Breweries in Louisiana produce a wide range of beers in different styles that are marketed locally, regionally, and nationally. Brewing companies vary widely in the volume and variety of beer produced, from small nanobreweries to microbreweries to massive multinational conglomerate macrobreweries.

In 2014, Louisiana's 37 breweries and brewpubs, and 66 distributors, and hundreds of retailers employed more than 15,000 people directly, and more than 10,000 others in related industries. Including people directly employed in brewing, as well as those who supply Louisiana's breweries with everything from ingredients to machinery, the total business and personal tax revenue generated by Louisiana's breweries and related industries was more than $380 million. Consumer purchases of Louisiana's brewery products generated more than $150 million in additional tax revenue. In 2014, according to the Brewers Association, Louisiana ranked 36th (out of 51 including Washington, D.C.) in the number of craft breweries per capita with 15.

For context, at the end of 2013 there were 2,822 breweries in the United States, including 2,768 craft breweries subdivided into 1,237 brewpubs, 1,412 microbreweries and 119 regional craft breweries. In that same year, according to the Beer Institute, the brewing industry employed around 43,000 Americans in brewing and distribution and had a combined economic impact of more than $246 billion.

History

In the nineteenth and twentieth century, New Orleans was the hub of breweries in Louisiana. The first manufacturing establishment in the city of New Orleans was a brewery built by Pierre Dreux called La Brassiere in January 1723. In 1852, Louis and Samuel Fasnacht purchased property on Poeyfarre Street and started Fasnacht Brewery, which they sold to Erath and Company Brewery in 1869. The New Orleans Brewing Assoc. (1890) was founded out of a six brewery merger at the site of Louisiana Brewing Co. (1885). The brewery was located at Jackson Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street and brands included 4-X Beer, Double Eagle Ale and Eagle Beer.

Jackson Brewing Co. opened in 1890 on Decatur Street, Regal beer made at the American Brewing Co. (1891) on Bienville Street, Columbia Brewing Co. (1899) on Elysian Fields Avenue, Dixie Brewing Co. (1907) on Tulane Avenue, National Brewing Co. (1911) on Gravier Street, Union Brewing Corp. (1911) on N. Robertson Street and Falstaff Brewing Corp. (1936) on Gravier Street.

The next chapter of brewing in Louisiana began in 1986 with the opening of the Abita Brewing Co. Following a nationwide trend of opening craft breweries like Abita, the beginning of the twenty-first century has seen craft breweries opening statewide.

Breweries

Brewery Type Location Founded On-site Abita Brewing CompanyRegionalCovington1986TaproomAll Relation BeerMicrobreweryNew Orleans2019TaproomBayou Teche BrewingMicrobreweryArnaudville2010TaproomBrieux Carré BrewingMicrobreweryNew Orleans2017TaproomBroken Wheel BreweryMicrobrewery/Brewpub Marksville2015TaproomChafunkta Brewing CompanyMcKnight, Laura (April 23, 2014). "Chafunkta Brewing to Release Its First Bottled Beer", Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 25, 2016.MicrobreweryMandeville2013TaproomCourtyard BreweryMcKnight, Laura (January 20, 2015). "5 Things to Know about Courtyard Brewery, New Orleans' First Nano-Brewery", The Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 24, 2016.MicrobreweryNew Orleans2014TaproomCrescent City BrewhouseMcGunnigle, Nora (September 17, 2014). "Crescent City Brewhouse Is Now Serving 'Beertails'", New Orleans Eater. Retrieved March 25, 2016.BrewpubNew Orleans1991TaproomCrying Eagle Brewing CompanyBivens, Erica (September 1, 2016). "Food Truck 'Invasion' at Crying Eagle Brewing Was Huge Success", KPLC. Lake Charles. Retrieved September 8, 2016.Microbrewery/BrewpubLake Charles2016TaproomFaubourg Brewing CompanyBreslow, Peter (June 3, 2006). "Couple Vows to Get Beer Flowing Again in 'Dixie'", NPR. Retrieved March 25, 2016.RegionalNew Orleans1907TaproomFlying Heart Brewing & PubNora McGunnigle (Apr 27 2015) "Flying Heart Brewing opens in Bossier City making it Louisiana’s 15th brewery", 'Gambit'MicrobreweryBossier City2015TaproomFlying Tiger BreweryMicrobreweryMonroe2016TaproomGnarly Barley Brewing CompanyMcKnight, Laura (April 24, 2014). "Hammond-Based Gnarly Barley to Debut Its Brews with a Series of Events", Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 27, 2016.MicrobreweryHammond2014TaproomGordon Biersch Brewing CompanyBrewpub (National chain)New Orleans2004TaproomMiel Brewery and TaproomMicrobreweryNew Orleans2018TaproomMudbug BreweryMcGunnigle, Nora (June 28, 2016). "20 Great Breweries Within Driving Distance of New Orleans", New Orleans Eater. Retrieved July 30, 2016.MicrobreweryThibodaux2014TaproomNew Orleans Lager and Ale Brewing Company (NOLA)MicrobreweryNew Orleans2009TaproomOak St BrewerySongy, Marielle (May 11, 2021). "New brewery sloshes through pandemic to open on Oak Street", Uptown MessengerMicrobreweryNew Orleans2021TaproomOld Rail Brewing CompanyPrice, Todd A. (August 27, 2013). "Old Rail Brings Brewing to Mandeville", Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 25, 2016.BrewpubMandeville2013TaproomOuachita Brewing CompanyMcGunnigle, Nora (July 5, 2016). "Brewsday Tuesday: Updates on Breweries in Monroe, Louisiana", Gambit Weekly. Retrieved August 30, 2016.MicrobreweryWest Monroe2015TaproomParish Brewing CompanyMatisse, Nathan (April 23, 2015). "Parish Brewing Ghost in the Machine Double IPA Review", Paste magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2016.MicrobreweryBroussard2010TaproomParleaux Beer LabMicrobreweryNew Orleans2017TaproomPort Orleans Brewing CompanyMicrobreweryNew Orleans2017TaproomRed River Brewing CompanyMicrobrewery/BrewpubShreveport2013TaproomSecond Line BrewingMicrobreweryNew Orleans2015TaproomUrban South BreweryRegionalNew Orleans2016Taproom

