Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne discusses the Craft Brewery Trail

For the first time, the seven big names in Louisiana craft beer were under one roof Monday as Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne unveiled the state Craft Brewery Trail.

The trail is a guide for visitors to Louisiana’s craft breweries—from New Orleans to Arnaudville—and will include two more breweries from Shreveport in the future.

Representatives from NOLA Brewing, Abita Brewing Company, Chafunkta Brewing Company, Bayou Teche Brewery, Parish Brewing Co. and Covington Brewhouse all gathered at Tin Roof’s warehouse to offer samples of their signature beers as Dardenne spoke on the trail.

“It’s great to get these beer crafters together,” Dardenne said. “This is the perfect way to connect our state’s passions for food and seafood, allowing visitors to go around the state and discover Louisiana craft beers.”

The heat inside Tin Roof’s warehouse was perfect beer-drinking weather, Dardenne joked.

“I’m an occasional beer drinker,” he says. “I don’t have a very discerning palette when it comes to beer, coffee or wine. But I started trying these Louisiana brews to support the cause.”

Dardenne says his interest started while on a trip to France with the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) last year. During the visit, Dardenne found out about Bayou Teche Brewing, as the Arnaudville craft brewery also had representatives along for the ride.

“We became more and more aware of the presence of these breweries,” he says. “We knew about Abita. In Baton Rouge, we knew about Tin Roof. Then, we started becoming aware of Covington Brewhouse, NOLA Brewing and all the others. We thought this would lend itself to an interesting program for a growing industry in Louisiana and nationwide. Travelers are interested in authenticity, and this is an authentic slice of Louisiana.”

After Monday’s announcement, Dardenne stuck around to try some of the beers, including NOLA’s Brown Ale, Bayou Teche’s Barrel Aged Honey Beer, Chafunkta’s Kingfish Ale, an Abita Amber, Parish Canebrake, Covington Brewhouse’s Strawberry Ale and the Tin Roof Perfect Tin.

“I’m glad this isn’t the type of thing where I have to pick a winner,” he says. “They’re all good. What I’ve noticed is that all these craft brews are distinctly different than if I was drinking a Bud Light, Coors Light or Rolling Rock. They’ve all been a treat.” —Matthew Sigur