Beers with Chuck: Magic Marshmallow Breakfast Milk Stout from Tin Roof Brewing

by Chuck P

St. Patrick’s Day in Baton Rouge is a very big deal. People line up sometimes overnight to secure their spot for the annual parade and prepare for a long day of drinking. There’s lots and lots of Jameson and Guinness being consumed and unfortunately, a lot of very unnecessary green beer. Luckily for us Tin Roof Brewery made sure to give us a better option this year with their third consecutive specialty release the Magic Marshmallow Breakfast Milk Stout.

To keep with the theme of the day, the guys at Tin Roof decided to go all out and include Lucky Charms cereal into the brew recipe. How much Lucky Charms you might ask? We’re talking 72 boxes of magical deliciousness! They also used a marshmallow flavored coffee and lactose to give it some creaminess.

On my first pour I noticed the hint of the cereal coming through with a bit of the coffee on the aroma. Greeted with coffee first, some vanilla creeps in, but after it began to warm up I thought the vanilla faded giving way to more of the coffee. The lactose was minimal in my opinion, but still noticeable. The cereal itself arrived at the finish but was subtle which I liked with a bit of bitterness rounding it out.

Tin Roof has been crushing the small batch game recently with the release of the Santeria Double IPA (aka the beer formerly known as JUJU), Haze Hunt Triple IPA and now with the release of Magic Marshmallow they continue to bring down the house. Unlike the aforementioned Santeria and Haze Hunt which were both brewery exclusives you can find this breakfast milk stout on tap at your favorite craft beer watering holes.

Congrats to Tin Roof on another delicious brew. I can’t wait to see what type of specialty beer they do for Easter!*

*Tin Roof has nothing scheduled for release that’s Easter themed. Or do they???

Beers with Chuck: Attacus Atlas from Parish Brewing

by Chuck P

I know I’m a bit late to the party with my review of this beer. After I received these from my good friend Buddy Etheridge things got pretty busy here at Bite and Booze HQ. Then I was attacked by the vicious flu not once, but TWICE which put me and my taste buds out of commision for about a month. Now that I’m back from what felt like the grip of death I felt the time to break out my 4-pack of Attacus Atlas from Parish Brewing had come.

This Triple IPA is packed with a crazy amount of Galaxy hops and Idaho 7, a fairly new hop that was released in 2015, to counter the amount they had to use to get the high 9% ABV. Honestly, I didn’t get a lot of booziness from it as I expected but I’m sure after a few of these it would creep up on you.

Attacus Atlas pours a nice yellow/orange mimosa-esque hue which is pretty much what most of the juicy IPA’s tend to look like, at least to me. The aroma is a mild mix of orange and mango, but my nose still may not be 100% yet. Taste wise the hop juice hits you right off the bat in a big way. The citrus notes come in nice and smooth with a bit of creaminess. There was some bitterness on the finish but to me it’s very mild.

Once again Parish knocks it out of the park with another strong entry into their ever growing hop portfolio. I’m glad my taste buds were able to get back to normal so I could truly enjoy this beer. Let’s all hope this one shows itself more often.

Beers with Chuck: Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee Barrel Aged Quad 2015

by Chuck P

Back in the summer of 2015 I made a trip up to Portland, Oregon on a guys trip with Jay and a few of our friends. Portland is a destination spot for craft beer lovers with a plethora of local and regional craft breweries spread throughout the city. One of my goals for this trip was getting my hands on some local beers to take back home as well as any other West Coast brews that are unavailable here in Louisiana. Luckily, I was able to find some brews from Firestone Walker out of California and had to bring this particular brew back with me: The Stickee Monkee Barrel Aged Quad.

A Quad or Quadrupel is a Belgian style ale whose ABV normally runs between 10-13%. It’s a full bodied beer with a rich malt backbone. Normally I’m not drawn to this style but after having a taste at a local pub I was hooked.

Unfortunately Jay’s brother Eric had bought the last bottle in the cooler, but my disappointment was short lived as the bartender informed me he had a bottle in the back he could sell me but it wasn’t cold. This was perfect because that meant I could take it home and enjoy it back home. Success!

Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2017. I was about to head to a Friendsgiving that my buddy Damon was hosting and I was trying to decide what beverages to bring. After searching through my cellar I spotted the Firestone Walker box hiding behind a few Bourbon County bottles. With two years of aging on it, I decided to open the bottle up and see how she was doing.

Pouring it into a glass the beer was a deep mahogany color with a nice foamy head that dissipated quickly. While pouring, the booziness made itself known in a big way. I smelled it immediately which is just the way I like it.

Hiding behind the booziness you get scents of oak, coconut, vanilla and toasted brown sugar.

Flavor wise, the booze is right up front but very smooth. Other flavors that I picked up were caramel, fig, dates and some cocoa along with the vanilla and brown sugar I got from the nose. The long, warm boozy finish was absolutely perfect and had me reaching for another taste.

The few people I shared this with at the party really enjoyed it and were sad to see it go so quickly. Hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on another bottle again.

Beers with Chuck: Elysian Bifrost Winter Ale

by Chuck P

As the great Ned Stark so eloquently said long ago, “Winter is coming.” Well, not so much here in Louisiana as the rest of the United States, but the end of the year brings cooler weather to us which means winter beers are beginning to arrive on store shelves! Luckily for me I received a care package straight from Elysian Brewing out of Seattle, WA compliments of Natania Reed just in time for a little cold snap that’s coming through this week. Let’s take a look at the awesomely named Bifrost Winter Ale.

First, a brief lesson in Norse mythology-- the beer is named after the mythical rainbow bridge Bifrost that spans between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, which is home to a couple of familiar Norse Gods made famous in the past few years thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Thor the God of Thunder, the trickster Loki his mischievous half-brother and their father Odin, the All-Father and King of Asgard. Now that I’ve educated you a bit let’s get to beer, shall we?

The Bifrost Winter ale comes in with an ABV of 8.30% with a big malt backbone. It pours a nice golden/orange color with very little head, but there’s some nice lacing after it quickly dissipates. What little aroma there is has hints of orange and some caramel from the malts. The taste is sweet, malty and filled with spiced apple and cherry flavors coming through with a bit of honey at the end. There’s a slight alcohol burn as well.

Winter ales aren’t normally something I gravitate toward, but I will say this offering from Elysian may just change that. The more I drank the more I enjoyed the fruitiness that became more apparent with each sip. Not to mention there’s nothing like a nice high ABV beer with a bit of a boozy bite on a cool winter evening.

The Elysian Bifrost Winter Ale may be on shelves here now, but if not it should be soon. Be on the lookout at your favorite grocery and bottle shops and add this to your winter drinking selections.

On Tap: Tin Roof FOMO Double IPA

by Charles Pierce

The hazy New England style IPA’s have been the big trend in the craft beer world for a while now. With very little hop bitterness at the end and a more tropical and juicy sweetness, this style has been embraced by beer lovers and breweries alike here in Louisiana. With great selections of this style from Parish Brewery (Ghost In the Machine), Great Raft Brewing (Grace & Grit) and Gnarly Barley (Jucifer) there’s no shortage of really delicious cloudy brews for us to enjoy. Now Tin Roof Brewery has joined the craze with their latest taproom only release, the FOMO Double IPA.

After redesigning the recipes for their flagship Voodoo Pale Ale and Juke Joint IPA, new Head Brewmaster Michael Till along with owners Charles Caldwell and William McGehee decided the time was right to start working on their own signature double IPA. After a few months of doing test batches and honing in on the right recipe, the FOMO, which stands for Fear Of Missing Out, was born.



The beer has a deep golden color with the haziness to match its depth. The immediate aromas I picked up were some dark fruitiness and tropical notes with a hint of the dankness that comes with the Eureka hops. The body is very light and easy drinking for 8% ABV beer. The taste is filled with hints of pineapple and candied fruit along with some piney dankness which is normally associated with some of the juicier west coast style IPA’s. There was some slight bitterness on the end with a nice dry finish.

Overall I think Tin Roof has done a nice job with their first entry into the haze filled market of New England style IPA’s. This brew is a taproom only release (hopefully that changes) so make your way over to Tin Roof and grab a glass and/or get yourself a crowler to go.

