Greetings from New Orleans (River Ridge, really, but close enough). Haven’t picked up a local beer yet, but will track down some Abita before we settle in to enjoy our first parade this evening. I’d grab some Dixie but I think that’s still being made in Wisconsin.
(In case it isn’t obvious we’re talking about Mardi Gras parades. Fat Tuesday is still more than a week off, but parades are in full swing in NOLA. The photo on the right is from the Barkus parade three years ago, where pets are the stars. Accommodation is cheaper this weekend, there are fewer tourists and we hope it is more civilized. Although Daria just stepped outside the RV park and a guy pulled up and asked her if she wanted to party.)
Driving across the Canjun prairie and swampland on the way in I was thinking it’s too bad this isn’t Session Friday. Mamou, Eunice, Lafayette and other spots in the region where you can easily find live music — at least if you like Zydeco, Cajun or Swamp Pop — are great places to sit down and “have what the next guy’s having.”
In fact, I wrote about this for The Session #9: Laissez les bons temps rouler! Something I thought about this morning as we cruised past Marc Savoy’s shop. Didn’t spot the store where I bought beer, though. Would have liked to have seen if they still have Milwaukee’s Best or if they’ve added an Abita beer to their stock.
And yes, before somebody points this out, I know there will be lagers on tap at the Crescent City Brewhouse. We’ll likely stop by the French Quarter tomorrow or Sunday. Takes a little extra planning when you are traveling in an RV.
Welcome to my city! If you’re headed to the French Quarter, there’s Crescent City Brewhouse whose beers are nothing to write home about. There’s Gorden Biersch at the corner of Poydras and Convention Center Blvd (3 blocks from the quarter)… their beer is better than CCB’s but theyre a chain restaurant… the garlic fries are excellent though.
At Decatur and Iberville, in the French Quarter, there’s Ryan’s Irish Pub. They usually have a good selection of Abita Beers, including the current Abita Select (which isnt bottled, only kegged). Last time I checked it was a delicious Oatmeal Stout. They should also have the standard Amber and Turbodog on tap, and the Jockamo in bottles (a mild IPA).
You may be able to find the Abita Andygator and Abbey Ale in the big bottles somewhere in the city…. I know you can find a great beer selection at Stein’s Deli on Magazine St. He’s going to have the best selection of beer in the city. And some good sandwiches too! But that location is pretty far from the quarter, and would require a street car ride.
Right outside the French Quarter in the Marigny on Frenchman St is a bar called DBA. They will have a good beer selection on tap around the French Quarter. (Stay clear of Beer Fest in the quarter… they may have 60+ beers on tap, but I doubt they ever clean their lines. Theyre more of a tourist trap)
Thanks for the info, Brad. We may be along Magazine tomorrow, depending on the parade schedule and check out Stein’s.
Is the Bulldog still around?
Yep, but the uptown bulldog has gone a little downhill the last few years. But it’s still pretty good. The mid-city bulldog on Canal Blvd burned down a few weeks ago, though.
Lager’s out in Metairie (on Veterans HWY and Severn) is run by the same people, but with a little better beer selection, and they keep their taps/lines cleaner. So if you want to catch a Metairie parade for any reason, they’re on the parade route.
Brad – We were in Metairie for the back-to-back parades Friday. Just a couple of blocks from Lager’s (almost next to Burger King) but didn’t feel like the effort.
Drank Jockamo from bottles. Today we made it by Ryan’s and had the Abita Oatmeal Stout. Thanks for the heads up. A little diacetyl up front, but in a “fresh” way, nice a roasty. A bit of sourness added a nice complexity.
You missed it? There’s a brand new brewery in NOLA. N.O.L.A. Brewing (New Orleans Lagers and Ales). Not sure why they put Lagers in there since they only have 2 offerings to start: a blonde and a brown. But I know they have more coming down the pipe including, hopefully, a lager.
I tried these beers off a line coming out of their Coleman cooler but it’s on tap in the city now and I can’t wait to taste them again during Jazz Fest in May. The brewmaster is Peter Caddoo, who, if you hop in the way-back machine, brewed for Dixie (who also vows to return to NOLA). Mmm Blackened Voodoo.
As a brewing friend of mine says, “Brulez mon court pantalons.”
-Brian
Hey Brian – I’ve got your book in a rotation of four right now. So as you know sometimes beer fits where it fits.
That’s the way it was in NOLA with NOLA. I looked for it, but not all that hard. Abita treated us well.
Enjoy Jazz Fest – we’ll be at Big Bend the first weekend, SoCal the second. But we’re hoping to be at Jazz Fest in 2010.