Had to do a brewery tour while here. Luckily we got there early so I scored a table in the pour room while hubby stood in line for drinks. The room filled up rather quickly and we shared our table with a young couple from Cali. As in most breweries you gotta wear light clothing because it turns into a sauna as more and more people file in. My favorites were the blonde and the Hopitoulas. The best part of the tour was not doing the tour and hanging out in the pour room the entire time. That's right. Louisiana breweries rock! No drink tickets and full pours. The beer line moved quickly and hubs got to shoot the shit with one of the brewmasters about ATX breweries. (Uy! Uy! We're from Austin!) They have a food truck and that time it was NOLA Foods. That grill master has got those BBQ scrimps on lock! $5 for your souvenir glass. Pow!
(5)
Bonnie R.
Just tried the latest release: Muses Belgian at Superior Seafood. LOVED it!! Hope you will do more specialty, seasonal stuff in the future!!
(5)
Thomas W.
NOLA was on our (actually my) list of places to see/do in New Orleans. What great beers; especially the Hopatoullas---rivals many So Cal micro brews---even better than Stone or Ballast Point...! Was really stoked when we went to Jacques Imo's for dinner and yup, they had "The Hop" in cold cans---nothin' better than a cold Hop with stuffed catfish. The following night in New Iberia, found The Hop in a grocery store and had to buy a 4-pak to go along with one of the best Po Boy's I've ever eaten---get yo-self a 4 of The Hop and an over-stuffed Po Boy from the Bon Creole Lunch Counter and enjoy life.
(5)
Anthony J.
The bartender was friendly, made the adventure with her knowledge of beer, the history of the organization and the history of New Orleans. Plus a Florida girl. Must visit if you are with 150 miles.....
(5)
Nick A.
Sampled 3 beers my fav being "Rebirth Ale"? i think was the name...none of brews were that great but this was nice & citrusy + hoppy The one modern drinking/lounge room was very laid back, had a few nice tv's & local artwork..didnt get to see the rest of the brewery but seen 3 seen them all..It's worth a visit & even a re visit
(3)
David C.
Two words: free beer. They have a free beer tasting several times a month on Friday afternoons, and I went yesterday with a couple of friends for the first time. I was impressed by the festive atmosphere that they tried to cultivate, particularly with their cornhole set up. I would recommend that if and when you occasion a tasting that you put a couple of bucks in the tip jar, because businesses should be encouraged to continue to offer low-cost events like this and not have to put themselves over a barrel to do so.
(5)
Alison B.
We pass this place on Tchoupitoulas on our way to and from my mom's house, the Rouse's and Walmart. Oftentimes, Lost Boy and I ponder how we'd rather be sitting at the picnic tables outside with the other patrons, sipping multi-colored amber hued beers and watching the traffic inch by. So one day we did it--we threw caution to our underemployed winds and stopped by uptown's Nola Paddleboards (they've moved to mid-city and you must call ahead to secure paddleboards at the uptown Magazine location) and then moved swiftly to the second on our list of "fuckit" fun items--Nola Brewery! I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of their Hurricane Saison--to me, it's one too many aromatic crowding the already small room of my pint glass. But I wanted to try a little more of their wide array. We were an hour late for the tour, so we treated it like a proper bar and ordered a flight of Blueberry IPA, GirlStout Cookie, Chocolate Stout, and Rumplestoutskin. Disclaimer: Before Lost Boy, I would have found this selection obnoxious and nauseating. But he turned me on to Young's Chocolate Stout, which was my gateway drug to chocolate infused beers. And sort of my yard stick for chocolate beers--is it chocolatey, not Hershey's syrupy-sweet? Now that you know where I'm coming from: I thought the Girl Stout Cookie (which might be promoted from seasonal to regular, says the barkeep) was noteworthy because, admirably, it did not ape dessert, but channeled it. A fine line! Smoky Mary: Whoa! a "German Rauchbier" Smoky wood wasn't cloying or overwhelming. Unlike the "Holy Smoke" cocktail I decided to order at Cure a few nights later (thus ending my autumnal liquid smoke consumer chapter). Liked it a lot! They say pairs well with BBQ but I wonder if a hearty salad would showcase it's smokiness better....hmm. Admittedly, Blueberry IPA was at a disadvantage, as our palates were stout-centric, and I don't know that I had the ability to pick up blueberry, or what part of blueberry, in that sample. I'd try it again. Barkeeps were friendly. Rubbed shoulders with a dude who sits on the Culinary Society, which sounded very fancy, yet he chatted stouts with us like a regular joe. Excellent playlist of late 80's, early 90's hit made for a perfect fuckit Friday afternoon at Nola Brewery. We'll return!!
(4)
Emily W.
Love NOLA beer! The flavors are so good and so different. Personal favorites - Hurrican Saison and Smokey Mary.
(5)
Ron G.
Note to other breweries.. Free beer = 5 stars, period... With that said, the brews were tasty and the folks working the bar were cool. I plan on returning without a doubt.
(5)
Marielle S.
NOLA is a fantastic local brewery run by kind people who know their way around the hops. Really nice facility with a room full of all of the NOLA beer taps so that you can treat yourself to free samples every Friday at 2 during the brewery tour.
(5)
Paul V.
Wow. I was not expecting unlimited beer for $5 when I came here! Being used to breweries in Texas where you have tokens/fixed, small samples, this was an eye opening experience for me. We drove straight here when coming out to NOLA for a weekend, and fortunately timed our arrival perfectly to show up at 1:30pm on Friday. The line was already forming at this point, and we hopped onto it. Near 2pm, they opened the gate and everyone started shuffling in and paying their $5 for the glass and unlimited beer. We chose to skip trying to get a seat right off the bat in the little room and instead focused on our beer consumption. The little room was nice since it was air conditioned, but was incredibly loud and hard to have a conversation in. The open-air warehouse side wasn't too hot, and was much more pleasant on the ears. The had a lot of plastic portable chairs to sit on out there, so at least you didn't necessarily have to stand. The beer was great (I really liked their Saison and DIPA), and I never really got over the shock of being able to pour as much as I wanted for the entire time. We skipped the tour, but I wouldn't be opposed to doing it the next time I go. It was basically just a group of people standing around one of the employees off to one side, I noticed lots of people during it running back to the taps to top off their beer. It's definitely worth showing up to NOLA on a trip a little early on Friday to hit this spot. If you live in NOLA, I would certainly recommend taking a half day one Friday and making the trip!
(5)
Bert S.
