Thursday - Thirsty?

I've been playing around with my camera and have a few cool shots that actually came out well, as well as a couple that are kinda blurry. Once I get access to (and knowledge of) some photo editing software, I'll fix up the blurrier ones.

A bit of a blurry shot of all the brewers at the Irish House

Emilyand Cari taking pictures of the brewers

But it was a great night! Lots of cool people showed up at the Irish House for the Louisiana Brewer's Bash, hosted by Jay Ducote, the Bite & Booze mastermind. There was food and lots and lots of beer. I didn't even try all the beer they had (18 different beers).

Jay Ducote, with that fantastic smile

Two of my faves from the night

My favorites of the night were (in no particular order) the Gnarly Barley-Chafunkta collaboration beer Black Tooth Grin (which I enjoyed more at the Irish House than at the Bulldog the night before, which is kind of funny), 40 Arpent's Copasaw Dark Wheat, NOLA Brewing's oak barrel-aged Galaxy dry-hopped Saison, and Covington's Fest Bier.

Andrew Godley from Parish Brewing, at the Irish House

Zac Caramonta at the Avenue Pub before he got mad at me for taking his picture

Earlier in the evening at the Avenue Pub, I'd also had Parish's Export Stout one off cask with vanilla and coffee, and it was excellent. A bunch of brewers were hanging out at the Pub before the Irish House event, and it was a fun time. I got to see a few 610 Stompers in their full getup, not sure what they were doing there, but they sure brighten up a room.

Scroll down past the schedule to see some nice portrait type of photos I was able to get of folks from breweries and distributors. My fave picture of the night:

Josh Erickson of Chafunkta and Derek Domingue of Bayou Teche

Tonight!

Thursday, September 25

11 a.m.: Happy hour prices on all Abita beer all day at the Columbia Street Tap Room

3 p.m.: Sample some Tin Roof beer at the Arabella Station Whole Foods (5600 Magazine St., 504-899-9119; www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/arabellastation)

5 p.m.: NOLA Brewing night at the Avenue Pub with two new sour releases: Piety (American sour ale with tart cherries. 100% fermented with lactobacillus and brettanomyces) and Lowerline (American sour ale, fermented with lactobacillus and brettanomyces). Also on tap: barrel-aged Hurricane Saison dry hopped with Galaxy hops, Four Roses bourbon barrel -aged Irish Channel Stout, and double dry hopped ALS IPA, which is a farmhouse-style IPA made with proprietary hop blend and saison yeast with a portion of the proceeds to benefit ALS research.

5 p.m.: Meet the Brewers at Mellow Mushroom Covington (1645 Highway 190 # U, Covington, 985-327-5407; http://mellowmushroom.com/store/covington) with Gnarly Barley and other local breweries. 1/2 off Louisiana craft beer till 6:30.

6 p.m.: Abita celebrates Louisiana Craft Brewers Week at Deuce McAllister’s Ole Saint (132 Royal St., 504-309-4797; www.olesaint.com) with 2 for 1 on all Abita beers including its new Octoberfest, the new seasonal Pecan Harvest, and the new Select series Legendary Gator, a triple helles bock.

6 p.m.: Abita cask, Pumpkin & Peach SOS, at the Londoner Grill (4215 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge, 225-292-9291; www.thelondonerbatonrouge.com).

6 p.m.: Fall Fest Bier Showdown: Abita vs. Covington at Mellow Mushroom Lafayette, with Abita Oktoberfest facing off against Covington  Brewhouse Fest Bier in an ultimate battle. With bragging rights on the line the outcome of this showdown is truly in your hands. The results will be based on a blind tasting and available only at the bar or cocktail seating areas. Limit one vote per person and the winner will be announced at 8:15pm.

7 p.m.: Chafunkta and Gnarly Barley Black Tooth Grin collaboration release at the Barley Oak.

7 p.m.: Tapping of NOLA Brewing's ALS IPA at the Chimes Covington (19130 Rogers Ln., Covington, 985-892-5396; www.thechimes.com/the-chimes-covington).

7 p.m.: Abita Pumpkin & Peach SOS cask at the Swamp Room (5216 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 504-888-5242).

7 p.m.: 40 Arpent is bringing a Café Brulot Stout cask to the Rusty Nail (1100 Constance St, 504-525-5515; www.therustynail.biz.)

7 p.m.: Lager’s International Ale House hosting Tin Roof Brewing, featuring Blonde Sugar Sex Magic.

8 p.m.: Covington Brewhouse cask tapping at Aline Street Beer Garden (1517 Aline St., 504-891-5774)

Drink happy and support local!

Cari Caramonta from Gnarly Barley and Brian "Bruiser" Broussard with his rock n' roll pose

Southern Eagle craft beer rep Donn Lacoste, Jr.

The brewer gang with the rep from Abita!