Places in NOLA

Best overall draft selection is Avenue Pub. Ale also has a nice local draft selection. Also recommend hitting these brewpubs:
Urban South
NOLA
Courtyard
Second Line
Wayward Owl (brand new, haven't been there yet but brews are solid).

The two best bottle shops are 504 Craft Beer Reserve and Steins Deli (beer room behind the deli). Both sell singles of everything. 504 has a bunch of local brewery gear and also 6-tap growler station with some nice brews.

If u didn't know already, there is a big St Patrick's Day block party at Parasols, always a good time.
Have fun!

 

Just plan your route to avoid the St. Paddy's Day parades. I mean they're fun to watch but park in the wrong spot and your vehicle won't be going anywhere for a considerable period of time.

 

Just got back...vacation on the North Shore...stayed at Fontainbleau State Park for 4 days. Beer was a small part of the trip; did a whole bunch of bicycling with the warm weather and all. Did manage to visit Urban South, NOLA and Crescent City Brewhouse while on the bike. Parked at the Zoo, unloaded bikes and rode all the way to the French Quarter with my wife. My favorite was Urban South but all were good. I heard good things about Courtyard but missed that one.

I visited many of the breweries on the North Shore also. All of them were near the Tammany Trace Trail which was just wonderful. I have to mention one place right on Lake Pontchartrain in Mandeville; Barley Oak. A wonderful place with a wonderful beer selection and pub food. Wonderful view of the lake.

You mentioned "things getting a little crazy" in your second post. I will assume you might be heading to Bourbon Street; if so continue reading...

Have you ever been to the French Quarter? Watch your wallet...keep it in your front pocket! I've been there a bunch of times in the last 30 years. I've had personal experience with pickpockets twice. I won't go into details but they did not get my wallet. They did get an earful. I went with an Uncle one time who always wore overalls. He woke up the next morning with a razor cut on his chest pocket where his wallet is kept. Be careful at all times and never be alone. No dark alley ways, etc.

One place I usually stop at for a drink (Hurricane) is Pat O'Brien's on Bourbon Street. Kind of a tradition. Have fun and just know where you are and be careful.

Jon

 

Wow this is timely, my pregnant wife and I are taking a babymoon this weekend. Staying near Bourbon Street, just going to enjoy some tourist destinations etc but she knows I love my beer. Do any of those spots you recommended have good food?

 

Avenue Pub has good food. I haven't eaten at NOLA. The others do food trucks.

 

Awesome thanks, visiting family in the area, haven't been down in a long time though, flying from Philly so hoping for a little warmer weather too.

 

Ok went through various lists etc and made reservations at all of the restaurants that people recommended. We are stopping by Avenue Pub at some point, if there is one place I must go to, either brewery or bar for craft beer what would it be? Something I can't miss when I'm down there. Thanks.

 

My only advice is I usually sit down at my laptop and surf TripAdvisor or Google for good eats. If I lived down there I would try to give you some advice. Places are kind of hit and miss with me. Sometimes the dumpy looking place has good food! At other times, the ones that are supposed to be "great" suck. Beer is food?

You should have time to hit many breweries. Some of them are only a few miles from the French Quarter just a short cab ride away. I only went to three breweries in N.O.: Crescent, NOLA and Urban. Enjoyed all three. Crescent is in the French Quarter, NOLA and Urban just a short cab ride away from the French Quarter.

 

Actually I'm not sure I will have time to hit any breweries as we are eating our way through the city with our only beer related spot so far is Avenue Pub. Kind of just plowing through lunch and dinner and looking for that one NOLA beer I should try. Thanks!

 

Girl Stout Cooking or whatever they are calling it now is one I would want to try. You can only get it at the brewery and while you are there get some McClures BBQ.
Courtyard always has some great beers on tap as well. If I was ranking breweries in New Orleans
Courtyard
Nola
Urban South
Second Line

 

NOLA's taproom serves up some great BBQ