I love this place. Maybe I'm just partial because I know a lot of people who work here, but I don't think that's the case. Let's review the facts: 1) They made the best local beer in my opinion. Hopitoulas is my go to pretty much when ever I'm out. Irish channel is my favorite stout (not really a stout guy though), Smoky Mary is the ONLY smoked beer I've ever liked and my wife will actually drink the brown ale (she doesn't drink beer). 2) If you show up at 2pm on Friday they will give you unlimited free beer. It usually lasts for about 2 hours. You can take a tour and ask all the questions you want or you can just hang around and talk to other beer lovers and NOLA employees. There's usually a food truck too. 3) This is a serious brewery. They have big plans and they ultimately want to see New Orleans become a major player in the beer scene. For instance, they recently brewed a beer with Stone brewery. 4) You won't drink fresher beer in New Orleans unless you make it. I think that about sums it up. Go to the brewery. Buy NOLA brews at bars and restaurants. Buy the cans of Blondes. Tell your neighbor.
(5)
Anastazia V.
I didn't actually get to go on the tour or try the beer. I checked the website and tried calling to see if the tour was still on for the day and it said it was. We arrived and were told it wasn't happening today. $50 in cab fare down the drain! PISSED! Worst experience of my trip to NEW ORLEANS so far!
(1)
Viv L.
My husband and I are beer lovers and look for local breweries wherever we travel. At first I didn't think there was a local brewery in Nola (FYI: Jackson Brewery does NOT brew their own beer). On a hot Saturday afternoon we decided to look for non-touristy things to do and found Nola Brewing here on yelp. It was a mission to get there from our hotel (JW Marriott on Canal street) we took the St. Charles street car and got off on 8th street. Walked a mile in the sweltering heat but finally arrived! The interior tap room is small, about 8 hightop tables and a bar, but it was dark, cool and there was a wide selection of beer. I don't recall the names of the beers we tried since we had about eight different kinds but they were all amazing. Next time we are in Nola we will be sure to visit again. Next time on a Friday as I have heard there is a free tour and free beer at 2pm.
(5)
Cindy R.
We went to the tour at 2pm, when you walk in they give you 2 chips per person so you can go to the bar and get 2 drinks. For the free drinks there is a limited selection but these are regular 12 oz cups of beer they give you not little samplers, which was great for the warehouse tour because its super hot in there. Getting your drinks can take a little while because its a pretty small bar. Overall the people who work there are knowledgeable and friendly, a must visit for any tourist.
(5)
Jill B.
My husband and I had NOLA on our list of "must visit" places during our recent trip to the Big Easy. We went in on a Monday night to a small but cheerful crowd. We both ordered beer flights so we could try several different brews and I was sure glad we did! Out of all the breweries we've been to lately, have to say NOLA is by far our favorite. We were highly impressed with all the beers we sampled. We will definitely be back but in the meantime we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of NOLA cans in our area!
(5)
Scott L.
One of the first things I do when traveling to a town is to find out who makes the good local beers. For our New Orleans trip, all of my research pointed to New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewery... or basically, NOLA Brewery. If you happen to be in town on a Friday, they do a tour almost every week (check their website) from 2pm-3pm that includes FREE BEER during the hour. We arrived just in time, they checked our ID's, handed us a cup, and we had it filled within minutes. The facility looks exactly like it should. It's a place that brews beer. A big open warehouse with supplies all around. If there is a tour going on, it will be CROWDED! Lots of folks, comprised mostly of kids in their 20's, will be everywhere. Games of corn hole, prevalent use of the word "Bro", and varying colognes and perfumes. It's alright, but a non-tour hour should cure most of that. As for the tour itself, we had a huge crowd and our guy did what he could, but it was hard to hear everything once you were in the main warehouse. Y'know, people tend to get rowdy when there's free beer around! You do have the option of not doing the tour and simply sampling beer for an hour, but I've never turned a tour down, even when they were in Japanese and I had no idea what they were saying. As for the beer, these guys are good! They're not spreading themselves to thin. They've come up with some good formulas, and they're experimenting just enough to come up with some new things. The free beers you can sample are going the be their most popular brews, but there was plenty of variety to choose from. Be sure to check out their Tap Room, which has even more of a selection. Some of their limited edition varieties will not be free, but once 3pm rolls around and the frat party is chased away, try a few out. Note that you can also get free beers in the Tap Room (it will be steamy in there), but the bartenders will have their hands on the menu at 2:59:59 and snatch it away a second later. No problem there. The crowd will thin out almost instantly. If you are staying near The French Quarter and don't have transportation, there is a #10 bus that picks up around Harrah's and will drop you off right in front of the brewery and vice versa. The Tchoupitoulas line seems to run quite erratic, though, so don't count on promptness. We elected to cab it there and take the bus back. I wouldn't recommend walking. Neighborhoods varied greatly in the area. If you end up a fan of the brewery and want a souvenir, be sure to ask a bartender. They had a rather large room with a good sampling of apparel, but nobody to monitor it, so the door remained locked unless you asked. They also sold cans and filled growlers if you want some liquid souvenirs. This is definitely worth the trip if you're a fan of beer. I'd say NOLA has the best brews in the area, but it's still not super-prevalent everywhere. Most bars lean towards Abita on draught and even if you find a good beer store, they may not have too many options. Your best bet it to head on out here, Friday or not, and try a few out!
(5)
Faith A.
This review is for the tasting room only! First of all, I love the little sample glasses they serve it in and yes, someone actually stands behind the bar and serves you. I like this for the reason that the person behind the bar is extremely passionate and knowledgeable of their brews and will gladly tell you everything you could ever want to know about what you are tasting. If I am going to a tasting room, I enjoy the learning process almost as much as the tasting, it adds so much to your experience and actually makes it more of an event than just throwing back a few brewskies.
(5)
Lauren R.
We stopped in after a long day of walking around the Audobon Zoo. Although they don't have an official tasting room (yet), nor were they giving tours on this day, they still welcomed us into the place and allowed us to sample all they had to offer. (and by sample I mean we were pouring our own pints from their personal kegs) We had the opportunity to hang with the staff and get a breakdown of the beers. They also recommended some great local spots for food. This made our trip. Wonderful, warm staff - great refreshing brews - cool merchandise.
(5)
Josh A.
The only brewery in NOLA proper. Puts out some good brews and the tour will fetch you free beer. Can't complain about that.
(4)
Mackenzie C.
We sadly weren't in town for the Friday free for all tour, but still wanted to come visit. So, we visited the taproom this last Saturday and couldn't have had a better time! There was great beer of course, but what made visiting so great was the guys running it. One of the brewers overheard that we were visiting from out of town and ended up talking beer with us for about 2 hours and giving us samples of tons of beers. The brewery is clearly their home/passion and they love showing people around and welcoming anyone and everyone. The brewery was by far the highlight of visiting New Orleans. These guys know what they are doing and their passion for it is insane.
