Let's Talk Breweries in Louisiana, what is your favorite and why?

Courtyard could brew the best beers in the world and I wouldn't step foot in the place.

I really enjoyed Istrouma and Rally Cap on my last visit.

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what is your favorite

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Parish

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why?

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They make Canebrake

Gilla: they make really different stuff compared to most local breweries. Them and Parish seem to be the most cutting edge brewers in Louisiana. It’s not just fruit beers and sours, but also a lot of lactose IPA’s and exceptional stouts. The atmosphere is lacking, but the Mexican food next door that you can bring into the brewery helps to make up for that.

Le Chien: great atmosphere when the weather is somewhat decent. I love their Spruce Moose beer, just perfectly balanced, one of my favorite beers ever. I haven’t been overly impressed with their other offerings, but I also haven’t been many times.

Parish: basically the flagship craft brewery of Louisiana, though their physical brewery leaves much to be desired. Grand Reserve is fantastic, Ghost is an elite IPA, and Canebreak is probably the best light-ish beer produced in Louisiana. I also like Parish Pilsner despite the fact that it tastes nothing like a pilsner

Bayou Teche: GREAT location to hang out at, okay beer for the most part, but I really love their farmhouse ale because it tastes nothing like a farmhouse ale. It’s probably a top 5 year-round distributed Louisiana bottled craft beer.

Abita: they have a really cool brewery, but they really only do one thing well: fruity wheat beers. They’re basically creatively bankrupt, but their flagships like Purple Haze and Strawberry always satisfy.

Brieux Carre: they have variety, excellent location, small space but their beer is utterly unremarkable

Gnarley Barley: excellent and affordable beer, especially their dark beers and IPAs. Their Korova milk porter, peanut butter stout, and juicy ipa are all like budget versions of rare, high-priced beers where you don’t sacrifice much in quality.

Urban South: great atmosphere and a constant revolving door of offerings. I do not like Paradise Park, and have yet to be wowed by any of their beers.

Rally Cap: I like the atmosphere, and they’re good at IPA’s, but I don’t like IPA’s.

Tin Roof: awesome place to hang out, mediocre beer.

I really miss All Relations.

My favorite to go to is Gilla (helps that I’m from AP and went to hs with the owners). Le Chien makes my favorite individual beer. The one I buy the most beer from at bars and grocery stores is Parish.

Rally Cap my favorite
Need to make a trip to Istrouma - have heard good things
Gilla not my kind of beer
Abita still a good trip

Abita Beer?

Great location, solid beers and pretty cool spot for hanging.

My favorite beers come from Courtyard and Gnarly Barley.
Courtyard is a dump though.

Favorite places to hang out are Bayou Teche and Port Orleans.

Favorite is Teche for atmosphere as everyone mentions. I am also biased because Arnaudville is my home town. I always make a stop when I am in the area. Le Chien is my current go-to because it's not far from me.

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Bayou Teche- has absolutely the best atmosphere of any brewery in LA even though the beer is average (much better on tap than bottles)

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Agree. I just wish their beer was much better than what it is.

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Cypress Coast- these guys just brew solid beer with a few exceptional IPA's plus a fantastic ESB.

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Agreed. They make very good beer.

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Parleaux- great variety, sitting outside is fantastic

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Best brewery and best technical brewery in the state. Every beer they make is fantastic.

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Courtyard- despite the owner they brew great IPA's and Stouts

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The owner is awful, and that has to be factored into it. His behavior makes it hard to separate the beer from the brewer.

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Parish- best beers in the state, brewery is a little sterile but after a recent visit I'm they seem to be working on it

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Disagree. THey may be the originator in the state, but they don't even make the best NEIPA's in the state, anymore.

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Gnarly Barley- solid beer but nothing exceptional, great place to hang out

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Agree. It's like they are on the cusp of making great beer, but can't quite pull it off. However, Castle Made of Clouds is one of the best NEIPA's in the state.

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Istrouma- again awesome place, great food, ok beer

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I don’t like anything they make. They survive off of location and proximity to u-club and surrounding neighborhoods.

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Rally Cap- solid beers, prefer tap to cans, location is what 95% of Louisiana breweries are industrial

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I like Rally Cap. HOPPS is one of my favorite NEIPA's out there. They could stand to diversify a little, but they do well with what they make. The owner is great, and offered to replace my packages, when they had their canning line/oxidation issues early on. That goes a long way with me.

Here's my ranking based on the beer alone (that i've actually tried

1. Parleaux
2. Cypress Coast
3. Parish
4. Rally Cap
5. Great Raft
6. Courtyard
7. Gilla
8. Gnarly Barley
9. Tin Roof
10. Urban South
11. Bayou Teche
12. Abita
13. Istrouma

*Parish/Rally Cap/Cypress Coast are closely tied, IMO. However, i have not had DDH Ghost, or DDH Attacus or any of the other collabs that are never released in Louisiana. Basically, i don't chase anymore, so i'm limited to what i can get on the shelf.

ETA: Downvoters, feel free to convince me of my rankings. My list isn't very rigid other than Parleaux at 1 and istrouma dead last, my rankings may change.

I'm a huge fan of Urban South. I always have Holy Roller and Rocket Pop in the fridge. I like their sours they keep putting out. It's been my go-to for a while now.

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I went to Istrouma when I was back in town in late October... there was nothing bad about any of their beer I tried.

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I've been there 3 times, and every time i wish they served beer brewed by another brewery. The sours are very bland and one note. Their "IPA's" are murky and oxidized. Their dark lager was very bland. They add honey to all of their beers because "farmhouse" or whatever, but it doesn't' add anything to their beers. Also, i think it would make a difference if they served their beer in glass, and not the cheap 10 oz. cups they give you.

I'm not saying it to be "edgy" or get cool points for not liking a local brewery. I actually want them to succeed because i do like the atmosphere, and it's one of the few breweries in BR i can bring my kids to and they won't be bored. But i refuse to go back unless they make a quantitative improvement in their beer quality. Now maybe since i last went in the summer, their quality has improved. Hopefully it has, but the 3 times i've gone there in the past year and a half, it's been terrible.