Well, it's hot. Summer in Louisiana always is. But one way to take the edge off and cool down (and replenish electrolytes!) is to enjoy a beer.
Now, New Orleans is home to a growing craft beer scene with a handful of local breweries and taprooms that are wonderful destinations any day of the week, but there are many more breweries that are within easy driving distance (~2 hours or less) in the area. So it might be worth your time to bail out of work on Friday (or wait till the weekend) to go meet the people who make the beer which makes life livable during the dog days of summer.
Note: Some of these places have air conditioned taprooms (or are brewpub/restaurants), and some places are not air conditioned at all— brewery areas tend not to be. So be ready for anything, but don't worry, you'll be able to face anything with a beer in your hand.
This nanobrewery serves beer brewed in-house alongside outside beers, and has a very casual vibe. Inside has air conditioning, and there's usually a food truck out in the courtyard.
The tap room at 40 Arpent is still under construction, but in the meantime, enjoy free tour Fridays from 5-7pm with beer for sale and food trucks on site.
Although the taproom is open for business every day of the week starting at 11am, Bayou Teche provides the full Cajun immersion experience over the weekends, with local music, dancing, and food. There's a seating area outside to enjoy the live music, as well as a nice, cool, indoor taproom where you can beat the heat. Tours of the brewery are held on Saturdays between 11:30am and 6:15pm.
Abita's new Visitor Center and Taproom has drastically grown and changed - the visitor center and taproom are open every day, with scheduled guided tours and self-guided tours available. The taproom expansion includes longer operating hours, double the number of drafts, and a growler fill station.
Covington's new Rock & Roll themed taproom celebrates beer and music in cozy quarters. The tap room is open Thursday-Sunday, with three scheduled tours on Saturday.
Find Parish's much loved Ghost in the Machine double IPA as well as other hard to find beers at their lovely and comfortable tap room. Open Monday-Saturday.
Just a hop, skip, and a jump from the LA-MS border, Lazy Magnolia is open to the public Monday-Saturday with tours offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Pro tip: use the directions on their website or else you'll be driving around in circles in Kiln. Google Maps doesn't know Lazy Magnolia!
The brewery's new taproom serves as the start and end point for tours, which take place on Thursday and Friday from 4-8pm and Saturday from 1-5pm. Tours are $8 and include 6 samples of SoPro's delicious beer.
For 25 years, the Crescent City Brewhouse has provided the French Quarter with food and in house German-style lagers and ales. It's open every day for lunch and dinner and for the first time, has a house IPA permanently on tap.
Although Gordon Biersch is a national chain, every drop of beer served there has been brewed on the premises. Brewer Sonny Day has been executing great versions of the brewpub's classic German styles, but also puts his own spin on things with styles like bourbon barrel-aged Belgian tripel, a session IPA, and an imperial pilsner. Open for lunch and dinner every day downtown.Park free for 4 hours in the adjoining Harrah's lot with ticket validation.
If you find yourself on the Causeway heading north, don't panic! Steer on over to Old Rail Brewing Company in Mandeville for some of the best beer in the state as well as a killer food menu. Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.
This nanobrewery serves beer brewed in-house alongside outside beers, and has a very casual vibe. Inside has air conditioning, and there's usually a food truck out in the courtyard.
The tap room at 40 Arpent is still under construction, but in the meantime, enjoy free tour Fridays from 5-7pm with beer for sale and food trucks on site.
Although the taproom is open for business every day of the week starting at 11am, Bayou Teche provides the full Cajun immersion experience over the weekends, with local music, dancing, and food. There's a seating area outside to enjoy the live music, as well as a nice, cool, indoor taproom where you can beat the heat. Tours of the brewery are held on Saturdays between 11:30am and 6:15pm.
Abita's new Visitor Center and Taproom has drastically grown and changed - the visitor center and taproom are open every day, with scheduled guided tours and self-guided tours available. The taproom expansion includes longer operating hours, double the number of drafts, and a growler fill station.
Covington's new Rock & Roll themed taproom celebrates beer and music in cozy quarters. The tap room is open Thursday-Sunday, with three scheduled tours on Saturday.
Find Parish's much loved Ghost in the Machine double IPA as well as other hard to find beers at their lovely and comfortable tap room. Open Monday-Saturday.
Just a hop, skip, and a jump from the LA-MS border, Lazy Magnolia is open to the public Monday-Saturday with tours offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Pro tip: use the directions on their website or else you'll be driving around in circles in Kiln. Google Maps doesn't know Lazy Magnolia!
The brewery's new taproom serves as the start and end point for tours, which take place on Thursday and Friday from 4-8pm and Saturday from 1-5pm. Tours are $8 and include 6 samples of SoPro's delicious beer.
For 25 years, the Crescent City Brewhouse has provided the French Quarter with food and in house German-style lagers and ales. It's open every day for lunch and dinner and for the first time, has a house IPA permanently on tap.
Although Gordon Biersch is a national chain, every drop of beer served there has been brewed on the premises. Brewer Sonny Day has been executing great versions of the brewpub's classic German styles, but also puts his own spin on things with styles like bourbon barrel-aged Belgian tripel, a session IPA, and an imperial pilsner. Open for lunch and dinner every day downtown.Park free for 4 hours in the adjoining Harrah's lot with ticket validation.
If you find yourself on the Causeway heading north, don't panic! Steer on over to Old Rail Brewing Company in Mandeville for some of the best beer in the state as well as a killer food menu. Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.