(5)
Darcy A.
This is by far the best beer and the best Brewery Tour south of the 49th Parallel. MechaHopzilla and Hopitoulus are two of my favourite brews!
(5)
Arthur L.
Fridays - free tour + free beer?? if you like FREE BEER THEN GIMME A HELL YEAH! I mean, come on...its free beer. Who wouldn't like that? My favorite has to be the NOLA Blonde, but thats my own personal taste. I think the fact that they give free tour and free beer is great. Such an awesome good will gift to the customers and community because its something that just never heard of. I'm glad the people there are that awesome. And theres a variety of people that come but being that its during a Friday afternoon, most people with jobs and such can't really come. So you're likely to find college students and older retired folk. Enjoy yourself some cold beer and conversations with the buddies on your awesome Friday afternoons
(5)
Spenser K.
Seriously though, free tour with free beer? Who says no to that? Communists. That's who. More importantly, the staff is great, the beer is cold, delicious, and you can pour it yourself, and the people that show up are a great mix of locals, from young, hipster-type folk to older, fifty-years-in-the-city people. All in all, I had a great experience, and would recommend trying every beer they have to offer.
(5)
Scott T.
This place is really cool, so different from all the breweries around Southern California. They open the gates on Friday and you buy a NOLA pint glass and cruise around the brewery. They have a tasting bar area where bartenders will pour you one of the tasty brews, but they also have a self-serve area in the brewery section which was really awesome!!! The best part is it's all you drink for 2 hours! I can't imagine any brewery in California doing this! We were originally planning on going to Abita, but we were staying in the quarter and it was super difficult to get too. Luckily I stumbled across this place while researching Abita. It's a short cab ride from the quarter and they make great beer! I am a huge supporter of these guys after the trip, I wish we could get some of the Hopitoulas IPA or Flambeau Red in California!! I think they could do really well over here! I really can't say enough good things about these guys, wish they were open more like some of the tasting rooms in California but I'm guessing that will change eventually. MY GO-TO: Hopitoulas IPA or Flambeau Red, but it's so much fun to pour them all for yourself ;)
(5)
Clint J.
Nola's tour is one of the most informative that I have been on. The guide explained the entire brewing process in very non-brewer friendly terms. The free beer was a decent amount for a tour, but they are not kidding around about you only using your tokens until 3, but who cares about that when you can get free NOLA beer. They are one of the best small breweries I have experienced.
(4)
John L. H.
This is a review of the beer produced by Nola Brewery. I realize that Nola offers a tour and a tasting room. I bet those are lovely. Hell, I bet they even teach you about brewing beer, but guess what? I know how to brew beer. All I really care about is the beer itself, drinking said beer and how said beer makes me feel. The Beer - My two favorite brews are Hopitoulas (always available) and Irish Channel Stout (seasonal). The Hopitoulas is their main IPA offering and comes in large cans, or on draft. I never thought I would enjoy canned beer, but whatever they've developed for canning works well. Irish Channel Stout is dark, thick and oh so smooth. I have only found it on draft in local bars seasonally, but when I do, that is what I order. I like it even more than Guinness. Drinking - Drinking a beer brewed by Nola makes you proud to be a New Orleanian. When you snap a photo of your Hopitoulas and post it on Instagram you are likely to be asked a question. Most people will suggest that it is some rando beer from Portland or San Diego. I always reply by puffing out my chest and typing "Negative silly person. This is a world class photo of a world class beer: Nola Hopitoulas". They usually respond by blocking me, but you get the point. Feel - Drinking beer from Nola makes you happy. An argument could be made that drinking any beer makes you happy, but if you're in Nola, drink Nola. I like to think that Nola beer makes you even happier than other beers. I bet it has something to do with the brewery's proximity to the river. You can't get much more New Orleans than that. In summary, drink Nola Beer.
(5)
Randol H.
This is a must visit place in New Orleans. The bar isn't anything exciting in and of itself but they offer the complete line of the NOLA brewery's beers as well as specials and variations you can't find anywhere else. Beer from the tap is cheap starting at $3 a glass too! Cheap beer to take home, in cans or growlers and free beer and a factory tour on Friday afternoons from 2-3. Local food tucks, most recently La Cocona, make an appearance. A really great crowd gathers from around town, bringing their dogs and bicycles to hang out and have a really awesome town.
(5)
Hank S.
NOLA Brew is a very fun local brewery with a great staff. They will never be the next Sam Adams, but that's cool because I doubt they want that. NOLA Brew is a proud microbrewery. I have not had the chance to see the taproom, but I have toured the brewery twice and chatted with the owner and the brewmaster once. They are fun to learn from, and dedicated to their product. It's fun to watch them bicker about tiny things. If you like trying local beer, absolutely do the Friday tour.
(4)
Stephanie S.
Obviously great beer. Nice little place to hang out at and do a tasting... Theoretically. I went there and they weren't even at capacity but they still ran out of tasting cups. Kind of silly to not be super prepared at your own tasting room.
(3)
Roth M.
A group of friends and I went to NOLA to celebrate my dude's 40th birthday. I found this place online and thought Hell Yeah, and his actual birthday was on the day of the tour. He was all, "Ah, they're just gonna give you like a 4oz pour or something." I tried to tell him I didn't think so( from all the reviews I'd read), but he claimed to have wisdom of the aged, and stayed behind at the hotel I guess sitting in a rocking chair under a quilt. Another friend and I taxied out to the brewery, got to sample a bunch of hand crafted beers, pouring our own pints! Needless to say, he got a text message of the pic I uploaded here holding a pint of stout. He was pissed he didn't go! Of course we (being from Cincinnati) can't buy NOLA beers at home so we both bought some merch. The one complaint I would have was that the guy giving the tour might need a bull-horn or speakers or something, because with a large group like there was that day, we couldn't hear anything he was saying. No prob., we just got back in the beer line! oh, and accidentally the next day we went to The Bulldog on Magazine because their sidewalk sign said that they had the NOLA/Stone Brewing collaboration Porter still. (We were told at the brewery that there might be only a couple kegs of it left in all of the town). If it wasn't for the tour, we would have walked right on by, not even knowing the tastiness we were passing up!
(5)
Kelley M.
