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Top 5 beers brewed in Louisiana

big-bottle

The best of Louisiana brewed beers

A carefully curated selection by Jeffrey Cheesedork

 

So00.. we are opening a Pedal Barge booze cruise this year.  We are now in the alcohol adjacent market so I feel the need to put out a little bit of boozy content.  One of the most exciting things about traveling to new places is trying the local cocktails and brews.  New Orleans, and Louisiana in general was fairly late to the game in the most recent surge of micro-breweries across the country but is now actually putting out some pretty tasty and impressive beers on the market.  Below are my top 5 suggestions for the best Louisiana brewed beer… Make sure to bring them along on your Nola Pedal Barge ride.

 

Paradise Park from Urban South Brewery.  American Lager (4.5% ABV, 10 IBU) 

By way of flavor and complexity, it’s certainly nothing to write dad about, but this light american lager has become an affordable staple “drinking beer” around New Orleans.  Brewed with pilsner malt and Huell Melon Hops, and served in a can that looks like a Miami trailer park, Paradise is refreshing and easy to drink a lot of.  For beer snobs, this may be a laughable start to the list, but I don’t care for serious people.  Paradise Park… its fun… the perfect ice cold beer on a hot Louisiana day.

Irish Channel Stout from Nola Brewing.  Stout  (6.1% ABV, 41 IBU)

An American style stout with complex, contrasting flavors of sweet caramely chocolate and bitter notes of roasted barley and American hops, this selection is a complete 180 turn from the Paradise Park.  Irish Channel is a pitch black pour, perfect for a frosty mug belly up at your local dive… and very rich, yet surprisingly well balanced.

 

Ghost in the Machine from Parish Brewing Co.  Imperial Double IPA  (8.5% ABV, 100 IBU)

Ok serious hop freaks, this one is a real dick-kicker.  It’s hard to believe the whopping 8.5% alcohol content and 100 bitterness units over the pleasant notes of tangerine and grapefruit.  It pours cloudy and bright with a formidable foam atop.  Drink more than 4 cans of this lovely nectar and you will be playing the bass guitar and speaking French you learned in high school.  Ghost in the Machine, in my opinion, is the best Louisiana IPA out there.

a close up of a bottle and a glass of wine

 

Catahoula Common from Gnarly Barley Brewing.  Common Lager  (5.5% ABV, 22 IBU)

Taking it back to the basics, Catahoula Common, is a well crafted, slightly fruity lager that I would put into the category of “easy drinking.”  Gnarly Barley is a funky and well managed brewing operation out of Hammond, Louisiana.  I first noticed them from their bar signage printed onto skateboard decks.  They also brew an honorable mention, Jucifer IPA, which is tasty and citrusy and delicious as well.  Fill your coolers with Catahoula Common and go jump in the lake.

 

Reasonably Corrupt from Great Raft Brewing. Black Lager  (5.5% ABV, 30 IBU)

This is a perfect ender to round out the list.  It is crisp and sweet but has the depth of a full bodied lager.  It pours like black milk but is deceivingly well mannered on the tongue.  Not to0 heavy to enjoy with a side of fries, but heavy enough to make you call your momma.  Reasonably Corrupt… it is truly a glass of smooth, dark and roasty malt sweetness.  Pour it in your mouth, or down the back of your shirt… you wont be dissapointed.

a cup of coffee and a glass of beer on a table

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