E-Malt.com News article: USA, LA: Courtyard Brewery one of many breweries coming to New Orleans

Early next year in the Lower Garden District in New Orleans, Scott Wood and his wife Lindsay Hellwig plan to open Courtyard Brewery: a "nano brewery" with a tap room, reported Nola.com on October 25. Both of those terms might require an explanation.

"A nano brewery is kind of a loose definition," Wood said. "Anything from three to four barrels and under is considered a nano brewery."

Courtyard Brewery will initially have a three-barrel brewing system. One barrel holds 31 gallons. By comparison, nearby NOLA Brewing has a 20-barrel brewing system.

The tap room at the Courtyard Brewery, Wood said, won't be a bar. Instead, it will be a tasting room, with a rotating selection of six to eight Courtyard beers along with four to six "guest" beers from other breweries. Small samples and full glasses can be ordered. Wood compared it to a tasting room at a winery.

There are more than 200 similar tap rooms around the country, Wood said. Legally, Courtyard's tap room will be different from the tap rooms now open at production breweries, such as NOLA and Broussard's Parish.

Louisiana law allows breweries to sell 10 percent of the beer they produce on premise. Courtyard's tap room, at least initially, will be the only place to buy its beers, although growler jugs can be filled for at-home consumption.

Courtyard Brewery has leased a warehouse at 1020 Erato St. On October 21, Wood and Lindsay presented their project to neighbors in the Lower Garden District, reported Uptown Messenger. The neighbors were receptive, but asked that go-cups not be allowed.

The nano brewery model lets Courtyard be nimble. Because they will make small batches, they can change the recipes frequently. Since at least initially none of the beers will be bottled, Courtyard also doesn't need federal label approval for each new beer.

"I brew a lot of different styles," Wood said. "Lindsay and I really love hoppy beers and Belgiums."

They plan to build a barrel aging room six to nine months after opening.

Wood worked in San Diego's beer industry before moving to New Orleans. Hellwig is as an interior designer at Tulane.

The Courtyard Brewery should open in February or March 2014.

Here is an update about other breweries on the horizon:

40 Arpent: Construction issues delayed the opening of this Old Arabi brewery by about three months. The federal application for brewing was also accepted for review one day before the government shutdown, which added another setback. Owner Michael Naquin said his best case scenario was a December launch. His worst case scenario was February 2014.

Cajun Fire: The brewery is currently looking for a location. It recently received an IDEAxcelerator grant from the Idea Village. The brewery hopes to launch within a year.

Gnarly Barley: The north shore brewery west of Hammond will receive its brewing system in the next couple of weeks. If all goes as plan, Gnarly Barley will have beer in the tanks by January and be on sale by early 2014.

Mudbug: The Thibodaux brewery has its federal brewing permits and is waiting on its construction permits. Mudbug hopes to release its King Cake Ale in time for Mardi Gras 2014, March 4.


30 October, 2013