Almost every Friday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the NOLA Brewing Company opens its doors for a *free* brewery tour. Doors open at 1:45pm and close at 2:15pm. I recommend you get there a little early because it does tend to fill up fast. The Friday that we were there (back in April, because I'm that behind on reviews) it was actually so crowded that they skipped the tour and instead just encouraged people to drink for the hour. While we were interested in the tour, we were ok with that! You're given a full size cup and have access to all six NOLA brews. You can pretty much drink limitlessly for the hour, but that is dependent on how long the line for the taps is. Even with the large crowd, the waiting time was minimal. Everyone in our group had more than enough to drink and was very happy. The staff was really friendly and made us all feel very welcomed. Even though a formal tour wasn't offered, they were still willing to answer questions and show people around. There is also a small shop on site that sells NOLA Brewing Company merchandise like t-shirts, pint glasses, coasters, beer soap, can cooler tubes, etc. Definitely be sure to stop in; everything was reasonably priced. We went with my brother and his girlfriend who were visiting from out of state and all these months later they still mention what a great time we had. And remember, it's free! This is definitely "as good as it gets". Be sure to check the events section of the NOLA Brewing website before you go. Tours are offered most Fridays, but not all.
(5)
Ryan C.
Great local brewery serving up frosty drafts every Friday. Stellar tour with knowledgable brewmasters. Stop by at 2pm every Friday for a free beer tasting and a free tour of the facility.
(5)
Shannon S.
I''m not the biggest fan of NOLA Brewing beers but I do love beer. Typically at the bar the NOLA beers cost at least $1 or more than Abita beer so I love some Abita and usually go for that option instead of NOLA beers. With that caveat being said I have to say they do a really kick ass brew tour here if you're into drinking a lot of beer and getting to sample all the different brews NOLA makes. The tour here is far longer and more enjoyable than what you get to experience at the Abita Brewery tour but it isn't free like the Abita tour and you do have to pay $5 which gets you a glass to drink out of and take home. I definitely prefer the NOLA Brewing tour's superior format far more than the current Abita format as I was able to have a whole lot more fun and meet more interesting folks. Sadly I heard NOLA Brewing is planning on changing their current format at some point soon and they will possibly begin charging per beer so enjoy it while you can!
(3)
Scott G.
What a tour! Got there a bit early, but we weren't the first ones there. We were welcomed to grab a glass and shown the taps. They had all the varieties save the Hopitoulas, which was unfortunate because it's the only NOLA brew I have not had. It got really crowded, and since it was August, really hot, so we grabbed a couple of chairs and relaxed. Seemed like a lot of regulars show up on Friday afternoons. Not sure if they ever started a real tour, there seemed like there were probably over 100 people, so it would have been hard to hear them anyway.
(5)
Megan M.
I went here on a recent visit to my favorite city. At 2 PM on Fridays they have a beer tasting, which consists of full glasses of free beer in a bar atmosphere with tons of happy people. That, my friends, is difficult to beat. The tour is not difficult to beat - the guide tried valiantly, but he wasn't mic'd and no one could hear him. It also wasn't so much a "tour" as a casual "wander" through the small brewery. Which was fine. It's hard to complain with a glass of free beer in your hand. All-in-all a great experience.
(4)
Jennie J.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!!! Drink your beer straight from the source! Bar service is fast and very low key, well priced too. They could certainly invest a little more in the seating outside (the big circles of lawn chairs is kind of an awkward set up), maybe some more picnic tables?? It's just a few blocks from my house so I will certainly be a regular fixture there! Now if only they would invite a few food trucks....
(5)
Christine D.
This is an amazing little brewery pumpin' out quality New Orleans beer! They offer a popular NOLA blond ale, brown ale, hopitoulas, saison (in season), and the newest 7th street wheat. Go on Fridays for a free tour from vicepres Dylan and try all the beers for yourself!
(5)
Jeremy L.
It's so awesome to have a local brewery here in New Orleans that can actually make great beer. My favorite regular lineup is Hopitoulas and seasonal is Flambeau Red. On Fridays you can stop by the brewery at 2pm and get a tour of the brewery which is cool. Yeah but don't be that douche that just shows up just to get free beer every Friday though. It's kind of lame actually. The least you can do is actually support the brewery and buy some merchandise and buy their beer out at bars. SUPPORT LOCAL!!!
(5)
Liz B.
All you beer lovers out there better check out this brewery! Some friends of mine and I heard about the (apparently super secret) brewery tour and free tasting today and had a blast! When we entered the main office we were promptly greeted by intern, LJ, who very enthusiastically introduced himself and poured us some beers. After hanging out with the other 20 or so visitors, we headed into the warehouse and LJ explained the process. Very interesting to know that all of the used hops and barley are sent to local farms to be fed to the cattle. This brewery seems to really care about their carbon footprint, a plus in my book! Great opportunity to try all of their beers and meet some good people. I will totally come back again. P.S. - They also have a merchandise room filled with lots of goodies: t-shirts, pint glasses, beer scented soaps, etc.
(4)
Carla G.
NOLA Brewery was the first place we witnessed how different brewery tours/tastings are in Louisiana. Most breweries are required by their state liquor boards to pour the beer for the patrons and to tightly regulate how many beers each person has. Not so here. At their weekly tours (2:00 pm on Fridays), they pretty much let you pour your own unlimited free beer. You can take the tour if you want or not. They usually have a food truck available for nibbles too. The whole thing usually lasts for about 2 hours. Parking on the street is limited, but many people bike or cab there.
(4)
Erin R.
Free beer and tour Friday's from 2 to 3 pm! They open up the "garage door" and check your ID and hand you a cup...self serve taps with about 5 options.
(5)
G. B.
What a great company. They open their place every Friday, give you a nice tour, and then let everyone sample all their excellent beers for an hour. So.... you locals, be sure to buy their beer too (don't just drink the free stuff) and buy a tee shirt while you're at it. We were from south Florida, so unfortunately, we won't be able to get any of their beer. So........... have a few Hopitoulas' for us. Love em!
(5)
Jeff S.
mmmm.....beer! Being from Austin, TX & touring the local microbreweries there, I am used to having a limit on how much you're allowed at a tour. Not here! Louisiana is a whole other experience. You can have as much & as many as you want! It's awesome! $5 buys you a pint glass & the sky's the limit of how many you have. NOLA makes a very diverse range of beers so there's something for everyone. My favorite was the Mecha Hopzilla (8.7%ABV) Double IPA. If you find that to be a bit too strong, the Blonde is 3.7% & there's others varities that go up from there. The tasting room opens @ 2pm & stays open for approx 90 min. They do offer an actual tour & I can't really say how that went because we spent the entire time in the tasting room, as did the majority of the others there! Tip: Get there early, stand in line. The place fills up so fast you need to secure a table ASAP!
(5)
Karen T.
Amazing! Great beer choices, great experience! Went for Friday afternoon tour, popular destination so arrive on time. Expanding business, don't forget to ask for NOLA on tap or in cans around town.
(5)
Lynn T.