Closed breweries

Brewery Type Location Founded Dissolved 40 Arpent Brewing CompanyRickard, Mary (August 13, 2014). "40 Arpent Brewing Part of Parish Revival of Historic Town", The Advocate. Retrieved August 30, 2016.MicrobreweryArabi20142017American Brewing Company (New Orleans)RegionalNew Orleans18911962Founded as American Brewing Company in 1891, renamed American Beverage Company in 1933, renamed American Brewing Company in 1934. Brewed Regal Beer. Cajun BrewingPonseti, Valerie (December 3, 2015). "Cajun Brewing, Lafayette's First Microbrewery, Open for Business", KATC. Retrieved March 25, 2016.MicrobreweryLafayette20152018Cane River BrewingMicrobreweryNatchitoches20182022Brewery and taproom taken over by Bossier City-based Flying Heart.Chappapeela Farms BreweryNora McGunnigle (Dec 23 2015) "Chappapeela Farms Brewery debuts beers Dec. 31", 'Gambit'Microbrewery/BrewpubAmite City20152015CottonPort BrewingNora McGunnigle (Apr 19 2016) "Brewsday Tuesday: New Louisiana breweries open", 'Gambit'MicrobrewerySterlington20162016Covington BrewhouseWarren, B., & Warren, B. (2019, January 25). Covington Brewhouse craft brewery closes. Retrieved March 10, 2019, from https://www.nola.com/northshore/2019/01/covington-brewhouse-craft-brewery-closes.html?outputType=ampMicrobreweryCovington2005 2018Founded as Heiner Brau Brewery in 2005, renamed Covington Brewhouse in 2012.Falstaff Brewing CorporationNationalNew Orleans19111979Founded as National Brewing Company in 1911, renamed National Beverage Company in 1920, renamed National Industrial Alcohol Co. Inc. Brewery in 1921, purchased by Falstaff in 1936. The brewery building was repurposed as an apartment building in 2008.Jackson Brewing CompanyRegionalNew Orleans18901974Founded as Jackson Bohemian Brewery in 1890, renamed Jax Beer, renamed Jackson Brewing Company. The brewery building now contains residences, shops and restaurants. La Brasserie BreweryNew Orleans1723UnknownFirst brewery in Louisiana.Louisiana Purchase Brewing CompanyMicrobreweryPonchatoula20172019New Orleans Brewing Company Inc.New Orleans18901949Founded as the New Orleans Brewing Association in 1890, renamed New Orleans Brewing Company in 1900, renamed New Orleans Brewing Company Inc. in 1933.Southern Craft Brewing CompanyBoone, Timothy (April 11, 2016). , The Advocate. Retrieved January 19, 2021.Baton Rouge20162021Wayward Owl BrewingMicrobreweryNew Orleans20162018Low Road BrewingMicrobreweryHammond20172024Zony Mash Beer ProjectMicrobreweryNew Orleans20192025Royal BreweryMicrobreweryNew Orleans20172022?Calliope Beer WorksBrewpubNew Orleans20232024Tin Roof Brewing CoMicrobreweryBaton Rouge20102024

See also Beer in the United States List of microbreweries List of cideries in the United States List of defunct breweries in the United States

References

External links

Louisiana Brewery Trail