Nora McGunnigle

In exciting news, my cover story in All About Beer has been published! It's a feature length story about Bayou Teche Brewing, its connection to French farmhouse brewing, and a rundown on the history of the farmhouse brewing style.

Cookies from 40 Arpent's ribbon cutting ceremony last week. May Day! And that means that American Craft Beer Week is almost upon us. It is also Jazz Fest. And Savor American Craft Beer and Food Experience is happening in Washington DC. And a new brewery, Gnarly Barley, is opening. April was also pretty crazy with the Brew Dogs hitting town, Festival International happening in Lafayette, and a bunch of new restaurants opening and other restaurants expanding. I have a new gig! I'm writing features for Eater New Orleans . Some of them are straight up food writing, but I've also started a new recurring feature called Beer Here! which covers restaurants' beer lists, etc. In a testament to the tail-eating snake that is online media today, Todd Price of NOLA.com/Times Picayune did an aggregate story on the work I'm doing on a primarily aggregate website. (Aggregate: pretty much where you round up cool stories and direct your audience to them - much like this blog...

So, I can't link the content to Beer Advocate February issue #85 , but look! My article on Bayou Teche is in it.

Just a quickie post to share a couple of pictures of my writing out in the world! This one is of the article that I wrote for Houma Point of Vue. Since I won't get my hands on a copy for a couple of days, I was super excited that Joel Ohmer (one of the guys who founded the Bayou Beer Society that I interviewed) sent this to me this morning. And this evening a friend of mine sent me a picture of some beer signage at Whole Foods that I wrote the copy for. Whole Foods reached out to a bunch of local beer geeks to do these writeups, including me and the friend who sent me the photo. So much fun!

My new print column! First of all, per last week's breathless announcement , here is the link to my Inside Northside article.  http://www.insidenorthside.com/craft-beer-revolution/ . Also, my Brewsday Tuesday post , which will be published in the upcoming print version.

My Inside Northside article has been posted online!  http://www.insidenorthside.com/craft-beer-revolution/ I also updated my Published Article page, did y'all know that I have that? It's a tab near the top of the page right above my cartoon self banner. There should be more going up in the next couple of weeks...

I have a new and diabolical (OK, not really so much with the diabolical) plan to post a weekly roundup of beer related links I find interesting. This post will likely appear every Thursday or Friday. If you have links you'd like me to include, please email me at nora(at)nolabeerblog(dot)com or share your link in the comments below.

I'm a little behind on updating since I've been on vacation without my laptop, but behold the following:

As we close out the week on this fine Friday, I would like to present the premiere of my new Gambit blog column, " Brewsday Tuesday ." It debuted this past Tuesday and featured a writeup of ACBW, which took place the previous week. Keep an eye on it and let me know if you have any feedback or ideas for future columns! I also visited the Wayfare this past week and posted about it on my other blog, Nora in NOLA . Since I didn't drink any beer there, I didn't write it up here, but they do have a great beer selection (especially in bottle/can) so I wanted to call attention to it on this platform as well. The upcoming weekend and week will be focusing more on fine dining and wine, so that will be an interesting  change.

... Go crazy? Don't mind if I do! I kid! Although ACBW was a very busy week and I got pretty tired by the end of it, everything was so much fun. Great beers, great people, great general vibe. Yesterday's Grand Tasting at the Avenue Pub was the showcase event of the week, and I think Polly and her amazing staff pulled off a high quality and smooth running event.

I've been published in this week's Gambit reporting on ACBW and putting together a calendar of events for the week: behold! ACBW in New Orleans story ("Coming to a Head.") Listing of ACBW 2013 events in New Orleans, Metairie, and the Northshore ("Tap That.") However, I've been getting small bits of changes after my submission deadline and I plan on keeping the listing updated on a special page on this blog. Look at the top of the page above the tiny German beer-drinking Nora and you'll see a tab that says " ACBW 2013 Events. " That will bring you to the most complete updated page of events in the area. Spread the word!

Finally, the new issue of Southern Brew News has been uploaded to their website! I wrote the cover story, "Louisiana's New Brewery Boom"

My previous post about the beer lineup at Bugs & Brew For Drew has gotten some notice: Here's my slightly different writeup for the Gambit blog, posted yesterday. Here's a link from La Trappe Monk's beer blog I love the cask ale love! I hope it leads to more and more of it! Also, re: NOLA's famous (or infamous) brewery tours, starting tomorrow (4/12) they are going to start charging $5 for a pint glass that is necessary to gain admittance. According to a Facebook post made this afternoon: "Starting tomorrow, we're changing the setup of our Friday tours due to the steady increase in size. We will now be charging $5 for a NOLA logo pint glass when you arrive. This will still include unlimited beer and an actual tour, but you will now get to take the glass home with you when you leave!" Personally, I think this policy is long, LONG overdue.Five dollars isn't too much, but it's enough to discourage habitual free loaders (myself include...

