Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport has announced a new flagship beer: 318 Golden Ale.

318 will be the first new flagship brew since the opening of Great Raft in December of 2013 – joining Southern Drawl, Reasonably Corrupt, and Commotion. The golden ale will be exclusively sold in the 318 area code which includes the cities of Alexandria, Bossier City, Minden, Monroe, Natchitoches, Ruston, and Shreveport along with a large swath of North Louisiana above I-10.

The beer will be brewed with Hummer & Son Louisiana honey and is described as “a light and refreshing ale” that’s “balanced and approachable” which is key for craft brewers who are trying to grow market share by chopping away at national brewery mainstays.

Great Raft Brewing opened in December of 2013 – the first brewery in Shreveport since prohibition. Founders Andrew and Lindsay Nations moved home from Washington D.C. in early 2012 to start GRB after lamenting the lack of a craft brewery in Shreveport while visiting relatives for the holiday. Now Great Raft has become a mainstay when others come home to visit family and friends.

To launch 318, the team at GRB is pulling out all the stops with a slew of events across Shreveport and Bossier City, partnering with local businesses in March – the third month of ’18. Clever timing. Here’s looking to March 1st for a first taste of the future of Great Raft.

318: Golden Ale Release Events

Thursday, 3/1

318 Launch at

Great Raft Tasting Room

Friday, 3/2

FREE 318 Sampling at

Brookshire’s on Line Avenue.

(4-6 PM)

Friday, 3/2

$3 318 cans at Strange Brew

Saturday, 3/3

Keep the Pint Night at Pizza Rev

Monday, 3/5

318 Pint Night and Pizza Pairing

at Frank’s

Wednesday, 3/7

$2 cans of 318 at Marilynn’s Place

Louisiana Night

Saturday, 3/10

Twisted Root Bossier

Sunday, 3/18

318 Day at Marilynn’s Place

Saturday, 3/24

3.18 Mile Road Race at Crawfest

Tuesday, 3/27

Refined Redneck Beer Dinner

at Zocolo

For more information, visit greatraftbrewery.com and 318beer.com.