In recent years, the craft beer scene in New Orleans has exploded over the last decade. Craft beer has crept into many neighborhoods throughout New Orleans in a city where most locals only drank Abita.
Some of the best breweries in New Orleans have made their business a way of life for beer lovers by introducing live music, brewery tours, and an overall good time with great beer.
Craft beer can be found in one of our many breweries and some fabulous restaurants, bars, and brewpubs.
One of my favorite ways to see if a brewery is for me is to purchase a flight. This way, you can try around four beers, depending on the brewery, and then grab another glass to finish the evening.
Breweries can change hands quickly, come and go, and even change their names. But this blog post will stay updated to inform you of the best breweries in New Orleans and other great places to drink beer.
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What is the most popular beer in Louisiana?
The most popular beer in Louisiana is Abita, specifically Abita Amber. This brewery is in Covington, Louisiana, about 40 miles away from New Orleans.
New Orleans and the surrounding areas have fantastic beers, but there are quite a few craft breweries you should try while in the New Orleans area. Many of these can be bought directly from the local breweries or at the local grocery store.
- Abita Amber from Abita Brewing – Amber – Abita Springs
- Paradise Park from Urban South Brewery – American Lager – New Orleans
- Irish Channel Stout from Nola Brewing Company- Stout – New Orleans
- Ghost in the Machine from Parish Brewing Co – Imperial Double IPA – Lafayette
- Catahoula Common from Gnarly Barley Brewing – Common Lager – Hammon
- Reasonably Corrupt from Great Raft Brewing – Black Lager – Shreveport
What beer is New Orleans known for?
New Orleans is known for its growing craft brewery scene, but the most popular beer is Nola Blonde Ale. NOLA Blonde is the first beer that NOLA Brewing made and began the movement of craft beer in New Orleans.
Is Dixie beer still made?
Dixie Beer Brand – one of the oldest in the county – was founded in 1907 and rebranded to Faubourg Brewing Company. Faubourg still brews some of Dixie’s old recipes and continuously adds New Ones.
Best breweries in New Orleans
Welcome to the only New Orleans Beer guide that you need. Throughout this guide, we will review all the breweries and brewery-like (cider) places in the Greater New Orleans Area. From a Small Brewery to a large brewery, no business is too small for us to cover! Make sure you try out all of these great local places while you are in town – or if you are a local, scratch them off one by one.
Brieux Carre Brewing Company – 2115 Decatur St
There are breweries, microbreweries, and then there are nano breweries. If you want to see one of the smallest spaces to share a beer, Brieux Carre Brewing is it! Right off of Frenchmen Street is this little safe-have from the crowds. Brieux Carre is the closest brewery you will get to the French Quarter.
Even though the inside is tiny, the outside patio is perfect for a good weather day in New Orleans.
With such a small space, they have various beers with some of the best names, including Dad Jokes and Mom Jeans, both IPAs. Their beers do not stay around for long, so make sure you do not get too attached to any one style or brew.
Parleaux Beer Lab – 634 Lesseps St
Beer nerds unite! Parleaux Beer lab is a destination taproom and brewery in the quirky neighborhood of the Bywater.
Parleaux brews delicious local craft beers and has always had a fresh rotation of 12 beers in their taproom rotations and fun beer releases. Like most New Orleans breweries, food options are limited. Still, they typically host pop-up kitchens Thursday-Sunday, and you are more than welcome to order delivery from a nearby local restaurant.
Second Line Brewing Company – 433 N Bernadotte Street
Founded in 2014, Second Line Brewing is a neighborhood bar that creates delicious beer while supporting the community. Second Line Brewing is a Women’s, Veteran, and Minority-owned brewery.
They have a large Beer Garden. The perfect hang-out spot to watch an LSU or Saints Football game. Second Line does not have a dedicated food truck, but plenty of vendors frequent the brewery – you are welcome to bring your food and even have food delivered.