Beers With Chuck: New Belgium Juicy Watermelon Lime Ale

by Charles Pierce

The dog days of summer are upon us which means people are heading out to the beach, lounging in the pool or possibly doing some much needed yard work. We all find different ways of keeping ourselves hydrated and refreshed during these blistering days and New Belgium has the perfect brew to satisfy your summer thirst with their Juicy Watermelon Lime Ale.

Formerly called Heavy Melon, the brewery decided to rename this seasonal release with a title that more accurately represents the profile of their light fruity beer than the “heavy” title from last year.

The ale pours a very light golden color with very little head and lacing on the glass. The aroma of watermelon is prevalent along with a hint of lime zest. The overall taste, unfortunately, has very little watermelon with the lime ending up as the primary flavor before giving way to a smooth dry finish.

Coming in at a nice 5% ABV this is a really easy drinking beer that’s refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day.

Beers With Chuck: Jucifer IPA from Gnarly Barley

by Chuck Pierce

In May, Gnarly Barley Brewery in Hammond, Louisiana released their 3rd IPA in their every growing portfolio of delicious beers. It looks like from the response of local craft beer lovers, this one could possibly be their best yet. Let’s take a look at the fantastic Jucifer IPA.

Gnarly Barley has consistently cranked out great beers since they opened back in 2014, taking over taps at local watering holes and restaurants throughout South Louisiana. Recently, they’ve started canning their brews making it even more convenient to get your hands on their product. With the recent release of Jucifer, which will be brewed year round, you can enjoy one of the best IPA’s in the state from the comfort of your own home.

As you can see from the picture above this is one beautiful beer. This type of super cloudy IPA would lead the untrained and under-boozed eye to believe you were drinking a mimosa or a glass of OJ. They would continue to be confused if they caught the aroma which is bright with citrusy notes of mango, orange and pineapple. The taste also follows the aroma with that same combination of flavors that’s both smooth and refreshing on the end followed by a nice dry finish. An excellent juicy IPA that at 6% teeters on the edge of being crushable but for sure should be enjoyed slowly to appreciate every sip.

When you get rainy day blessings from the #juicifer. Many thanks to my craft beer spirit animal @gnarlybarley!

A post shared by Blair Loup (@bloup3) on May 12, 2017 at 3:48pm PDT

Look for these kick ass cans along with their flagship brews at local bottle shops and supermarkets, but be quick about it. The Jucifer flies off the shelves pretty fast so make sure you’re following social media pages like Calandro’s Supermarket to know when the next release will be!

Beers With Chuck: Voodoo Pale Ale from Tin Roof Brewing Company

by Chuck Pierce

Voodoo Bengal Pale Ale was the first Tin Roof Beer I’d ever had.

Back in 2010 my own ‘Me & My Big Mouth’ podcast had reached a point where I felt a change was needed. Our topics of music, movies, sports and random silliness grew a bit stale for me. Craft beer had really sparked my interest and I thought it could be a great new direction for the show. Also around this time I’d heard that a brewery had just opened in Baton Rouge, so it all seemed to fall into place. On a Friday afternoon I headed over to Tin Roof Brewing Company and had my first sip of what would become my favorite brew from this new company. I’ve been a fan ever since.

Flash forward to 2017 and things have changed over at Tin Roof quite a bit. There’s a new brewmaster and brew floor crew that are focused on revolutionizing their recipes and flavor profiles. Like the saying goes, “It’s out with the old and in with the new.” Some of the original flagship beers have been getting recipe makeovers, starting with the Juke Joint IPA that got an update to meet the demands of juicy hop lovers. Now, my old favorite has gotten a complete facelift from the bottom up including the can design!

Ladies and gents, I proudly introduce to you the new Voodoo Pale Ale.

  

As I was told by their new brewmaster Michael, the only thing left from the original Voodoo Bengal recipe is the yeast.

Gone is the big malt background that was there before. The new addition of Citra, Simcoe and Waimea shine through with citrus and pine notes on the aroma and taste. The haziness is a huge difference from its former version, giving it the look of most of the juicy IPA’s currently out on the market. Upon tasting, I picked up notes of melon and mango with a bit of pine that gave way to a super dry finish. Coming in at an easy 5% makes this a completely crushable beer.

