Written by: Brandi R. Harkness-Bruce
There’s just something about New Orleans. The city brings an air of entertainment; great food, jazz music and the bars are ever flowing with beer and cocktails. There’s a reason she has so many nicknames - The Big Easy, The Crescent City, and of course Nola. This brings me to the point of my latest beer on my radar.
NOLA Brewing Company was founded in 2008 with the mission of bringing beer back to the area after the devastation created by Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, the Dixie Brewing Company facility was shut down, and no commercial brewery operated in the area until NOLA’s first craft beer hit the market. To tip their hat to their predecessor, owner Kirk Coco convinced ex-brewmaster from Dixie, Peter Cadoo, to join him in his dream. The company was founded off the hard work of second-hand equipment and volunteers who shared his vision of bringing back microbrews to the destroyed Gulf Coast.
It worked. NOLA can be found on tap at just about any bar in the South East. Their beers are canned and distributed to just about every cooler and are found at the pools that decorate the quaint courtyards in the French Quarter. With the idea in their hearts of bringing micro brewing back as a staple in a city dominated by bigger names, Coco’s team has surpassed any expectations of a small business. They represent the very spirit of the city.
NOLA Brewing Company Flagship
This was the very first beer brewed by NOLA. It hit the streets in 2009, and has become a staple since. With its medium body and citrus aromatics, it compliments any of the creole classics you can find on the streets of the Quarter. Definitely great on tap, I do prefer this one in cans. The cans retain the crispness that draws me to this brew; plus… cans are legal to carry on the streets. Done and done!
The second in their flagship, the NOLA Brown has the typical notes of an English dark mild ale yet has very little hint of hops. It bypasses what can sometimes be distracting, and highlights instead the caramel flavors of the malts. A good social brew, but the sweetness gets to me after one or two.
You may be asking yourself what the hell a Hopitoulas is. NOLA Brewing Company’s home is in an old converted warehouse located on the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Seventh Streets. The name comes from an extinct Indian tribe and used to be heavily devoted to river shopping commerce, as it is the through street closest to the Mississippi River running through Uptown New Orleans. Now it is home to some delicious microbrews, including this one! This IPA is slightly more balanced than some I’ve battled with in the past. The citrus overpowers the pine, which helps regulate what could have been an overpowering hop.
And this was the beer on my radar. It started out as a summer seasonal, but lucky for us, it has become the fourth on their flagship, and now available year round. This American style wheat is refreshing. The light body allows your taste buds to absorb the lemon citrus taste. Zesty herbs hit you on the backend, which compliments the sweet aromatics that start the experience, and leaves you refreshed and definitely reaching for another!
NOLA Brewing Company Seasonals
Named for: The keepers of the flame that light the parade routes during Mardi Gras
Yearly: Summer (June through September)
Named for: Hurricane season… what else?
Named for: The steam engine that ran on the second oldest railroad in the United States
Yearly: Winter seasonal (with talks of bringing it to the flagship)
Named for: Neighborhood that the brewery is located in – The Irish Channel
THE LEGEND OF MECHAHOPZILLA
What could possibly be more frightening than Godzilla? According to Wired.com, his lawyers. They long have battled small businesses that try to play off of what has become a cultural icon by bullying and threatening, suing and slandering. Godzilla creators believe that NOLA Brewing Company’s Mechahopzilla beer illegally copies the name and likeness of the character Mechagodzilla. Kirk Coco emailed the Times-Picayune in 2013 with the following: “We filed for the trademark immediately after we put it into use, and we are waiting for the results from the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office). Not sure why they filed this before that ruling.”
No longer available in the stores, this amazingly hopped-up brew can only be found on tap at local loyalists bars. Above is a picture of the distinct tap handle, apart of my personal beer memorabilia collection. These bad boys are hard to find, and expensive!
Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten any comments back on what ever happened with the lawsuit. Toho has sued, paperwork filed, but all is quiet on the beer front. Loyalists in the area are still devoted to the little guy; local bars proudly sport one of the most creative tap handles that I have personally seen. I have yet to find a can for sale at any of the typical stores I purchase my NOLA beers at (including Rouse’s which is a very ominous sign), and if forced to forever abandon the beer, I shall be sad. The name is perfect for this hyper-hopped double IPA. The power punch of malts and the 8.8% alcohol content is balanced with an almost light citrus. Personally, I think NOLA compliments Toho’s icon in just the right way!