Two words: FREE BEER. I didn't believe my husband at first when he told me about NOLA. I mean, seriously... Who gives away free GOOD craft beer? Well, NOLA does. I had the Blonde and it was great. There was a big crowd but the facility was large enough that it was not so crowded. A must-stop if you are visiting New Orleans.
(5)
Kennith H.
No tour today. Came from Atlanta.Checked Facebook and their website no information about tour cancellation. At the Tap Room no information about cancellation. Was overlooked by the bar staff.I asked a female staff the the tour. She gave me none even when I told her I was from out of town. I came last year before this tap room was open. The beer is good no free tour beer today Friday September 11 2015. 2-3pm.
(2)
Davis J.
ATTENTION: For my 300th review, I want to praise something I hold near and dear to my heart. BEER. Fun fact, I like to drink. I know, big surprise (right Morgan?). Not only do I like to drink it but I also like to bathe in it. Why you ask? Because it's awesome, that's why. Now throw some bacon into said bath... and Ill never leave. Never. Ever. So why do I 5 star these renegades? Ill tell you why in 2 sweet little words: FREE BEER. I repeat, FREE BEER. And we ALL know what that spells out at my house: D-R-U-N-K. Every Friday. 2 - 3 PM. Rain or shine. Hotter than balls. Colder than a witches titty. Free Beer. Now lets be real here. How saucy do you think you can really get in 1 hour? I never really know? It is one of life's little secrets. One thing is for sure though, I always get my money's worth. Free Beer brings out all walks of life. College kids. Frat brahs. Hipsters. A couple homeless folk (but they do magic tricks to earn their keep). Beer enthusiasts. Unemployed individuals (cause who is actually free at 2pm on a weekday?). Food Trucks. ...and me and my lovely wife. So if you find yourself playing hooky at work or just generally bored on a Friday @ 2. Get your ass over to the Nola Brewery and enjoy some tasty and free beverages. This concludes my PSA. You're Welcome.
(5)
Andrew D.
The rest of the Bachelor Party & I were so stoked we were able to spend Friday Happy Hour at Nola Brewery! Good luck trying to find a brewery with free beer like this anywhere near Chicago... Tip the bartender, get free beer for two hours. What a novel idea! We meandered over here following a boozy 3-martini lunch at Commander's Palace and were not disappointed. The place was packed, and while we were stuck outside in the heat, it was totally worth it. The joint was crawlin' with pretty co-eds from Tulane (who knew, college kids like free beer!). We debated on doing the free tour, but just sat around drinking for free and shooting the shit, instead. My favorite beers were the Hopitoulas I.P.A. (after the street, got it...) and the Rebirth Pale Ale, which was the perfect dose of refreshment on a steamy, humid, Nola day. Great little Friday Happy Hour!
(5)
Edward C.
Great beer! Too bad they offer limited selections on cans and growler fills. The bar servers were a little rude when I ask questions about their beers, but I kept the stars high due to their taste and quality of beers.
(4)
Jude M.
Free Beer (Friday 2pm to 3pm) and Free Parking, this place is the best brewery in all of New Orleans! The staff is kind and helpful, they have a deck for everyone to go out onto while they are enjoying their beer, and did I mention the beer is really damn good?? If you're going to New Orleans, and want to experience the flavor of the city, definitely go here!
(5)
Stephen K.
Free beer AND free parking? Where is this mythical land? Apparently it exists every Friday at the NOLA brewery. I visited recently expecting to find 30 - 40 beer afficiandos interested in beer tasting and brewery tours. I don't know if attendance was influenced by Mardi Gras, but there had to be at least 300 people there. It was a beautiful winter day, 60 and sunny. The party had expanded from the tasting room into a couple of warehouses and outside into the courtyard. 5 beers were being served at two separate bars. There were lines, but they moved quickly. Good job by all the folks pouring beer. There was a food truck doing a brisk business. The crowd was eclectic - a scrufty magician working the crowd, a wedding party dressed as penguins (or maybe it was penguins dressed as a wedding party), parade riders in costume, baby boomers, Gen X, millenials, students, ex-students and a sampling of the local social strata all brought together by the love of free beer. The only thing missing was a live band. I was familar with the Nola Blonde, but hadn't tried any of the other choices (brown, red, stout, wheat). I liked the brown. The Girl Stout Cookie has a cute name but nothing I could drink on a regular basis. Of course, this is the fun of a beer tasting event. Three disappointments - I was actually looking forward to a tour. I thought there would be an opportunity to buy beer. Finally, I would estimate there were bathrooms for maybe 30 people. Still and all, can't argue with the price or the experience. I would highly recommend. I'm just planning to go back when they are charging for beer and the crowds are smaller to get that tour.
(4)
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Address :3001 Tchoupitoulas St
New Orleans, LA, 70115
Chiqui B.
Had to do a brewery tour while here. Luckily we got there early so I scored a table in the pour room while hubby stood in line for drinks. The room filled up rather quickly and we shared our table with a young couple from Cali. As in most breweries you gotta wear light clothing because it turns into a sauna as more and more people file in. My favorites were the blonde and the Hopitoulas. The best part of the tour was not doing the tour and hanging out in the pour room the entire time. That's right. Louisiana breweries rock! No drink tickets and full pours. The beer line moved quickly and hubs got to shoot the shit with one of the brewmasters about ATX breweries. (Uy! Uy! We're from Austin!) They have a food truck and that time it was NOLA Foods. That grill master has got those BBQ scrimps on lock! $5 for your souvenir glass. Pow!
(5)Bonnie R.
Just tried the latest release: Muses Belgian at Superior Seafood. LOVED it!! Hope you will do more specialty, seasonal stuff in the future!!
(5)Thomas W.
NOLA was on our (actually my) list of places to see/do in New Orleans. What great beers; especially the Hopatoullas---rivals many So Cal micro brews---even better than Stone or Ballast Point...! Was really stoked when we went to Jacques Imo's for dinner and yup, they had "The Hop" in cold cans---nothin' better than a cold Hop with stuffed catfish. The following night in New Iberia, found The Hop in a grocery store and had to buy a 4-pak to go along with one of the best Po Boy's I've ever eaten---get yo-self a 4 of The Hop and an over-stuffed Po Boy from the Bon Creole Lunch Counter and enjoy life.
(5)Anthony J.
The bartender was friendly, made the adventure with her knowledge of beer, the history of the organization and the history of New Orleans. Plus a Florida girl. Must visit if you are with 150 miles.....
(5)Nick A.
Sampled 3 beers my fav being "Rebirth Ale"? i think was the name...none of brews were that great but this was nice & citrusy + hoppy The one modern drinking/lounge room was very laid back, had a few nice tv's & local artwork..didnt get to see the rest of the brewery but seen 3 seen them all..It's worth a visit & even a re visit
(3)David C.