As a fan, former employee, and most importantly, a friend with Charles Caldwell and William McGehee, I’m super excited about the changes happening at Tin Roof. If the changes made to the Juke Joint and Voodoo as well as the exclusive brews that are going up in the taproom are any indication, there are more great things to come from Tin Roof Brewery.

Beers with Chuck: Share This O.C. from The Bruery

by Chuck P

I’ve been a big fan of The Bruery from Orange County, California ever since they began distributing here back in 2013. Their bourbon barrel aged beers are some of my absolute favorites. And now I’ll be adding the Share This: O.C. Imperial Stout made with orange zest, cacao nibs and vanilla to that list as well.

This addition to the Share This series is in partnership with Food Forward, a program that donates fresh produce to hunger relief agencies throughout southern California. These fruits and vegetables from backyard fruit trees, farmers markets and orchards where most would normally go to waste. For every bottle sold The Bruery donates $1 to this great cause.

The aroma hits the senses with with bits of orange, chocolate, vanilla and a light roastiness. A great balance of the cocoa and citrus comes through as well with a bit of the booziness lingering. The taste is fantastic with the orange zest coming first giving way to hints of chocolate and vanilla creeping in along with some light coffee notes. The orange fades to give way to some tartness and the alcohol of the imperial stout that finishes smoothly with minimal burn considering it comes in at a pretty big 11%.

The O.C. is a great imperial stout with a nice balance of citrus and chocolate notes that brings together the tart and sweet ingredients perfectly. Make sure to grab a bottle and enjoy while also donating to a great organization in Food Forward.

Beers with Chuck: The Maharaja Imperial IPA from Avery Brewing Company

by Chuck P

The Avery Brewing Company based in Boulder, Colorado has finally made its way into Louisiana: rejoice craft beer enthusiasts! With a stellar selection of beers coming in like the Vanilla Bean Stout and Raspberry Sour from their Botanicals & Barrels series and year round selections like the El Gose German Style Sour Ale, Out Of Bounds Stout and White Rascal Belgian White Ale there’s enough variety to satisfy even the pickiest beer geek.

Out of their wide selection of beers now distributed here, my go-to is their Imperial IPA, The Maharaja.

According to Avery’s website the word Maharaja is taken from the sanskrit words Mahat, meaning “great”, and Rajan, meaning “king” making this Imperial IPA regal, intense and mighty; mighty it is indeed, coming in at a big 10% ABV.

Pouring into the glass the Maharaja has a very dark amber color with a mild haziness and a nice foamy head that quickly disappears. The aroma is a full on citrus blast with hints of grapefruit, orange and even a bit of papaya coming through as well as some piney notes. The sweetness of the malt comes through as well. The first sip greets you with true bitter hoppiness that hits the palate running.

The middle gives way to the sweet malts with a hint of caramel that breaks up the dankness a bit but returns with a nice dry finish. I didn’t find it to be too boozy given the high ABV at first, but after a few more sips it made it’s subtle presence felt.

This Imperial IPA from Avery Brewing will be a welcomed addition to my growing list of go to IPA’s. It’s strong and fruity with enough of a boozy feel to remind me not to drink these like a freshman at a high school kegger. 

Look for this delicious brew and much more from Avery Brewing Company on local store shelves and bottle shops throughout Baton Rouge and surrounding areas.

To hear more about The Maharaja Imperial IPA check out our On Tap segment sponsored by Mockler Beverage Company on the Bite & Booze Radio Show below.

Beers with Chuck: Goin' Coastal IPA with Pineapple from SweetWater Brewing

by Chuck P

I find that people are usually on the fence when it comes to adding pineapple to different foods and drinks. Unless it’s a tropical beverage, I tend to shy away from it, but sometimes you just have to take that chance and when you do you might find out that something like a pineapple IPA might be even more delicious than you previously imagined. That’s where I found myself when I tried the Goin’ Coastal IPA with pineapple from the SweetWater Brewing Company.



I’ve always been a fan of SweetWater’s designs. The bright colors and artwork bounce off of their products when you see them on store shelves and the Goin’ Coastal 16oz can is no exception.

The beer has a hazy golden straw body to it that shined in the glass. The aroma smells fantastic with the pineapple being at the forefront followed by hints of mango and some tangerine coming through as well as solid floral and piney notes; taste wise, you can flip that aroma description around.

