Winding Down - Post-LaCBW Blues and a Top Ten List

It has been a crazy week - I can't believe it was only one week ago yesterday that we were hanging out with the Bayou Teche guys, one of whom was dressed as Napoleon.

I had some really cool experiences during this week, some of which I'll be expanding upon in the near future (either here or other publications). But for right now, here are some highlights:

1.

2. Tasting Parish Brewing's Dr. Hoptagon and Stone Enjoy By on the same night at the Avenue Pub. I preferred the Dr. Hoptagon. And the Enjoy By was fantastic, so.

3. Tasting the NOLA Brewing-New Belgium Swamp Grape Escape twice - once at the release on Monday, and again on Friday. The Friday version was at the NOLA Brewing Tap Room, and had been aged in wine barrels and inoculated with Brettanomyces. (also trying the collaboration beer brewed while the collaborators were collaborating on their collaboration - Blood Orange Saison.)

The Blood Orange Saison was a limited edition small collaboration batch between NOLA Brewing and New Belgium

4. Discovering Le Terroir by New Belgium, perhaps one of my new favorite beers ever. Also, drinking a few of them while perched on the bar stool closest to the taps on Friday night on the balcony at the Avenue Pub, so I could say hi to pretty much everyone without leaving my seat!

5. Having lunch at Stein's Deli with Lauren Salazar and Todd Dudley from New Belgium

6. Lamb and olive pizza paired with New Belgium's La Folie at Ancora'a NBB beer dinner:

I love this pizza so much

7. Marveling at the crazy long line at Louisiana Brasserie Brewing's booth during New Orleans On Tap. The line was well deserved - I loved their Mayhaw Berliner Weisse. Tart, refreshing, flavorful... mmmm.

7a. Hanging out and talking with the folks behind Louisiana Brasserie - Mitch and Angela Grittman, and Glenda Fox (who prefers to be called G). They're a great team and talking to G about her craft beer journey and enthusiasm for craft beer and brewing was wonderful. She has a great way of using musical language to describe beer flavors.

Crazy long line!

l-r: Julia Moore from George's Brewing, Mitch and Angela Grittman, and Glenda Fox (G).

8. Hanging out in the shade with Lauren Salazar, Todd Dudley, Dylan Lintern from NOLA Brewing, and several other very fun beer folks next to the mister and the tap of Le Terroir.