In Outliers, author and sociologist Malcolm Gladwell claims it takes 10,000 hours of practice before you can become an expert at anything. The way Tin Roof Brewing Company co-owner Charles Caldwell tells it, 150 gallons and more than a year of recipe-refining were needed before his company’s first retail keg could roll out of the new microbrewery on Nicholson Drive near downtown. After a few years spent studying microbrews and working in the industry, the Natchez native has partnered with longtime friend William McGehee and brewery veteran Todd Hicks to give Baton Rouge session beers: those crafted to achieve a balance between hop and malt flavors, and containing no more than 5% alcohol. For these reasons, you can drink more than one in a “session” without being overwhelmed by the flavors or their punch. Hicks says Tin Roof’s will be smooth and malt-forward. The brewery’s flagship brands are a citrus-infused amber called Perfect Tin and a specialty pale ale called Voodoo Bengal with a not-so-secret ingredient. “We use Louisiana cane sugar,” Caldwell says. “There really isn’t a category for that one. But that’s what we want to do: offer something that’s familiar to Baton Rouge tastes but also unique.” Starting this month, Tin Roof will be on draft at select area bars and restaurants. For a complete list and more information, visit tinroofbeer.com. —Jeff Roedel
Tin Roof Brewery ‘hops’ to life