The floral and piney notes are what caught me first with the pineapple coming in the middle and finishing with the other citrusy flavors. There’s a nice malt balance from start to finish.

This is a very juicy and refreshing IPA, although I do think the grapefruit and tangerine shown through a bit more than the pineapple.

Make sure to pick up a few of these cans this summer to enjoy; especially if that day is spent in your boat with a line in the water.

To hear more about Goin’ Coastal click below for our On Tap segment sponsored by Mockler Beverage Company on the Bite & Booze Radio Show.

Beers with Chuck: Grass Monkey Hoppy Wheat Ale from Sweet Water Brewing Co.

by Chuck P

I know that technically summer won’t officially begin until June 20th, but here in Louisiana it pretty much feels that way 10 months out of the year. Luckily for us we can enjoy the latest seasonal release from Sweet Water Brewing Company to help us transition from “spring” to “summer”. I present to you the Grass Monkey Hoppy Wheat Ale.

Sweet Water Brewery started out of Atlanta, Georgia in 1997 and made their way here to the Pelican State back in 2013. Their brews have been a staple in many craft beer fan’s fridges way before they entered our state and even more so after launching here, especially their popular 420 Pale Ale.

Recently I had the chance to try their seasonal Grass Monkey Wheat Ale and discovered what might be my new favorite summer beer.I’ve never been a big fan of wheat beers. They’re not bad beers, I just don’t crave them the way I crave other beer styles. Sometimes for research purposes, I have to try things I don’t normally drink and can be pleasantly surprised.

The first thing I noticed after pouring the beer were the lemon and citrus notes I got on the nose, obviously from the lemongrass that Sweet Water added. The look of the beer is a hazy orange kind of color with a head that quickly diminishes. 

The flavor is light and refreshing with the lemon and a bit of orange coming through thanks to the Lemondrop Hops they introduced in the kettle and dry hop processes. The wheat element definitely shines through with a light sweetness that I thought had a tinge of grapefruit.

This beer seems like the perfect companion when lounging on the patio, by the pool or after some yard work on a hot summer day. Make sure to add this crisp wheat ale to your Sweet Water collection. 

To hear more about the Grass Monkey check out the On Tap segment below sponsored by Mockler Beverage Company from our latest episode of the Bite & Booze Radio Show.

Beers with Chuck: Coop'd Up Tart Farmhouse Ale from Urban South

by Chuck P

Urban South has finally made their way up from New Orleans to the Baton Rouge market and local craft beer fans couldn’t be more excited. Since arriving here, their Holy Roller IPA, Charming Whit Ale and their spring seasonal Delta Momma Citra Lager have been flying off store shelves.

Recently, myself along with Jay, Blair and Jay’s brother Eric had a chance to sit down and try their latest offering, the Coop’d Up Tart Farmhouse Ale during an “On Tap” segment for the Bite & Booze Radio Show.

Coop'd Up Tart Farmhouse Ale by Urban South Brewery in New Orleans

Farmhouse Ales or Saisons as some are commonly known are normally brewed during winter months so as to be ready for consumption during hot summer days. The Coop’d Up fits this description perfectly. It was also kettle soured using Lactobacillus which sours the beer at a faster rate rather than going the traditional route which could take years. Luckily we don’t have to wait that long.

This brew has a nice hazy golden color with very little carbonation to it. I immediately tasted hints of lemon and maybe coriander on my first sip. There’s just enough tartness cutting through and some of that sour funkiness on the back end that I really like. 

The finish is pretty dry which only makes me want to reach for my glass again for another taste. This really is a perfect light and refreshing summertime beer.

So far everything I’ve tried from Urban South has been fantastic and I can’t wait to see what they’ve got coming up next. To find out more about Urban South and the Coop’d Up Farmhouse Ale click the link below and check out the Bite & Booze Podcast presented by Mockler Beverage Co.

Beers with Chuck: Elysian's Space Dust IPA

by Chuck P

A few months ago the Elysian Brewing Company made its way down to Louisiana from Seattle, Washington to the delight of craft beer fans throughout the state. One of their initial releases here is a big favorite among craft drinkers: Space Dust IPA.



