I'm from Pennsylvania and will be heading out to a conference in New Orleans in a couple months, and staying at the Marriot on Canal St. From a cursory search, it seems pretty far from any good beer spots, so I was hoping for some recommendations. I'm planning to Uber and/or public transport, but also trying to be efficient with where I go to avoid a ton of trips. I also like walking, as long as there are no safety issues. I'd love to try beers from breweries like Parish and Gnarly Barley - I prefer the typical IPAs & hazies, sours, and barreled stouts, but also appreciate a good lager. Are there any bars or places you'd recommend to try a nice selection of local-ish options that I can't get up north? So far, I've only found the Avenue Pub and Courtyard Brewery nearby. I also wasn't sure which breweries distribute and which are brewery-only. Is my best option for a bottle shop Stein's? Or are there any closer to to the Convention Center or French Quarter? Or any bottle shops farther out that you'd recommend? Thanks all for your help!
I visited New Orleans last spring and didn't have a ton of time for beer exploration but I will say that Brieux Carre, right near the base of Frenchman St, is an absolutely stellar brewery. I would definitely make an effort to visit them
Thanks for the recommendation! I will definitely add Brieux Carre to my list. It looks like an easy walk.
Gnarly Barley Jucifer was pretty ubiquitous even outside of craft bars last time I visited. Parish Ghost and Dr. Juice and Urban South Holy Roller were the other local-ish IPAs you'd most likely find in random bars rather than having to go to a specifically craft place. Cooter Brown's and the 3 Bulldog locations seem like the most preferred craft beer bar options since The Avenue changed hands. The Avenue looks like they still have a solid selection of locals but the crazy selection of imports that made it one of the best beer bars in the country isn't really a thing anymore. My understanding of local breweries is that besides a number that already only sold packaged beers at their own location, others were recently screwed over by the distributor Pelican going under. This definitely affected Brieux Carre, which can only be found at their own location now as a result. Stein's still seems to enjoy the best reputation as a bottle shop, but I can't really speak to any that may be more convenient to your location. Brewery-wise, I'd second the Brieux Carre recommendation both for the quality of the beers and location. I feel they tend to shine the most when it comes to lagers but they often have a solid variety of styles and it's my favorite brewery location in the city since it's so close to the music bars. Further out in the Bywater area, Parleaux Beer Labs has been my favorite brewery across recent trips, especially for lagers and mixed fermentation stuff. If you find yourself in that neighborhood, Bywater Brewpub also has solid food and beer and Bratz Ya'll is a fun visit for European imports on tap. Courtyard was my favorite for IPAs, but you may want to check their social media before you go just to make sure they have some (they're a pretty small brewery and I think the owner may have been having some issues recently; they posted a few days ago that they had kicked their last keg of IPA for the time being). Miel was also solid on the hops front last time I went. I haven't been able to visit Zony Mash or Brewery Saint X yet but they're definitely on my list for the next time I'm there. I've enjoyed the cans I've tried from the former and I've heard good things about the latter since it opened last year.
I'm not located in New Orleans and don't have much insider insight on the beer scene there, but I visit there with some regularity and monitor the info posted here about New Orleans. This post is the most recent one I've seen prior to yours and may have some additional insight for you: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-orleans-2023.672457/#post-7754932. Brieux Carré is a pleasant walk from where you'll be staying through the historic French Quarter to Frenchmen Street, which is a nice area to hang out and hear live music. The walk to Courtyard Brewery will lead you through some slightly sketchier areas but nothing I would consider unsafe (people have commented about not being impressed by the interior of Courtyard, but I liked it). Other breweries might be easier to Uber to, or you could also take the Canal St Line 47 streetcar all the way up Canal Street to Second Line Brewing, another place I like, though its outdoor seating arrangement might not be ideal if you're visiting New Orleans during the peak summertime heat, though in my opinion it makes the ice cold beer that much more refreshing and they have big fans that they keep blowing. Parish (out of Broussard near Lafayette) and Gnarly Barley (out of Hammond) are my two favorite breweries in the state, and you should be able to find packaged stuff easily enough for both of them (Parish in bottles and Gnarly Barley in cans) if not on tap. Welcome, and enjoy your trip!