Two words: free beer. They have a free beer tasting several times a month on Friday afternoons, and I went yesterday with a couple of friends for the first time. I was impressed by the festive atmosphere that they tried to cultivate, particularly with their cornhole set up. I would recommend that if and when you occasion a tasting that you put a couple of bucks in the tip jar, because businesses should be encouraged to continue to offer low-cost events like this and not have to put themselves over a barrel to do so.
(5)Alison B.
We pass this place on Tchoupitoulas on our way to and from my mom's house, the Rouse's and Walmart. Oftentimes, Lost Boy and I ponder how we'd rather be sitting at the picnic tables outside with the other patrons, sipping multi-colored amber hued beers and watching the traffic inch by. So one day we did it--we threw caution to our underemployed winds and stopped by uptown's Nola Paddleboards (they've moved to mid-city and you must call ahead to secure paddleboards at the uptown Magazine location) and then moved swiftly to the second on our list of "fuckit" fun items--Nola Brewery! I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of their Hurricane Saison--to me, it's one too many aromatic crowding the already small room of my pint glass. But I wanted to try a little more of their wide array. We were an hour late for the tour, so we treated it like a proper bar and ordered a flight of Blueberry IPA, GirlStout Cookie, Chocolate Stout, and Rumplestoutskin. Disclaimer: Before Lost Boy, I would have found this selection obnoxious and nauseating. But he turned me on to Young's Chocolate Stout, which was my gateway drug to chocolate infused beers. And sort of my yard stick for chocolate beers--is it chocolatey, not Hershey's syrupy-sweet? Now that you know where I'm coming from: I thought the Girl Stout Cookie (which might be promoted from seasonal to regular, says the barkeep) was noteworthy because, admirably, it did not ape dessert, but channeled it. A fine line! Smoky Mary: Whoa! a "German Rauchbier" Smoky wood wasn't cloying or overwhelming. Unlike the "Holy Smoke" cocktail I decided to order at Cure a few nights later (thus ending my autumnal liquid smoke consumer chapter). Liked it a lot! They say pairs well with BBQ but I wonder if a hearty salad would showcase it's smokiness better....hmm. Admittedly, Blueberry IPA was at a disadvantage, as our palates were stout-centric, and I don't know that I had the ability to pick up blueberry, or what part of blueberry, in that sample. I'd try it again. Barkeeps were friendly. Rubbed shoulders with a dude who sits on the Culinary Society, which sounded very fancy, yet he chatted stouts with us like a regular joe. Excellent playlist of late 80's, early 90's hit made for a perfect fuckit Friday afternoon at Nola Brewery. We'll return!!
(4)Emily W.
Love NOLA beer! The flavors are so good and so different. Personal favorites - Hurrican Saison and Smokey Mary.
(5)Ron G.
Note to other breweries.. Free beer = 5 stars, period... With that said, the brews were tasty and the folks working the bar were cool. I plan on returning without a doubt.
(5)Marielle S.
NOLA is a fantastic local brewery run by kind people who know their way around the hops. Really nice facility with a room full of all of the NOLA beer taps so that you can treat yourself to free samples every Friday at 2 during the brewery tour.
(5)Paul V.
Wow. I was not expecting unlimited beer for $5 when I came here! Being used to breweries in Texas where you have tokens/fixed, small samples, this was an eye opening experience for me. We drove straight here when coming out to NOLA for a weekend, and fortunately timed our arrival perfectly to show up at 1:30pm on Friday. The line was already forming at this point, and we hopped onto it. Near 2pm, they opened the gate and everyone started shuffling in and paying their $5 for the glass and unlimited beer. We chose to skip trying to get a seat right off the bat in the little room and instead focused on our beer consumption. The little room was nice since it was air conditioned, but was incredibly loud and hard to have a conversation in. The open-air warehouse side wasn't too hot, and was much more pleasant on the ears. The had a lot of plastic portable chairs to sit on out there, so at least you didn't necessarily have to stand. The beer was great (I really liked their Saison and DIPA), and I never really got over the shock of being able to pour as much as I wanted for the entire time. We skipped the tour, but I wouldn't be opposed to doing it the next time I go. It was basically just a group of people standing around one of the employees off to one side, I noticed lots of people during it running back to the taps to top off their beer. It's definitely worth showing up to NOLA on a trip a little early on Friday to hit this spot. If you live in NOLA, I would certainly recommend taking a half day one Friday and making the trip!
(5)Bert S.
I love this place. Maybe I'm just partial because I know a lot of people who work here, but I don't think that's the case. Let's review the facts: 1) They made the best local beer in my opinion. Hopitoulas is my go to pretty much when ever I'm out. Irish channel is my favorite stout (not really a stout guy though), Smoky Mary is the ONLY smoked beer I've ever liked and my wife will actually drink the brown ale (she doesn't drink beer). 2) If you show up at 2pm on Friday they will give you unlimited free beer. It usually lasts for about 2 hours. You can take a tour and ask all the questions you want or you can just hang around and talk to other beer lovers and NOLA employees. There's usually a food truck too. 3) This is a serious brewery. They have big plans and they ultimately want to see New Orleans become a major player in the beer scene. For instance, they recently brewed a beer with Stone brewery. 4) You won't drink fresher beer in New Orleans unless you make it. I think that about sums it up. Go to the brewery. Buy NOLA brews at bars and restaurants. Buy the cans of Blondes. Tell your neighbor.
(5)Anastazia V.
I didn't actually get to go on the tour or try the beer. I checked the website and tried calling to see if the tour was still on for the day and it said it was. We arrived and were told it wasn't happening today. $50 in cab fare down the drain! PISSED! Worst experience of my trip to NEW ORLEANS so far!
(1)Viv L.
My husband and I are beer lovers and look for local breweries wherever we travel. At first I didn't think there was a local brewery in Nola (FYI: Jackson Brewery does NOT brew their own beer). On a hot Saturday afternoon we decided to look for non-touristy things to do and found Nola Brewing here on yelp. It was a mission to get there from our hotel (JW Marriott on Canal street) we took the St. Charles street car and got off on 8th street. Walked a mile in the sweltering heat but finally arrived! The interior tap room is small, about 8 hightop tables and a bar, but it was dark, cool and there was a wide selection of beer. I don't recall the names of the beers we tried since we had about eight different kinds but they were all amazing. Next time we are in Nola we will be sure to visit again. Next time on a Friday as I have heard there is a free tour and free beer at 2pm.
(5)Cindy R.
We went to the tour at 2pm, when you walk in they give you 2 chips per person so you can go to the bar and get 2 drinks. For the free drinks there is a limited selection but these are regular 12 oz cups of beer they give you not little samplers, which was great for the warehouse tour because its super hot in there. Getting your drinks can take a little while because its a pretty small bar. Overall the people who work there are knowledgeable and friendly, a must visit for any tourist.
