Featured photo: A busy patio at Flying Heart Brewing in Bossier City.
Louisiana Craft Brewers Week returns, Sept. 17-23, 2017, and several Shreveport-Bossier breweries, bars and restaurants are hosting special events to celebrate local and regional craft beer. While there are events almost every night at some places – namely the Twisted Root Burger Co. locations in Shreveport and Bossier City as well as the Shreveport location of Rotolo’s Pizzeria – the following nine events struck me as some of the most exciting of the week.
However you choose to celebrate Louisiana Craft Brewers Week, please celebrate responsibly and please don’t drink and drive!
1. Louisiana Craft Beer Week Kick-Off Brunch at Flying Heart Brewing
Sunday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Facebook event
Sunday, Sept. 17 appears to be the quiet before the storm. Flying Heart Brewing’s jazz brunch, with bottomless beer, live music by Michael Susano and food catered by The Wooden Spoon, is the only LACBW event that I could track down on the first official day of this statewide celebration.
2. 31 Louisiana Craft Beers on Tap at Rotolo’s Pizzeria Shreveport
Monday, Sept. 18, Time Unlisted
Facebook event
“We will have 31 Louisiana craft beers on tap at Rotolo’s Pizzeria Shreveport…”
Am I reading that correctly? If so, this’ll be the most Louisiana-brewed beer on tap that I’ve ever seen in one place, at the same time, anywhere in Shreveport-Bossier. The Facebook event indicates that they’ll be revealing the full, epic line-up sometime soon.
3. Great Raft “Oceans Between Us” Launch & Vertical Tap Takeover at Twisted Root Burger Co. – Shreveport
Tuesday, Sept. 19, 6-10 p.m.
Facebook event
As Great Raft Brewing releases the fifth batch of their Oceans Between Us IPA, they’ll host a tap takeover at Twisted Root Burger Co. and pour the three most recent versions of the beer. This is a unique opportunity for serious beer people to nerd out over the details and do a “vertical tasting” of three editions of the same beer.
4. Craft Beer Week Brewoga at Red River Brewing Company
Wednesday, Sept. 20, 5:45-8 p.m.
Facebook event
The only event that I could find for Red River Brewing Company during LACBW, this yoga class will include free food samples from Prepared Nutrition, an essential oils demo and a free beer to boot. Tickets are $12-$20, depending on who you are and when you purchase. Lots more details in the Facebook event.
5. Bayou Teche Tap Takeover at Rotolo’s Pizzeria Shreveport
Thursday, Sept. 21, Time Unlisted
Facebook event
Arnaudville, Louisiana’s Bayou Teche Brewing will make the trek north to pour four beers with the president of the company in attendance. Beers being poured include: Saison D’Ecrevisses, Bayou Techeticles (a triple IPA), Walking Dead and Swamp Thing.
6. Parish in the Port City at Twisted Root Burger Co. – Shreveport
Thursday, Sept. 21, 6-10 p.m.
Facebook event
Arguably South Louisiana’s most-respected brewery, Parish Brewing Company will be pouring several beers – including some that “rarely leave the tap room” – and giving away free t-shirts, glassware, etc. Highlights of the beer list include a double dry hopped version of their popular Envie APA as well as “The Fuzz,” a peach/vanilla version of Canebreak wheat ale.
7. Cultivate the 318: A Celebration of Local Food and Beer at Great Raft Brewing
Thursday, Sept. 21, 4-9 p.m.
Facebook event
Chef Hardette Harris will be serving menu items prepared using products from Mahaffey Farms and Great Raft Brewing will be suggesting pairings for each item on the menu. Pair a bowl of curry chicken and purple hull peas with a Viva! Belgian wit and call it a day.
8. Flying Tiger Tap Takeover at Twisted Root Burger Co. – Shreveport
Friday, Sept. 22, 6-10 p.m.
Facebook event
Flying Tiger Brewery of Monroe will be on-hand pouring their flagship beers, Heroic Hops and Burma Blonde, as well as a small batch double IPA called Final Resting Place. Fying Tiger partner and brewer, James Simpson, will be available to answer questions. More details in the Facebook event.
9. Beer and Taco Pairing at Flying Heart Brewing
Saturday, Sept. 23, 3:30-10 p.m.
Facebook event
The People’s Market of Bossier City will be preparing tacos for beer-and-taco flights all day, and Flying Heart will unveil a seasonal collaboration brew created in partnership with West Monroe’s Ouchita Brewing Company. The seasonal brew is a coconut “wee heavy” (a Scotch ale).
Like Flying Heart Brewing on Facebook.
Like Great Raft Brewing on Facebook.
Like Red River Brewing Company on Facebook.