After my buddy who's wedding it was introduced me to an awesome plum sour from them I sought them out and I was real disappointed in their offerings. Wasn't worth the bike ride to me
Thank you for the referral to the other thread! That gives me some other ideas. I also appreciate the candor about about Brieux Carré, Courtyard, and Avenue. At this point, I think I might plan to just walk to some of the closer ones - unless anyone knows any particular neighborhoods to avoid?
Assuming you're only going to be in town for a long weekend, I would just stick to exploring the quarter and the downtown/cbd. Nola isn't an epic beer town, but there's lots of fun bars and great music and great food right in the immediate area around your hotel
I was in NoLa a couple times a few years ago (pre-covid...) and found a few places that were worth the trip. I was there with my wife for her conference, so I had plenty of time on my hands. As others have said, Courtyard was excellent, Breiux Carre also. Nearly Carre is Parleaux Beer Labs, they were really good too. Urban South was very good. Crescent City was good one visit, not as good the second. Besides though, worth a stop is obviously Cafe Du Monde, Acme Oyster House, Cochon Butcher and Mother's Restaurant.
These are great recs, thank you! I will definitely add Cochon Butcher to the list for a lunch by the Convention Center, Mother's for a brinner, and will do my best to hit as many breweries as time (and my budget) allows.
Upping this thread to say I thoroughly enjoyed Brewery Saint X during my last visit. I loved the many lagers they had and they also seem to emphasize English ales (TWO casks of English ales on at all times). That said they still had a good diversity of styles with 3-4 IPAs and multiple sours to accompany the lagers and milds, and the food menu looked solid. Parleaux and Brieux Carre remain my absolute favorites in the city, but Courtyard and Brewery Saint X seem like a really good pair on the other side of Canal (plus potentially the even newer Ecology, which I was unable to visit). Also since this is the only NOLA thread, I did want to mention it was funny to see Cochon Butcher randomly added for Zwanze Day. I've always loved that place but I never would've expected it to get a Cantillon event after Avenue lost it.
i went to a wedding afterparty at the Drinkery, 217 Bourbon St. decent local tap list. for bottles and cans i walked down to the Whole Foods on Broad.
As a local the best breweries are as follows: Brieux Carre (Marigny/Bywater) Bywater Brewpub (Marigny/Bywater) Parleaux (Marigny/Bywater) Courtyard (Lower Garden District) Miel (Irish Channel) Nola Brewing (Irish Channel) Best Beer Stores: Martin's Dorgniac's Total Wine Best Beer Bars: Cooter Brown's - thee best fried pickles Ale on Oak Bulldog Bayou Beer Garden
Had a great time in New Orleans this past week! Ended up being a bit limited on time, so picked up some nice bottles and a great sandwich from Stein's and sampled a bunch of local brews at Avenue Pub. Over the week I enjoyed lunches at Taqueria La Lucha, Cochon Butcher, and Commerce, and had more local beers at each. Also hit Courtyard and Brieux Carre - probably enjoyed the latter more, Brieux's dark lager was amazing. Thank you again for all the help!!!!
Was taking a look through this thread and saw a lot of nice recommendations, but hoping for maybe a little more guidance. I'll be in town on my own on Sunday/Wednesday for a work conference and due to a cancellation on Sunday, will have most of the afternoon to myself on Sunday in town. I'm staying downtown in the French Quarter and while I expect to walk around and explore a bit, I'm really looking for a nice place to watch the NFL games, have some good food and drink some good beers. Walking distance from the hotel would be ideal, but I'm open to a reasonable Uber if you guys think it's worth it for the right place.