(5)Jill B.
My husband and I had NOLA on our list of "must visit" places during our recent trip to the Big Easy. We went in on a Monday night to a small but cheerful crowd. We both ordered beer flights so we could try several different brews and I was sure glad we did! Out of all the breweries we've been to lately, have to say NOLA is by far our favorite. We were highly impressed with all the beers we sampled. We will definitely be back but in the meantime we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of NOLA cans in our area!
(5)Scott L.
One of the first things I do when traveling to a town is to find out who makes the good local beers. For our New Orleans trip, all of my research pointed to New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewery... or basically, NOLA Brewery. If you happen to be in town on a Friday, they do a tour almost every week (check their website) from 2pm-3pm that includes FREE BEER during the hour. We arrived just in time, they checked our ID's, handed us a cup, and we had it filled within minutes. The facility looks exactly like it should. It's a place that brews beer. A big open warehouse with supplies all around. If there is a tour going on, it will be CROWDED! Lots of folks, comprised mostly of kids in their 20's, will be everywhere. Games of corn hole, prevalent use of the word "Bro", and varying colognes and perfumes. It's alright, but a non-tour hour should cure most of that. As for the tour itself, we had a huge crowd and our guy did what he could, but it was hard to hear everything once you were in the main warehouse. Y'know, people tend to get rowdy when there's free beer around! You do have the option of not doing the tour and simply sampling beer for an hour, but I've never turned a tour down, even when they were in Japanese and I had no idea what they were saying. As for the beer, these guys are good! They're not spreading themselves to thin. They've come up with some good formulas, and they're experimenting just enough to come up with some new things. The free beers you can sample are going the be their most popular brews, but there was plenty of variety to choose from. Be sure to check out their Tap Room, which has even more of a selection. Some of their limited edition varieties will not be free, but once 3pm rolls around and the frat party is chased away, try a few out. Note that you can also get free beers in the Tap Room (it will be steamy in there), but the bartenders will have their hands on the menu at 2:59:59 and snatch it away a second later. No problem there. The crowd will thin out almost instantly. If you are staying near The French Quarter and don't have transportation, there is a #10 bus that picks up around Harrah's and will drop you off right in front of the brewery and vice versa. The Tchoupitoulas line seems to run quite erratic, though, so don't count on promptness. We elected to cab it there and take the bus back. I wouldn't recommend walking. Neighborhoods varied greatly in the area. If you end up a fan of the brewery and want a souvenir, be sure to ask a bartender. They had a rather large room with a good sampling of apparel, but nobody to monitor it, so the door remained locked unless you asked. They also sold cans and filled growlers if you want some liquid souvenirs. This is definitely worth the trip if you're a fan of beer. I'd say NOLA has the best brews in the area, but it's still not super-prevalent everywhere. Most bars lean towards Abita on draught and even if you find a good beer store, they may not have too many options. Your best bet it to head on out here, Friday or not, and try a few out!
(5)Faith A.
This review is for the tasting room only! First of all, I love the little sample glasses they serve it in and yes, someone actually stands behind the bar and serves you. I like this for the reason that the person behind the bar is extremely passionate and knowledgeable of their brews and will gladly tell you everything you could ever want to know about what you are tasting. If I am going to a tasting room, I enjoy the learning process almost as much as the tasting, it adds so much to your experience and actually makes it more of an event than just throwing back a few brewskies.
(5)Lauren R.
We stopped in after a long day of walking around the Audobon Zoo. Although they don't have an official tasting room (yet), nor were they giving tours on this day, they still welcomed us into the place and allowed us to sample all they had to offer. (and by sample I mean we were pouring our own pints from their personal kegs) We had the opportunity to hang with the staff and get a breakdown of the beers. They also recommended some great local spots for food. This made our trip. Wonderful, warm staff - great refreshing brews - cool merchandise.
(5)Josh A.
The only brewery in NOLA proper. Puts out some good brews and the tour will fetch you free beer. Can't complain about that.
(4)Mackenzie C.
We sadly weren't in town for the Friday free for all tour, but still wanted to come visit. So, we visited the taproom this last Saturday and couldn't have had a better time! There was great beer of course, but what made visiting so great was the guys running it. One of the brewers overheard that we were visiting from out of town and ended up talking beer with us for about 2 hours and giving us samples of tons of beers. The brewery is clearly their home/passion and they love showing people around and welcoming anyone and everyone. The brewery was by far the highlight of visiting New Orleans. These guys know what they are doing and their passion for it is insane.
(5)Darcy A.
This is by far the best beer and the best Brewery Tour south of the 49th Parallel. MechaHopzilla and Hopitoulus are two of my favourite brews!
(5)Arthur L.
Fridays - free tour + free beer?? if you like FREE BEER THEN GIMME A HELL YEAH! I mean, come on...its free beer. Who wouldn't like that? My favorite has to be the NOLA Blonde, but thats my own personal taste. I think the fact that they give free tour and free beer is great. Such an awesome good will gift to the customers and community because its something that just never heard of. I'm glad the people there are that awesome. And theres a variety of people that come but being that its during a Friday afternoon, most people with jobs and such can't really come. So you're likely to find college students and older retired folk. Enjoy yourself some cold beer and conversations with the buddies on your awesome Friday afternoons
(5)Spenser K.
Seriously though, free tour with free beer? Who says no to that? Communists. That's who. More importantly, the staff is great, the beer is cold, delicious, and you can pour it yourself, and the people that show up are a great mix of locals, from young, hipster-type folk to older, fifty-years-in-the-city people. All in all, I had a great experience, and would recommend trying every beer they have to offer.
(5)Scott T.
This place is really cool, so different from all the breweries around Southern California. They open the gates on Friday and you buy a NOLA pint glass and cruise around the brewery. They have a tasting bar area where bartenders will pour you one of the tasty brews, but they also have a self-serve area in the brewery section which was really awesome!!! The best part is it's all you drink for 2 hours! I can't imagine any brewery in California doing this! We were originally planning on going to Abita, but we were staying in the quarter and it was super difficult to get too. Luckily I stumbled across this place while researching Abita. It's a short cab ride from the quarter and they make great beer! I am a huge supporter of these guys after the trip, I wish we could get some of the Hopitoulas IPA or Flambeau Red in California!! I think they could do really well over here! I really can't say enough good things about these guys, wish they were open more like some of the tasting rooms in California but I'm guessing that will change eventually. MY GO-TO: Hopitoulas IPA or Flambeau Red, but it's so much fun to pour them all for yourself ;)
(5)Clint J.
