National Beer Day is Saturday, April 7. And what better way to mark the occasion than by drinking local at a Baton Rouge brewery’s two-year anniversary party?
Southern Craft Brewing Company made its Baton Rouge debut April 2016 at the Zapp’s International Beer Fest with its Pompous Pelican and Red Stick Rye beers. The owners have come a long way since then.
Wes Hedges and Joe Picou quickly grew the brand’s product lineup to include Swamp Sting, Hyla, the seasonal Citeaux (coffee oatmeal stout) and a variety of small-batch brews. We talked to both owners for our February 2018 cover story on Baton Rouge’s growing beer scene. In addition to establishing a local presence in Baton Rouge bars and restaurants, the pair also expanded Southern Craft’s reach to include Lafayette, the Houma/Thibodaux area and the Northshore from Denham Springs to Slidell. By the end of this year, they hope to expand into New Orleans as well.
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Just a few months ago, Southern Craft released canned versions of its four flagship beers, now available in most local grocery stores. Picou and Hedges expect to push can distribution out to Southern Craft’s other Louisiana markets throughout the year, adding their seasonal and specialty beers to the canning line in the process.
“Quite honestly, we underestimated the demand and quickly ran out of canned beer, and we saw our production ramp up very quickly to get inventory back up,” Picou says. “It was a very exciting time and a very pleasant reaction to having the cans out there.”
They are currently testing out pilot batches for an upcoming fifth flagship brew: Fourth Tier. Named for the consumer sector of Louisiana’s three-tier alcohol distribution system, Fourth Tier will be a hazy, juicy IPA packed with tropical hops and stone fruit flavors.
“Every beer is brewed for the consumer, but Fourth Tier was really inspired by the consumers and is a shoutout to our fans,” Picou says.
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While the brewery team is still finalizing a recipe, consumers can sample pilot batches of Fourth Tier in the Southern Craft taproom. These batches will also be available at a number of beer-related events this month, including Zapp’s International Beer Fest on April 14 and the Matt Flynn Invitational Golf Tournament benefiting Heritage Ranch on April 24.
If you can’t wait that long, head over to Southern Craft’s Two-Year Anniversary Party this Saturday, April 7, 1-9 p.m. The brewery party includes live music from Katie Kenney & Jordan Babin and Mighty Brother, as well as food from Secret Lair Taqueria and Geaux Cuban. Admission, which includes an 8-ounce Southern Craft anniversary souvenir glass and six beer pours, is $20 before the event and $25 at the door.
Southern Craft is at 14141 Airline Highway, #4J. See the full event details and purchase tickets here.