List of breweries in Louisiana facts for kids

A beautiful stained glass panel from the Jackson Brewing Company in New Orleans.

Breweries are places where beer is made. In Louisiana, many different types of breweries create a wide variety of beers. These beers are sold in Louisiana, across the region, and even all over the country. Breweries come in many sizes, from very small ones called nanobreweries to larger ones known as microbreweries, and even huge companies that make a lot of beer.

In 2014, Louisiana had 37 breweries and brewpubs. These businesses, along with places that distribute and sell beer, created jobs for over 15,000 people directly. Many more people worked in related jobs, like supplying ingredients or machinery to the breweries. The brewing industry in Louisiana also brought in a lot of money in taxes, over $380 million, which helps the state.

History of Brewing in Louisiana

The Abita Brewing Company, a modern craft brewery.

For a long time, especially in the 1800s and 1900s, New Orleans was the main center for breweries in Louisiana. The very first place to make beer in New Orleans was called La Brassiere, built by Pierre Dreux in January 1723.

Over the years, many famous breweries opened in New Orleans:

• In 1852, Louis and Samuel Fasnacht started Fasnacht Brewery.
• The New Orleans Brewing Association began in 1890. It was formed when six smaller breweries joined together.
• Other well-known breweries included Jackson Brewing Co. (1890), American Brewing Co. (1891), Dixie Brewing Co. (1907), and Falstaff Brewing Corp. (1936).

A new chapter for brewing in Louisiana started in 1986 with the opening of the Abita Brewing Company. This brewery helped kick off a trend across the country where many smaller, independent breweries, known as craft breweries, began to open. Since the early 2000s, many more craft breweries have started up all over Louisiana.

Louisiana's Breweries Today

Dixie Beer, a historic Louisiana brand.

The Gnarly Barley Brewing Company in Hammond.

Today, Louisiana is home to many active breweries. They include different types:

• Microbreweries: These are small breweries that make a limited amount of beer.
• Brewpubs: These places brew beer on-site and also have a restaurant or taproom where you can buy and drink their beer.
• Regional Breweries: These are larger craft breweries that sell their beer over a wider area.

Here is a list of some of the breweries you can find in Louisiana:

Closed Breweries

The New Orleans Brewing Association Brewery (1890–1899).

A map showing the New Orleans Brewing Association Brewery in 1896.

The Jackson Brewery building in New Orleans in 1976.

The original Dixie Brewery on Tulane Avenue in 1907.

The Falstaff Brewery building, now repurposed.

Over time, some breweries in Louisiana have closed down. This can happen for many reasons, like changes in the economy, new competition, or shifts in what people want to buy. Here are some of the breweries that are no longer operating:

See also

• Beer in the United States
• List of microbreweries
• List of cideries in the United States
• List of defunct breweries in the United States