On a recent On Tap segment for the Bite & Booze Radio Show myself along with Jay, guest Jacob Talley from Mockler Beverage and Josh Anderson of the Baton Rouge Metro Airport were able to sit down at our recording table and pour a few bottles and give our reviews of this delicious IPA.

As soon as I started pouring it in my glass I immediately picked up notes of citrus and pine. The aroma was very vibrant. The beer also had a nice, warm golden color which shined in the glass. There was a nice bit of maltiness to it but clearly the hops cut right through it with no problem.

I picked up orange and grapefruit on the front with my first taste that gave way to pine notes on the back end. I thought it finished pretty dry with some lingering pine notes which is not at all a bad thing. 

It also comes in at a strong 8.2% ABV so take your time with this one.

Overall, everyone at the table really enjoyed this beer. It’s one that finds its way into my fridge on a regular basis and that I order if I see it on tap or in bottles at one of my favorite watering holes. Hopefully, it’ll be one you pick up as well.

To hear Jay and our guests give their take on the Elysian Space Dust IPA check out the Bite & Booze Podcast below and hear all about it!

Beers with Chuck: Goose Island IPA

by Chuck P

For those of you that know me, when it comes to craft beer my heart lies with delicious porters and stouts, especially the barrel-aged variety. However, over time my palate quickly became accustomed to other beer styles and soon I began to fall in love with all things hops related.

Pale Ales and IPA’s are definitely not for everyone, but for those who do embrace its tastiness it becomes an obsession to find the juiciest, dank beer out there to quench their thirst. 

Goose Island IPA

One of my favorite IPA’s on the market is from Goose Island Beer in Chicago, Illinois and it’s simply named Goose Island IPA. Recently during an On Tap segment of the Bite & Booze Radio Show I got a chance to review this delicious brew along with Jay, guest Jacob Talley, Craft Brand Manager of Mockler Beverage here in Baton Rouge and Josh Anderson from the Baton Rouge Metro Airport.

The beer comes in at 5.9% ABV which is pretty normal for an IPA with around 55 IBUs. Pouring this one, the copper color shined in my pint glass with a bit of transparency. I inhaled a good bit of citrus notes on the aroma. 

The malt backbone on this was subtle and in no way overpowering the the hops. I liked some of the grapefruit notes I was getting on my first sip. You get a bit of that bitterness on the backend that lingers for a bit but still I thought it had a nice, clean finish.

This is definitely a beer I’ve had a few times before and we all agreed that we’ll surely be drinking this one again on a regular basis.

To hear us talk more about the Goose Island IPA check out The Bite & Booze Podcast below and enjoy!

Beers with Chuck: Parish Brewing's Strawberry Canebrake

by Chuck P

When craft beer enthusiasts think of Parish Brewing Company the first thing that comes to mind is hop juice. Delicious hop forward beers like Envie Pale Ale, Opus Vert, Bloom and the insanely popular Ghost In The Machine are owner Andrew Godley’s specialty. But with his latest release, he’s entered into the fruit beer market with a twist on his classic Canebrake Wheat Ale that is already flying off of supermarket shelves as fast as a 4 pack of GITM.

Ladies and gentlemen, Strawberry Canebrake is here.

Photo courtesy of Parish Brewing Company

Back in 2010 Parish Brewing Company exploded onto the local craft beer scene with their flagship wheat ale brewed with Steen’s sugarcane syrup. It quickly became a favorite of craft and non-craft beer drinkers alike and Canebrake tap handles were soon popping up at bars and restaurants around the Lafayette and Baton Rouge area.

A few years later Andrew opened a tap room at the brewery and began playing with different variations of Canebrake that were only available there to get feedback from customers on a possible new variation of the popular brew. One version stood out in particular and was soon a favorite among customers and staff: Strawberry Canebrake was born.

For years Abita’s Strawberry Lager was considered “THE” strawberry beer in Louisiana. Eventually, other local breweries would come out with their own version of the popular strawberry beer, such as Covington Brewery’s Strawberry Creme Ale, to try and compete with the popularity of Abita’s fruit forward lager. Now Parish has entered the ring and it’s not pulling any punches. This deliciously crushable beer is aiming for the title.

From its first pour, the golden honey colored body of the beer shines. There’s just enough of a scent of strawberry on the nose that cuts through and mingles with the honey notes some may get from a regular Canebrake. With my first taste the sweetness of the sugarcane was still present but the strawberry began dance over my palate. 