The Courtyard Brewery – 1160 Camp St
Located in the Lower Garden District, The Courtyard Brewery is a nano brewery where you can find a great beer selection. While at The Courtyard Brewery, you can try the experimental brews made by Courtyard or the choice of craft beer from around the world.
Tip: Check out The Courtyard Brewery Twitter – it keeps up with New Orleans Current events and beer news.
Oak Street Brewery – 8201 Oak St
Oak Street Brewery claims that it is a manufacturing brewery and encourages its patrons to bring take-out or delivery while patronizing Oak Street. Oak street has a diver tap with beers ranging from pale ales to Stouts. If one of your friends is not a beer person – they also offer a variety of hard seltzers.
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Broad Street Cider – 2723 South Broad Street
Not technically a beer brewery but still a brewery, Broad Street Cider is the only Cider and Mead maker in the city! The Ciders are made from different farms across America, but you can typically find a few different ciders with varying flavor pallets. OF course, you can always find a delicious Louisiana Raw Honey Mead.
Zony Mash Beer Project – 3940 Thalia St.
Located in the former GE theater, Zony Mash is in an area of New Orleans undergoing a revitalization period. This brewery has 21 taps in the taproom and consistently comes out with weekly releases.
They have three year-round brews, but if I pick one of my favorites, it would be the Pillow Talk – a fluffy IPA. I highly suggest getting a flight of beers from Zony Mash because each beer is more unique than the last.
Fun fact: You can get a single can of beer to bring home or even mix and match your four-pack.
Skeeta Hawk Brewing – 455 N Dorgenois St
Skeeta Hawk Brewing is one of the newest breweries on this list, opened on the Lafitte Greenway. After a quick bike ride in New Orleans, Skeeta Hawk is the perfect place for a pitstop to sip on European-style lagers and seasonal ales.
Add some of these activities to your upcoming trip or staycation!
🚌 Take a 2-Hour City Sightseeing Bus Tour which is great way to learn about the history and romance of this magnificent city
🚢Experience Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with dinner while soaking in incredible views.
👻 Hear tales of vampires, voodoo, and witchcraft on this city walking tour of New Orleans’ French Quarter
🦸 Try Escape Room Adventure and test your problem-solving skills with fun and tactile challenges
⛰️ Go on a food tour and explore the history and culture of the area with an expert local guide while tasting regional specialties at some of the best restaurants around.
Faubourg Brewing Company – 3501 Jourdan Rd.
Known to many locals as the old Dixie Brewing Company, Faubourg Brewing Company is making a name for itself. It is the only brewery in New Orleans East and has a great New Orleans Brewery tour. Not only can you try some good beer, but you can learn a lot about the local brewery scene from back in the day.
Faubourg has several flagship beers that are always available and a few taproom exclusives. When taking the road trip out to New Orleans East, ensure you have a designated driver back to the Big easy because you will want to spend all day here. From flights to food by Fete au Fete, you can stay here all weekend – if you Uber or Lyft, show your bartender your receipt, and you will automatically get $10 off your tab.
The Tchoupitoulas Breweries
A cluster of breweries on Tchoupitoulas Street makes it easy to bar hop from one to another. Below are the four breweries located on or around Trchoupitoulas that you should visit.
Port Orleans Brewing Co. – 4124 Tchoupitoulas St
Port Orleans Brewing is a brewery that knows how to name its beers. With almost every beer nodding to New Orleans and the surrounding areas – Port Orleans Brewing is a fun place to grab a couple of drinks with friends. From a Gleason IPA to Bucktown Brown Ale, there is bound to be a craft beer that makes you giggle and love.
Urban South Brewery – 1645 Tchoupitoulas St.
Urban South Brewery opened in 2016 with its flagships Charming Wit and Holy Roller IPA and soon became a household favorite among locals. This brewery is constantly innovating its taproom and canned beers. They typically have strong Wi-Fi, regular food trucks, and delicious beers for those working from home. They also have a sister store in Houston, Texas, that brews its versions of their craft beer.
Historically Urban South favors IPAs, but recently in 2020, they have created more beers for their sour series. You can typically find beers of all styles, including Seltzers.