So, today was the first day of New Belgium release in Louisiana! I saw the display in Rouses on North Carrollton at lunch: $2.99 for a bomber, FYI. I need to pick up a six pack of Shift ASAP. So, New Belgium is only in bottles and cans right now- it'll be on draft at the end of May, from what I hear. The Avenue Pub offered bottle pours for the occasion today - $14 for six 4oz pours, which included a nice glass. I also scored a lip balm, a hat, and a coozie. Single 4oz pours were also available, $1.50 for the standards and $3.50 for the three Lips of Faith. I focused mostly on the Lips of Faith stuff, since I had the basic lineup beers last week at the distributor roll out. I did start out with a Shift, though, 'cause that's my jam. And I did use a Fat Tire to cleanse my palate after drinking the Cascara Quad. First of all, the La Folie- a Flanders Oud Bruin, It was straight up excellent. I need to see if I can get my hands on a bottle. Or two. After that, I tried t...

On the Gambit's website, the cover picture is accompanied by: "Nora McGunnigle says 2013 is the year New Orleans beer fans have been waiting for" Here are links & stuff: Here's the digital/"flipbook" version of the article. Basically a digital copy of the entire magazine with all layout intact. (with the ads and the photos, etc.) Here's the permalink to the article , and a link to the sidebars . Love, your NOLA Brew Maven (according to the Gambit.) PS, this is why I've had a hard time updating as much as I'd like! Only so many beer writing hours in the day.

Top 10 Louisiana Beers of 2012 This is according to Jay D. Ducote, Baton Rouge blogger and personal role model of mine. He asked me, Jeremy " Beer Buddha " Labadie, Polly Watts from Avenue Pub , Vanessa Gomes from Barley Oak , Eric Ducote , and Brenton Day  to submit our top 5 beers of the year brewed in Louisiana and created a Top 10 from our replies. I think I'm attributed in the blurb for every beer on the list that I had a part in nominating. Anyway, GO CHECK IT OUT ! It's awesome to see more an more advocating around craft beer in Louisiana. THAT'S THE DREAM! Check out the other blogger's blogs as well, and make them a part of your Louisiana beer blog reading. ALSO! Stay tuned this week for a write up of what Barley Oak in Mandeville is up to with their new brew pub, The Old Rail. I talked to Vanessa Gomes, the public face of the Barley Oak (formal title: Director of Marketing and Event Coordinator), Nick Powers, the owner of both establishments, ...

Next week!  Awesomeness! The Root Beer dinner is happening on Monday (August 27). We have 6:30 reservations and can't wait. Come on over and say hi! Also, Todd Price for the Times-Picayune/NOLA.com wrote a piece about it which quotes me fairly extensively. (Though, not as extensively as I answered his questions. Lawd, I do go on. Sorry Todd!)   Read about it here!! Also, there will be a beer and cheese extravaganza happening at St. James Cheese Co., with many of the local beer companies represented, including the LAUNCH of two new breweries, Chafunkta Brewery and Gnarley Barley. Can't wait! Check out the St. James website for tickets, and that's happening on Wednesday, August 29. Whee! Delicious beer and delicious food, what more can a girl ask for?

After the Times-Picayune article by Todd Price came out profiling me as a beer blogger and Root as a restaurant that valued the pairing of beer with fine food, we (me and the guys at Root) came together to talk about promoting/expanding/improving their beer menu. Root decided to host a beer dinner on August 27th. They invited me to choose the beer pairings based on the menu that Chef Lopez put together! Obviously a huge honor for me as well as an extremely fun project. See below for the menu with the pairings. Many of the courses chosen are Root's most lauded dishes - the stars of their menu. Although I was given free reign to request any beer that is distributed in this market, I wanted to show how their beer menu as it is now complements the regular food menu. The dinner will $75 per person, not inclusive of tax and gratuity. The beer will be served in five ounce portions. Reservations will be available by phone (504-252-9480) only for seatings at 6:15, 6:30, 6:45, 8:30,...

Hey, I got quoted in the Times Picayune on my thoughts about beer in fine dining .  It all started whenTodd Price tweeted looking for suggestions of restaurants with good beer lists, and I think I sent him like 8 tweets worth of info. He contacted me and asked me a bunch of questions, and voila! Quoted as an expert. AWESOME.