New Beers, New Bars, Holiday Pairings, Sexism, and more!

Wayfare on Freret Street

This week my story on Lauren Salazar from New Belgium Brewing went up on The Alcohol Professor. This was a fun one to write. She's super cool and fun to hang out with and her love of beer and life is contagious! I also did a writeup of last week's Boudin, Bourbon, & Beer event focusing on the Abita cask ale garden. And there's something cool in the works with a national beer magazine that I can't quite talk about yet, but I'm pretty psyched!



In Louisiana beer news, the news has broken that the Bruery will be distributing here sometime next month. Some of the beers will be Tart of Darkness, Oude Tart, and their 15th anniversary release old ale aged in bourbon barrels, Bois. The Ale Runner has been busy this week, also bringing the news that Tin Roof's cans of Parade Ground Porter will hit the market this week, as well as doing a piece on Abita's Andygator.

Oh! And I noticed this job posting for a brewmaster for a New Orleans brewery in planning called Rougarou Brew Company a few weeks ago, and I emailed the folks who posted it asking more info. I never heard back, so this is all I know! I wonder if this is the same guy who was doing some market research for a NOLA brewery who spoke to me and other local folks in the industry.

In beer and food news, first of all I've made this dish a couple of times and I love it: Mushroom Steak Pasta with  Garlic Beer Cream Sauce. The Beeroness has amazing recipes and she included How To Have A Craft Beer Thanksgiving along with a yummy looking beer corn cheese spoonbread recipe.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, Serious Eats has another Thanksgiving beer pairing perspective. They also ran a oyster-beer pairing piece, which had some surprising suggestions that I'm looking forward to (especially the gueuze.)

In beer & lady links, The Atlantic ran a great piece about women's roles in brewing in the olden days and how that's circling back around. This was somewhat annoyingly mitigated by the local announcement that the owners of an Uptown/Riverbend wine bar will be opening an adjoining beer bar/gastropub that is supposed to cater to menfolks. While I am thrilled that there will be a new craft beer business in town, I'm dismayed that the thrust of it seems to be so stupidly sexist.

Coolness! A couple in Massachusetts (including a LADY, by the way) who malt their own barley and grain.

Thought provoking! Am I over craft beer? (I am not personally over craft beer, that's just the title of the blog post.) (Also, The Ale Runner AKA Brenton Day has a great comment there too.)

This weekend is the Bayou Beer Fest in Houma and the Gambit's FestivALES on Freret St in New Orleans, so there's no excuse not to have a fabulous beery weekend!