Earlier this year, the Brewers Association posted an update on brewing guilds in Louisiana and Mississippi. To find the article, written by State Brewers Association Coordinator, Acacia Coast, click here. The update bears good news for our local craft industry.
We can be sure our local guild is moving things in the right direction. The current President of the guild is Andrew Godley, owner of Parish Brewing Co. David Blossman, owner of Abita Brewing Co. is serving as Vice President. Blossman has long been successful in the craft industry, even when there was very little craft industry to speak of in Louisiana. Godley is brewmaster and owner of one of the fastest growing breweries in the state, opening in 2008 and extending its ability to distribute both bottles and kegs to the larger metropolitan areas earlier this year. Bottom line, these guys know what they’re doing and are both excellent choices.
Other good news stemming from this update is that LA ATC has stated that breweries and pubs may sell, from their brewery, as much as one-tenth of their beer for “off premises consumption.” This would allow local breweries to have taprooms that could sell anything from a taste to a keg. This has been a piece that was significantly lacking in our local beer market. In both California and Colorado, I’ve enjoyed walking into a brewery taproom and getting a growler filled, so I could bring it home for later, and—since I was there—I’d grab a pint or two as well. This is a huge marketing opportunity for local brewers. One of the best ways to advertise a brewery is to let someone walk out of your brewery with a full, branded growler, because that person is going to be an evangelist of your brand, taking your beer, and sharing it with others. How is a growler more effective than bottles? It’s cheaper—no added distributor costs. It’s fresher—the beer doesn’t sit in a warehouse or on a shelf. It’s meant to be shared—growlers are designed for sharing. I can’t wait for this trend to pick up here in Louisiana.
But, will a brewery near you be offering a taproom any time soon? I know NOLA Brewing Co. and others have a plan in the works, but whether or not your closest brewery will have a taproom will likely depend on parish ordinances, which may have less liberal allowances for breweries. Regardless, laws are changing and beginning to favor craft brewers. Things are moving in the right direction.
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