It’s just sweet enough not to overpower the maltiness which follows through nicely. It really reminds me of what Abita Strawberry was like those first 2 years it was released before it became increasingly sweeter. Parish’s version is a much lighter beer with a perfect balance of malt backbone and sweetness.

Whether you’re heading out to a crawfish boil or one of the many festivals coming up this spring around Louisiana, make sure to pick up a few sixers of Strawberry Canebrake.

To learn more about this delicious brew click on the link below and listen to the Bite & Booze Podcast with myself, Jay Ducote, Blair Loup and Parish owner Andrew Godley.

Beers with Chuck: Heady Topper from The Alchemist

by Chuck P

There are beers and there are BEERS. You know what I’m talking about? There are a select few amazing beers out in the world that are just absolute must haves. They’re the ones that taste like no other and are placed upon pedestals far above the heads of every other beer. On the West coast, most would say that beer would be Russian River’s Pliny The Elder, a one of a kind Double IPA that assaults the taste buds with a mouthful of hops. Most craft beer geeks would offer up the family pet and whatever cash they can to get just one bottle of this California nectar.

The Alchemist’s Heady Topper is, I believe, the East coast equivalent out of Stowe, Vermont.

Heady Topper by The Alchemist

Like the legendary East coast/West coast rap battles of the 90’s, Heady and Pliny have long been at the top of the list as the best Double IPAs made today and everyone debates as to who the true champ is. As far as I know, there’s never been a clear victor in this debate similar to the battle between Biggie and Tupac (pour one out).

Whereas Pliny carries one hell of a hop bomb on the pallet, Heady comes at you with a hop wall that washes over your tongue but finishes amazingly clean. It’s fruity, piney and all around delicious. The lingering hop feel on the back end lingers a while in the best way. Words don’t do justice to how delicious this beer truly is.

So, here’s my verdict. If I had a bottle of Pliny and a can of Heady Topper in front of me and was told I could only have one, I’d go for Heady Topper every time and twice on Sundays.

That’s not to say I don’t like Pliny The Elder. It’s a fantastic beer that I’m always happy to receive when one happens to come my way. Neither of these beers are distributed in Louisiana which makes them as coveted as the Holy Grail or actually seeing Bigfoot.

I’m sure there will be a lot of people who won’t agree with me and that’s fine. That’s the beauty of the craft beer world. We’re a passionate lot who are quick to jump on anyone who can’t understand our passion for one of our favorite brews.

This classic clash of the titans makes for some interesting debates online and that’s the geekiness and glory of craft beer.

That’s the passion I feel for Heady Topper. To me, it’s the be all end all of IPAs and you’re not going to tell me otherwise so as soon as you come to terms with how wrong you are we can go about our day.

Cheers!

Beers with Chuck: Southcoast Amber Ale from Parish Brewing

by Chuck P



The majority of craft beer drinkers in Louisiana are very familiar with Parish Brewing Company’s three flagship beers, Canebreak Wheat Ale, Envie Pale Ale and the Southcoast Amber Ale. The last one in that list just received a bit of a transformation and I was lucky enough to get a chance to try it at their taproom recently.

Owner Andrew Godley was looking to change up the recipe on the already tasty Southcoast Amber by making it a more approachable and easier drinking beer that could be, in his words, “more crushable” and I would have to say he’s succeeded.

One of the changes made was replacing the original hops used by adding noble Crystal hops to give it more of a floral sensation as opposed to a citrusy American hop. This would also cut back on the sweetness but still keep the complexities of an amber ale. Visually, you can instantly tell the difference from the old recipe. It was much lighter but still had a nice, full body.

Taste wise it’s very comparable to an Abita Amber or Shiner Boch or Yuengling even though all of those are lagers. Jay and I both agreed that the flavor for us was closer to New Belgium’s famous Fat Tire Amber Ale more than anything but the flavor just stood out more.

At the end of the day, Andrew listened to what the consumers were wanting in an amber ale and I think he’s delivered on it by taking an already robust and delicious beer and making it in the way a gateway beer for those who want to dip a toe into the craft beer waters.

He wanted to make a crushable beer for the masses, and I think he crushed it.