My favorite beers to get here their darker beers and stouts because they are usually rare. Their indoor seating is full of picnic tables so you can sit with your entire krewe.
Miel Brewery & Taproom – 405 Sixth St
Opened in 2018 by self-proclaimed nerds, Miel opened its doors to the Irish Channel with a new spin on craft beer. One of the founders, Alex Peyroux, the family has an overabundance of raw honey, and even though they cannot make mead, Miel uses the honey as an ingredient in many of their beers.
New Orleans Lager & Ale (NOLA) Brewing – 3001 Tchoupitoulas St.
Established in 2008, I dare say that NOLA Brewing began the craft beer scene on the Southshore. He started the brewery because he was distraught over the fact that Dixie Brewery was no longer brewed in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina.
He wanted to open a brewery that would compete and be better than the brewery giants of New Orleans’s Past and to try to get us on the map as the brewing capital of the South again.
NOLA Brewing’s story begins with NOLA Blonde and NOLA Brown, who stick to the traditional style of beers. They also have a large number of beers that are available year-round and are easy to find in the grocery store. Their second story rooftop patio is one of my favorite places to sip on a beer.
Restaurants, Bars, and brewhouses
I bet you didn’t know New Orleans was such a beer town, huh? New Orleans prides itself on drinking more than just the classic cocktails it is known for. Other than the breweries that have popped up all over town,
Crescent City Brewhouse – 527 Decatur Street
Are you looking for a sit-down meal with good food and decent beers? Look no further than Crescent City Brewhouse. The brewhouse always has its pilsner, Red Stallion, Weiss Beer, Black Forest, and a few seasonals on tap.
You can get a flight between 4-6 samples. I always opt for their larger flight and pair it with traditional Louisiana dishes like a Fried Shrimp Poboy, Crawfish Etoufee, or BBQ shrimp and grits.
Bywater brew pup – 3000 Royal St
The Bywater brewpub is a great place to grab a bite to eat while also embracing a beautiful beer bar. Sonny Day, the master brewer at Bywater, has over 28 years of brewing experience, brewing at the original Dixie Brewing Co, Abita Brewing Co, Gordon Biersch, and Urban South Brewery.
With 12 beers on tap, you are bound to find something you will enjoy!
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant – 200 Poydras Street
If it were 2010, I would suggest you go to Gordon Biersch to grab a few beers and a bite to eat. You may want to stop here if you want to get German-style beer and a casual menu – and you do not have a Gordon Biersch near your house. But I’d suggest skipping this because there are many other places to eat and get a great local beer.
Honorable Mentions for New Orleans Breweries
This section includes honorable mentions for New Orleans Breweries. They are not exactly in the New Orelans area or don’t fully comply with being Beer.
Cajun Fire Brewing Company – 10555 Lake Forest Blvd STE 3D
Cajun Fire Brewing Company is the first black-owned brewing company in New Orleans and the South and the fifth black-owned brewery in United States history! The company was founded in 2011, and even though they are not brewing onsight, they have the goal to bring their brewery home to Louisiana.
Cajun Fire Brewing has four beers that can be found in grocery stores and bars in New Orleans. Their flagship beer is the Cajun Fire Honey Ale.
Kingfish Cider – 355 Iris Ave Suite A
On the other side of the Orleans parish line is Kingfish Cider in Jefferson Parish. This tap room offers delicious ciders with names like Prohibition and Caledonia, plus they provide Cider Cocktails. You can build your charcuterie board at Kingfish while drinking a cider flight or local beer from the menu.
Wetlands Sake – 634 Orange St.
If you like Sake – Wetlands Sake is the place for you! You can sip on traditional sake or sake cocktails. If you do not know which sakes to try, you can always try a sake flight!
Best Breweries in New Orleans
The brewery scene in New Orleans has exploded over the past few years and looks like it will only get stronger. From the converted deserted warehouses into breweries to small microbrewery spots – there is bound to be a brewery for you!
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