Homegrown hops with some funk
Most people mourned the closing of the Dixie Brewery following Hurricane Katrina. Instead of lamenting the loss, Kirk Coco decided to open his own brewery. Coco not only wanted New Orleans to have locally made beer to welcome people back to the city but also to create jobs. He succeeded on both counts—wildly.
NOLA Brewing launched its first two beers in 2009: NOLA Blond Ale and NOLA Brown Ale. They currently have seven year-round beers, with such New Orleans-inspired names as Hopitoulas (a play on the street where the brewery resides, Tchoupitoulas) and 7th Street Wheat (to honor the Seventh Street Wharf across the road); five seasonal beers (among others, a French Saison-style ale named Hurricane Saison); and according to Coco, “a number of beers that come out at odd times during the year.”
Info
Address 3001 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70115, +1 504.896.9996, www.nolabrewing.com | Hours Taproom: 11am–11pm| Tip Although the old Falstaff brewery has been closed for more than 30 years, its locally iconic sign remains. The building is now an apartment complex, and the 11-story sign and its “weatherball” atop were recently restored. Curious about the weather forecast? If the orb is green it means fair weather; red means cloudy or overcast; flashing red means rain; and flashing red and white means storms are approaching.
In 2013, NOLA Brewing added taps and tables to its break room and opened it to the public, but quickly outgrew the space. They expanded to a new taproom next door that features two bars with 24 taps, including the NOLA funk series of sour beers that are named after area streets (Lowerline, a tart lemon; Arabella, a peach sour; Piety, a cherry sour; and Sauvage, a pale ale).
The taproom not only embodies the upscale but low-key personality of NOLA Brewery, it also features personalized touches—all of the tables are made from wooden barrels that once aged NOLA beer and the art is all by local artists. They offer food from McClure’s BBQ, have a pop-up kitchen every Tuesday, and once a month host a special event with music and beer specials. Thankfully, even with their growth, NOLA Brewery still frequently offers a Friday-afternoon tour from 2pm to 3pm, where you can learn about the history of the brewery while enjoying free beer. While on the tour, make sure you look up—Coco stores the marching krewe Jefferson Dragons’ colorful costumes in the upper portion of the brewery.
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