Tag: New Orleans

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USA Brewery Tour # 2 – Miel

We go from Hill Country to cocktail country to visit (via the interwebs) Miel in Louisiana.

We Have the Czechnology – “Czech-style 12° Polotmavý. A smooth amber lager poured in the Czech way.”

Meow Meow – “New Orleans Common brewed with Zuper Saazer hops. An easy drinking amber ale with a malt-forward flavor!”

I Spy Cara Cara – “Fruited Sour aged on fresh oak chips and blended with cara cara orange. Slightly sweet with notes of orange, vanilla, and tannic oak.”

Smoked Braggot – “Braggot style ale fermented on Paradigm Garden honey and blended with Lapsang Souchong smoked tea. Fermented on equal parts honey and malt, this beer is rich with a sweet and smoky finish.”

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300


There are many Christmas / Winter Warmer / Spiced Ales out there but the next holiday up has relatively few options. But Abita Brewing has a new one that looks to be a great way to ring in the New Year AND to celebrate 300 years of New Orleans to boot.

“Our tricentennial tribute was brewed to capture the diverse history and culture of this great city, with malted barley and wheat bringing the downhome charm and Sauvignon blanc grapes adding a distinctive touch of elegance. The result is light, crisp and dry, a refreshing “house white” that would surely make New Orleans proud.”

Hopefully this beer will reach distribution to California.

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Super Beer for the Super Bowl

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(Image from the NFL website)

In a couple hours, Harbaugh Bowl 2013 aka Super Bowl 47 will begin and it is a great opportunity to expose people to great beer in their glass while they watch the gridiron action and the light beer commercials that promise hot girls to any guy with a Bud/Miller/Coors in his hand.

But you can do better. All it will take is some creativity and knowledge of the two cities vying for the top NFL prize. If you are a Niners fan, then stock up on some Anchor or 21st Amendment beers. Or find any other Bay Area beers like Almanac or Drake’s to proudly show your allegiance.

Unfortunately, brewed in Baltimore beer isn’t readily available here in L.A. so you will have to think outside the tackle box. You could have golden Kolsch-style beers for those rooting for San Francisco and black stouts for Raven fans. Or you could do a west coast IPA versus east coast IPA taste test for each quarter. Another option would be to have some Abita beers since the game is being held down in New Orleans.

If you are really ambitious you can do some food and beer pairings to highlight the stereotypical foods of each city. Get a couple beers to pair with Ghiradelli chocolate and crabs to mollify both sets of fans.

At the very least, bring out the good stuff. Don’t get railroaded into drinking something bad when you could (at the very least, and it is a great very least) bring a growler of beer from your local craft brewery.

Hut-hut, hike!

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Louisiana Beer – NOLA Brewing

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Each of the Louisiana breweries that I have focused on have great histories and NOLA is no exception. Here is the NOLA story: “NOLA Brewing is the concept and dream of entrepreneur Kirk Coco. Kirk is a native New Orleanian who earned his BA and Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University, his MBA from the University of New Orleans and served 11 years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy. After watching the effects of Katrina while on deployment in the Arabian Gulf, he decided to come home to help rebuild and develop commerce in post-Katrina New Orleans.

While enjoying great tasting beer of fellow New Orleanian and home brewer Byron Towles, the question arose, “Why doesn’t New Orleans have several great local micro-breweries like Portland or Seattle to offer a variety of beer to a city full of brewing history?”

Once the cradle of brewing in the Deep South, New Orleans boasted world famous beers such as Falstaff, Regal, Union, Dixie, Jax, New Orleans Brewing and XXXX (Four X).”

And here is the beer that stood out amongst the many good choices:
“Hopitoulas is a West Coast style India Pale Ale that has 6 malts and 6 hops and has been additionally dry hopped for three weeks. A month and a half to make each batch, we think you’ll appreciate our extra work in the perfectly balanced, hoppy flavor Hopitoulas packs.”