To listen to the owner and brewmaster talk about the new Southcoast Amber Ale, check out the podcast below:

Beers with Chuck: Grapefruit Sculpin from Ballast Point Brewing

by Chuck P

When I heard the news that Ballast Point Brewing Company, based in San Diego, California, was finally coming to Louisiana I was as giddy as kid on Christmas morning. Like many other beer geeks, the only way you could get any Ballast Point beers before this was by either taking a trip over to Pensacola, heading to Houston or trading beers online. Those days are over now as the the first round of Ballast Point brews are showing up on store shelves around Baton Rouge and surrounding areas.

I’ve had quite a few beers from Ballast Point but amazingly one of their most popular beers, the Grapefruit Sculpin, somehow flew past my radar. Obviously, this is something that needed to be rectified and I was quickly kicking myself for not trying this sooner.

The Sculpin IPA is a classic and one that Ballast Point is well known for, but over the years the grapefruit version seems to have surpassed it in popularity. The grapefruit notes shine through perfectly with just enough tart and bitterness to compliment the citrusy notes of the Sculpin IPA.

On the nose, as well as flavorwise, you get the grapefruit along with notes of lemon, mango and apricot. These scents come rushing to meet you in a nice balance. As crushable as this beer is, remember it’s coming in at 7% so just enjoy the ride as opposed to speeding through it.

Coming from someone who isn’t a big fan of fruit I can see myself drinking quite a few of these whether hanging with friends or perched up at the one of my favorite craft beer hangouts.

Hopefully the other variations of Sculpin like Pineapple and Habanero will make their way down to Louisiana soon but in the meantime make sure to grab a six pack (12 packs coming soon) or a pint and enjoy the deliciousness of Grapefruit Sculpin. 

When you do, raise a glass and give a big Louisiana welcome to Ballast Point Brewing Company!

To hear more about this beer, check out this podcast with Mockler's Craft Brands Manager Jacob Talley and James Brown of Ballast Point talk about the Grapefruit Sculpin phenomenon:

Beers with Chuck: Southern Craft Brewing Co.

by Chuck P

For the past 5 years the Tin Roof Brewing Company has been the only craft brewery in Baton Rouge. With the ever-rising popularity of craft beer it was only a matter of time before there was some friendly competition in the capital city. Welcome the new kid on the block, Southern Craft Brewery.

Owners Wes Hedges and Joe Picou started brewing beer as a hobby after their long days of working as engineers. Quickly, the hobby became a passion and as their homebrewing skills grew so did their desire to create unique recipes using local ingredients. After honing their craft (haha) they entered their first National Homebrew Competition back in 2011 and won 2nd place out of 7,000 brewers for their Red Stick Rye. This beer has a nice malt and hop balance with a clean crisp finish. It features Carolina Rye malts which have grown in the south for over 200 years.

Doing some quality control at Southern Craft Brewing in Baton Rouge, LA

They continued entering more competitions locally and nationwide and eventually developed what would be their second flagship beer, the Pompous Pelican Double IPA. This is a really easy drinking Double IPA with a nice hop profile that doesn’t kill your pallet, but comes through nicely. It’s made with raw Louisiana cane sugar from the oldest sugar plantation in the country and Cascade hops giving it that floral aroma with hints of citrus and bit of spice. It may seem light, but don’t let that fool you. At 8%ABV this one is NOT made to pound back on a warm Louisiana day.

Southern Craft's Pompous Pelican Double IPA

Now, after years of homebrewing, the guys have finally realized their dream of opening their own brewery located at the Barringer Foreman Technology Park on Airline Highway (the last building in the back). Complete with a very nice taproom that’s small in size, but very open and inviting the doors open every Friday at 5pm and tours are at 6 and 7pm.

The taproom at Southern Craft located in the Barringer Foreman Technology Park on Airline Hwy.

Both flagships are on tap as well as their first seasonal, the Swamp Sting Honey Ale along with other experimental brews. If you’re lucky you may get a chance to try their oatmeal stout collaboration brew with Cafeciteaux Coffee Roasters. Trust me, it’s delicious.

I’m happy to see that Baton Rouge is embracing another craft brewery and hopefully this will be the beginning of many more to follow. Cheers!