Louisiana Winter Beer Fest

Bob and I aren't super big beer drinkers, but we enjoy a good brew now and then. We like to try new beers and find new favorites. I have a very narrow range of beers I appreciate, so it's especially exciting for me to find one I like a lot. When we heard about the first ever Louisiana Winter Beer Fest, I promptly bought tickets. And good thing I did. They sold out 700 tickets in no time. Proceeds benefit the Lake Charles Symphony, so it's for a great cause!

Bob and I know the event organizer, Nick Villaume. Even the day of the event, he was putting out a call for more volunteers to help out. Bob and I said sure, why not. Could be fun. So we were the “pourers” for Bayou Teche Brewery. Our new friend Karlos brought three of their several brews; a belgian pale ale he says is their number one seller, a "noire" or black beer, and a french farm style beer called Acadie. The Acadie was the most popular one we poured. Everyone seemed to like it. Maybe, I think, because I told everyone it was my favorite.

After our volunteer shift was over, Bob and I made our rounds to all the tents. Twenty-three craft breweries from Louisiana and around the country and a couple from Europe were present, offering a total of 71 different beers. IPAs were very popular. Good for Bob (who prefers IPAs), not so good for me. I don't like the "hoppy" beers. Chocolate and coffee stouts were also well represented. While the concept thrills me, I found most of them to be too bitter for my tastes. I was disappointed that no one offered a ginger beer. I love ginger beer.

So, after tasting A LOT of beers, I narrowed down my favorites. I liked NOLA Brown Ale and Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar. But my very favorite was Sierra Blanca Alien Amber Ale. I could have stood in front of that table and just had the guy refill my glass over and over. Actually, I did that for a bit.

In addition to all those beers for the "regular" ticket holders, there was a VIP area with sixteen more craft brews and home brews offered. I didn't have one of those tickets.

There were several super food vendors at the event. My new Jamaican friends from TasteRite were there. (Look for them in a new post soon.) We had a fantastic pulled pork and slaw sandwich and bread pudding with blackberry sauce from Luna's and some boudin balls from Pujo St. Cafe.

There were two bands who entertained fest-goers. Bob and I especially enjoy the first band, Beau G's Band of Ojin. I wanted to buy a CD, but when we talked to one of the bandmates, we discovered they'd only been together a couple weeks and had no CDs.

One of the perks of volunteering is the privilege to attend the volunteer after party. Well, after a couple hours of sampling, the crowds and noise, not to mention the alcohol, were getting to me. We didn't stick around till the very end. Maybe next year . . . 

Great job, Nick!

So, what's your favorite beer?

Saint Arnold's Brewery, Houston

Three things define a craft brewery. 1. The brewery can produce no more than 6 million barrels annually. 2. The brewery must be independently owned. 3. No corn or rice can be used in the process.

I learned all this during a recent tour of St. Arnold’s Brewery in Houston, Texas. 

When you enter the brewery, you are greeted by this image of St. Arnold, who is the patron saint of breweries. Way back in the late 500’s A.D., St. Arnold discovered that people who drank beer were healthier than people who drank only water. The fact that the water was contaminated with sewage may have had something to do with that, but nonetheless, dear Arnold encouraged people to imbibe liberally.

After you greet St. Arnold, you walk upstairs, and for an $8.00 fee, you receive four tokens, redeemable for four full-size samples of their beers, a souvenir glass, and an informative and entertaining tour of the brewery. (Good deal, in my estimation!) I don’t know if it is always this busy, but on the day I was there, the place was packed!

While you are sipping beer and waiting for your tour, peruse the murals on the wall, humorously depicting St. Arnold during the beer making process.

So, this is what I learned on the tour. St. Arnold’s Brewing Company is nineteen years old and is the oldest craft brewery in Texas. Which goes to show craft beers haven't been around all that long. They produce about 50,000 barrels a year, which sounds like a lot, but actually, it’s a small brewery. They focus on quality.

First, barley is malted – they stir it, dry it, roast it (levels of roasting determines flavor). Then crush it and mix with water at 150 degrees, called a mash. This converts the starch to sugar. Then they separate the liquid from the solids and send the solids to pig farmers and compost folks. They boil the liquid and add various types of hops at various points in the brew process. This also determines flavor. The mixture is sent to a whirlpool, spinning out particulates. Then the liquid is cooled. Next step is to add yeast, to begin the fermentation process. But what kind of yeast? Well, is it an ale or a lager? The difference (I did not know this prior to the tour) is that ales use yeasts which ferment at warmer temperatures and lagers use yeasts which ferment at much cooler temperatures, giving the beer a crisp clean finish.

During fermentation, the yeast eats the sugar, creating CO2 and alcohol. The beer is filtered and packaged into either kegs or bottles. And kept cold at all times, both while stored and shipped. And hopefully at the store. And certainly at your home. And never ever use a frosty mug! Craft beer, while chilled, should not be consumed at an overly cold temperature for best flavor.

I’m pretty picky when it comes to beers. I prefer a sweeter dark beer. My favorites at St. Arnold’s were Santo and Brown Ale. What’s your favorite beer?