVENTUALLY produce more than 10,000 barrels a year, just not in the first three years. Thanks to Todd Price for a great article and Elsa Hahne for actually laying on the pavement of our parking lot for the picture!
Laissez la bonne bière verser!
June 9, 2008 - I want to thank everyone who made the WYES Beer Tasting such a wonderful success, especially Glazer Distributors, Derek Lintern, Randy Johnson and all of the NOLA Brewing fans who came to try our beer at the UNO Lakefront Arena. For those of you who didn't make it, you missed a great event with over 200 different beers, along with an opportunity to mix with over 3,000 beer lovers and even a Scottish marching band in full kilt regalia!
Before the event we had mention on NOLA.com, as people were really looking forward to trying our beer. As the top mention in the "What to Look Forward to...”, I hope we delivered. I do have to say that the feedback at the event for NOLA Blonde and NOLA Brown was very positive! Great comments were posted after the event on Southern Beer Society and Beer NOLA .
All attendees were really excited about having the opportunity to try a variety of craft and homebrewed beers, often not found at other tastings. And my original question when developing the concept for NOLA was asked time and time again – “Why doesn’t New Orleans have a thriving craft brew industry?” NOLA Brewing also was included in a posting at Letters in Bottles.
We hope to be the first of many breweries to get craft brewed beer into the city, and with the support of the area homebrew organizations, other local breweries and the people of New Orleans, I am confident that New Orleans will again be recognized as the capital of brewing in the South.
The second largest question was “When can we buy your beer?” Answer: October or early November. Peter Caddoo, our great brewmaster, was actually in Colorado during the WYES Tasting finalizing the purchase of our brewing system from Left Hand Brewing.
Thanks again for everyone who participated and we hope to see many of you again at Gulf Brew 2008, at Parc International in downtown Lafayette on July 19th from 3-8pm.
Laissez la bonne bière verser!
May 6, 2008 - What a wonderful Cinco de Mayo! I was lucky enough to get tickets to the New Orleans Hornets playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs and I am still riding high from the excitement of the game and the wonderful New Orleans crowd that cheered the Hornets to victory. I don't think it is a coincidence that sports teams in New Orleans are doing so well lately. They, along with the rest of this city, are realizing that we can (and WILL!) be a first class city second to none.
This week we ordered our brand new 30 barrel brewhouse and supporting equipment and look forward to bringing all of you a first class craft beer to go along with our first class city. Renovations are in progress inside our warehouse at 3001 Tchoupitoulas Street and you will start seeing a change on the outside in the weeks to come.
Thanks to everyone who has offered support and encouragement. We are really making great progress and getting closer to filling your pint glass!
Laissez la bonne bière verser!
April 24, 2008 - The NOLA Brewing crew has returned from the Brewer's Association Conference and after a week of learning the advantages of dry yeast and determining the best temperature for fermenting an American Ale you would think that I would be ready for a good beer! In fact, I am still hydrating with as much H2O as possible after having the good fortune of sampling nearly every beer available from craftbrewer's in America, Canada and around the world. Peter and I were also fortunate enough to make several important equipment contacts that have helped us find key brewing equipment even during the recent shortage of stainless tanks and fermenters. Hmmmm…education, equipment deals and great beer. Not a bad week.
Now that we are home it is back to business. We are currently working on the electrical and plumbing in the warehouse and searching for additional equipment - used and new (if any of you reading have a lead on a good used 20-30 barrel system in the area, let us know!)
There is still much work ahead of us in the next few months as we push to get our beer out to New Orleans. But we came away from the conference, confident, educated and assured that our effort is worth it.
There is one great story I want to pass on to everyone interested in NOLA Beer who has asked about Peter Caddoo, our wonderful brewmaster. I do admit, I was impressed when everyone at the Brewer's Association Convention knew of Peter and many had even enjoyed some of his great beers. But what really stunned me was what happened the first day we arrived in San Diego.
You see, I had decided I would show Peter around - being a one-time resident of San Diego while I was in the Navy. But after about fifteen minutes of walking around in the Gaslamp Quarter, I still hadn't found the brewpub I was seeking out and was ready to take a cab – at least they would know. As we were waiting for a cab, Peter turned to me and, with the serious look of a CSI detective who had found the missing clue to the crime, said "I smell malt."
Three blocks and one turn later, we literally ran into a pallet of malted barley right under the sign for Rock Bottom Brewpub. Peter calmly looked over at me and said, "See, I told you I there was malt. Let's grab a beer."
There is no doubt now that I have teamed with the perfect brewmaster, and if we run out of malt, I can always send him out to track some down!
