When Lindsay and I announced our plans to return home from DC to build the first brewery in Shreveport since Prohibition, we often got the same question: why?

The answer back then was simple. We were both disappointed with the lack of variety and quality of beer available in and coming out of the great state we once called home. We had a holiday routine of returning home to see friends and family, buy a bunch of Victory, Dogfish and Allagash and ship it all home to get us through the holidays. That was roughly 8 years ago and is now something I can proudly say is no longer required for folks visiting Louisiana. In the case of hazy styles, we are crushing it. Here are a few examples.

Tin Roof took home a gold (as in the best) at the 2018 Great American Beer Fest last fall for their VooDoo Pale Ale in the Juicy / Hazy Pale Ale category. The kicker? This was a brand-new category and extremely competitive at 132 entries.

Parish Ghost in the Machine remains one of the most sought-after IPAs in the south. Still extremely relevant. Still delicious. Perfectly hoppy, hazy, and drinkable. Oh yeah, Bloom and Nova Vert are extremely well-brewed and on par with some of the best in the country.

Courtyard Collaborations – Courtyard has roots in San Diego and we get to reap the benefits of Scott’s relationships with brewers there and around the country. The Courtyard team has brewed with Modern Times, Finback and Cerebral. No matter when you stop by Courtyard, you are going to find something hazy and crushable.

Gnarly Barley has been recognized as one of the fastest growing breweries in America two years in a row. Juicifer has a big part to do with that. It’s wild success speaks to the quality of their hop game and is hard to miss anywhere in South Louisiana.

What’s next? I think a continued exploration of the style and a focus on quality is in order. These styles are easy to do, but incredibly hard to do well consistently. Louisiana breweries have grown in leaps and bounds overall, particularly within this broad “hazy” style of beers With a diverse set of hazy offerings, we have quickly made a name for ourselves. Drink up Louisiana.

Wanna learn more about the hazy / hoppy offerings in the Great Raft portfolio? Click here.