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By Root 1195 0

the beer weak and home brew kettles dry (Alabama and Mississippi are the last two U.S. states to still ban home brewing as of 2011), it seemed good beer might never really arrive in the Deep South, much less reweave the social fabric as it has in cities like Philly, Portland, and San Diego. There was—and surely still is, in some dustier corners—a sense that craft beer might not really make sense. There’s something about the South that calls for beers to come in a red plastic cup, very cold and very light, or, lacking such a distinguished vessel, simply canned and at least half cold, especially on a hot day. The late, great Mississippi writer Larry Brown’s imagery (and preferred method) of drinking beer—while blasting Robert Earl Keen with empties clanging around in the back of an old beater and hauling down some country road—seems more apt.

And yet the art of craft beer has well and truly arrived in the South. Brewing is nothing if not social, and there’s no better match to a spicy pulled pork po’boy than a crisp craft-brewed Pilsner. From ambitious new breweries in Asheville and new beer bars in New Orleans, the former “brewing capital of the South,” to the anodyne, palm-lined byways of South Florida, it’s becoming one of the country’s most interesting regions when it comes to craft beer.

Louisiana

THE REBIRTH OF LOUISIANA’S BEER SCENE IS THE SOUTH’S STRONGESTevidence for the good beer revolution. What had been gathering steam before the deluge of Katrina—the growth of a home-brewing scene centered around Brew Ha Ha, a supply shop owned by a man named Mike “Elvis” Karnowski; Cooter Brown’s beer bar (a multi-tap tavern widening horizons); and the regional presence of Abita Brewing Company—was destined to come back, even if Elvis himself was no longer in the building (he moved North).

Even as government bureaucrats bicker about alcohol strength caps and home-brewing laws, the land of fizzy yellow water is going big for the good-beer gumbo—and reviving a proud brewing past. Warning: There is a distinct danger of packing on a few pounds. If the beers don’t give you some extra padding around the middle, the soulful food will. And that’s perfectly all right.

ITINERARIES

1 – DAY

Nola Brewing Co., Lüke, Avenue Pub, Cooter Brown’s, Maple Leaf Bar

3 – DAY

One-day itinerary plus the Bulldog, D.B.A., and Crescent City Brewhouse

7 – DAY

Three-day itinerary plus Abita Brewing Co., Heiner Brau, and Bayou Teche Brewing Co.

New Orleans

THE AVENUE PUB

1732 St. Charles Ave. • New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 586–9243 • avenuepub.com • Established: 1989

SCENE & STORY

It’s not necessary to call ahead or plan your visit to New Orleans’ best beer bar because it never closes—ever. It has been said that the world-class beer bar in the Lower Garden district, open 24–7 every day of the year, doesn’t even have locks on the doors. Owner Polly Watts took over and rechristened the place in 2006 after her father died and turned this once seedier spot into a real destination for beer lovers everywhere. The charming, slightly ramshackle building overlooking St. Charles dates back to the 1840s and boasts a huge wraparound upstairs porch, making it a coveted spot during Mardi Gras, as the parade passes directly by. On the first level several black chalkboards dense with American craft beers (and some truly wonderful imports) frame a relatively narrow bar area with seating nearby. A stairwell leads up to a coffee house–esque room with antique furniture, framed pictures, and the second bar area with its own menu.

The selection of a few dozen bottles is the most inspired in Louisiana, and there are real finds among the tap list of forty-seven rotating brands. Then there’s the friendly, ultraknowledgeable staff and chilled out locals enjoying a quiet drink at the bar. Last but not least is the excellent—and very affordable—bar food, which is far more advanced than the quotidian menu item names would suggest. The grilled cheese turns out to be a ridiculously gooey-good combo of drunken goat cheese, sharp cheddar, and