Cheers,
April 4, 2008 - Well we are really gearing up for full production, as we enter our warehouse at 3001 Tchoupitoulas Street (for those of you outside of New Orleans, say "Chop-a-two-less.") Peter and I have spent the last week working with electricians to ensure proper power is available, negotiating for the best prices on brewing equipment and cleaning our new location.
Also, in the past week I was fortunate enough to attend one great beer dinner and will be attending another next week on Tuesday April 8 at Patois Restaurant uptown. The pairings have been developed by the chef at Patois, members of the Crescent City Homebrewer's Association and Dan Stein (the owner of Stein's Market and Deli on Magazine and Jackson. There are still a few seats left, so if you like great beer you can call and try to get a reservation.
If you have never had the pleasure of attending a beer dinner, it is the perfect way to try a variety of different beers with foods that accentuate the flavor of the beer and vice-versa. I think you will find that well-crafted beer mixes even better with food than wine. But don't trust me, go to a dinner yourself and enjoy the tastes that will please your palate and have you looking for more beer dinners to attend.
Peter and I will be in San Diego from April 15-20 representing NOLA at the annual Brewer's Conference and we look forward to talking to all of you beer lovers who will be there!
Keep an eye on our site as we continue our progress in developing fine craft brew for the Crescent City.
Laissez la bonne bière verser!
March 5, 2008 - One of the great perks of starting a brewery (besides sampling the wares!) is the opportunity to conduct business research. I was fortunate enough to visit the Lazy Magnolia Brewery in Kiln, Mississippi last week. Leslie Henderson, the owner and Brewmaster has been very supportive during our start-up phase and took time out of her day to give us sage advice from a company that has been through start-up and the effects of Katrina. I also was fortunate enough to get to sample one of my favorite beers, Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan. It is worth the drive across the border to get a case and bring it back to your home.
Anyway, the visit to Lazy Magnolia had me feeling great about beer in general and even better about the microbrew industry as a whole. In what other industry would manufacturers take you through their production process, tell you areas of difficulty and provide you with the knowledge they have acquired over the years they spent building their business. The craft brew industry is truly a family dedicated to producing great beers and helping others do the same.
Now as I was thinking about how wonderful the microbrew industry is, I began to think about beer in general and the people who enjoy it. People who drink beer really know how to enjoy life and also share their time with friends. In fact, beer drinking is something usually done while meeting and talking with friends, and certainly creates a relaxed, fun attitude. Craft brew drinkers actually get excited about the beers they try and when they find beers that they enjoy can't wait to share the taste with friends.
I encourage you to explore new beers and take the time to share with a friend. Also, sharing a bottle with a friend is a great way to drink beer. Open a bottle and pour half each into a wine glass. This will allow you to enjoy the complex aroma that a craft brew can contain as well as drink the beer before it gets warm. Also, by sharing you create a bond with that friend that non-beer drinkers rarely understand.
Finally, I would like to say that beer has brought great people with drive, courage and accomplishment together for a long time. In fact, the next time you stand for the national anthem, think about beer. It was over beer that our founding fathers developed the great plan for our country and the idea that all people should have inalienable rights. If they aren't great spokesmen for an industry, I can't imagine who would be. Benjamin Franklin said it best:
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Laissez la bonne bière verser!
February 20, 2008 - I am excited to post my first blog entry here at NOLABrewing.com. I first want to thank everyone who has sent letters or emails expressing their interest in having a microbrewery here in the city. It is good to know that so many people are excited about craft brewed beers and the unique tastes that we will bring to the table (or bar, or pint glass!). I will post new blogs from time to time discussing where we are in the development process, events, new beers and, of course, the great city of New Orleans. I also would like to answer your questions, if you have any. So just email me at
kirk@nolabrewing.com
and I will make sure an answer is posted on a blog entry so other beer lovers can hear our responses.
In this post, I would like to answer a few questions I have already received. We are completing our financing and ordering brewing equipment for full production while also negotiating a lease on a warehouse at Tchoupitoulas and 7th street. We are excited about the location, as it is centrally located and has the perfect space requirements for future expansion. However, if we cannot negotiate this lease, we guarantee that we will be in the city limits. My goal when I returned to New Orleans was to bring jobs back to Orleans Parish and I will not operate NOLA Brewing anywhere but New Orleans. We are hoping to have our product out around September or October of this year, but may have opportunities for taste tests and samplings prior to that time. If you are not already on our mailing list, send me an email asking to be put on the list and you will receive emails about every three weeks with updates on the development of our business as well as future NOLA Brewing events.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has helped us so far in our progress, particularly the NOLA Brewing investors, The Idea Village (especially Emily Mitchell and Keith Crawford), Michelle Boudreaux at EJGH, Glazer Distributors, Jan Glade, The Southern Beer Society, The Brewers Association and last, but certainly not least, Byron Towles - without him I would still be making big bucks working in banking!
Laissez la bonne bière verser!
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