Nola's tour is one of the most informative that I have been on. The guide explained the entire brewing process in very non-brewer friendly terms. The free beer was a decent amount for a tour, but they are not kidding around about you only using your tokens until 3, but who cares about that when you can get free NOLA beer. They are one of the best small breweries I have experienced.
(4)John L. H.
This is a review of the beer produced by Nola Brewery. I realize that Nola offers a tour and a tasting room. I bet those are lovely. Hell, I bet they even teach you about brewing beer, but guess what? I know how to brew beer. All I really care about is the beer itself, drinking said beer and how said beer makes me feel. The Beer - My two favorite brews are Hopitoulas (always available) and Irish Channel Stout (seasonal). The Hopitoulas is their main IPA offering and comes in large cans, or on draft. I never thought I would enjoy canned beer, but whatever they've developed for canning works well. Irish Channel Stout is dark, thick and oh so smooth. I have only found it on draft in local bars seasonally, but when I do, that is what I order. I like it even more than Guinness. Drinking - Drinking a beer brewed by Nola makes you proud to be a New Orleanian. When you snap a photo of your Hopitoulas and post it on Instagram you are likely to be asked a question. Most people will suggest that it is some rando beer from Portland or San Diego. I always reply by puffing out my chest and typing "Negative silly person. This is a world class photo of a world class beer: Nola Hopitoulas". They usually respond by blocking me, but you get the point. Feel - Drinking beer from Nola makes you happy. An argument could be made that drinking any beer makes you happy, but if you're in Nola, drink Nola. I like to think that Nola beer makes you even happier than other beers. I bet it has something to do with the brewery's proximity to the river. You can't get much more New Orleans than that. In summary, drink Nola Beer.
(5)Randol H.
This is a must visit place in New Orleans. The bar isn't anything exciting in and of itself but they offer the complete line of the NOLA brewery's beers as well as specials and variations you can't find anywhere else. Beer from the tap is cheap starting at $3 a glass too! Cheap beer to take home, in cans or growlers and free beer and a factory tour on Friday afternoons from 2-3. Local food tucks, most recently La Cocona, make an appearance. A really great crowd gathers from around town, bringing their dogs and bicycles to hang out and have a really awesome town.
(5)Hank S.
NOLA Brew is a very fun local brewery with a great staff. They will never be the next Sam Adams, but that's cool because I doubt they want that. NOLA Brew is a proud microbrewery. I have not had the chance to see the taproom, but I have toured the brewery twice and chatted with the owner and the brewmaster once. They are fun to learn from, and dedicated to their product. It's fun to watch them bicker about tiny things. If you like trying local beer, absolutely do the Friday tour.
(4)Stephanie S.
Obviously great beer. Nice little place to hang out at and do a tasting... Theoretically. I went there and they weren't even at capacity but they still ran out of tasting cups. Kind of silly to not be super prepared at your own tasting room.
(3)Roth M.
A group of friends and I went to NOLA to celebrate my dude's 40th birthday. I found this place online and thought Hell Yeah, and his actual birthday was on the day of the tour. He was all, "Ah, they're just gonna give you like a 4oz pour or something." I tried to tell him I didn't think so( from all the reviews I'd read), but he claimed to have wisdom of the aged, and stayed behind at the hotel I guess sitting in a rocking chair under a quilt. Another friend and I taxied out to the brewery, got to sample a bunch of hand crafted beers, pouring our own pints! Needless to say, he got a text message of the pic I uploaded here holding a pint of stout. He was pissed he didn't go! Of course we (being from Cincinnati) can't buy NOLA beers at home so we both bought some merch. The one complaint I would have was that the guy giving the tour might need a bull-horn or speakers or something, because with a large group like there was that day, we couldn't hear anything he was saying. No prob., we just got back in the beer line! oh, and accidentally the next day we went to The Bulldog on Magazine because their sidewalk sign said that they had the NOLA/Stone Brewing collaboration Porter still. (We were told at the brewery that there might be only a couple kegs of it left in all of the town). If it wasn't for the tour, we would have walked right on by, not even knowing the tastiness we were passing up!
(5)Kelley M.
Almost every Friday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the NOLA Brewing Company opens its doors for a *free* brewery tour. Doors open at 1:45pm and close at 2:15pm. I recommend you get there a little early because it does tend to fill up fast. The Friday that we were there (back in April, because I'm that behind on reviews) it was actually so crowded that they skipped the tour and instead just encouraged people to drink for the hour. While we were interested in the tour, we were ok with that! You're given a full size cup and have access to all six NOLA brews. You can pretty much drink limitlessly for the hour, but that is dependent on how long the line for the taps is. Even with the large crowd, the waiting time was minimal. Everyone in our group had more than enough to drink and was very happy. The staff was really friendly and made us all feel very welcomed. Even though a formal tour wasn't offered, they were still willing to answer questions and show people around. There is also a small shop on site that sells NOLA Brewing Company merchandise like t-shirts, pint glasses, coasters, beer soap, can cooler tubes, etc. Definitely be sure to stop in; everything was reasonably priced. We went with my brother and his girlfriend who were visiting from out of state and all these months later they still mention what a great time we had. And remember, it's free! This is definitely "as good as it gets". Be sure to check the events section of the NOLA Brewing website before you go. Tours are offered most Fridays, but not all.
(5)Ryan C.
Great local brewery serving up frosty drafts every Friday. Stellar tour with knowledgable brewmasters. Stop by at 2pm every Friday for a free beer tasting and a free tour of the facility.
(5)Shannon S.
I''m not the biggest fan of NOLA Brewing beers but I do love beer. Typically at the bar the NOLA beers cost at least $1 or more than Abita beer so I love some Abita and usually go for that option instead of NOLA beers. With that caveat being said I have to say they do a really kick ass brew tour here if you're into drinking a lot of beer and getting to sample all the different brews NOLA makes. The tour here is far longer and more enjoyable than what you get to experience at the Abita Brewery tour but it isn't free like the Abita tour and you do have to pay $5 which gets you a glass to drink out of and take home. I definitely prefer the NOLA Brewing tour's superior format far more than the current Abita format as I was able to have a whole lot more fun and meet more interesting folks. Sadly I heard NOLA Brewing is planning on changing their current format at some point soon and they will possibly begin charging per beer so enjoy it while you can!
(3)Scott G.
What a tour! Got there a bit early, but we weren't the first ones there. We were welcomed to grab a glass and shown the taps. They had all the varieties save the Hopitoulas, which was unfortunate because it's the only NOLA brew I have not had. It got really crowded, and since it was August, really hot, so we grabbed a couple of chairs and relaxed. Seemed like a lot of regulars show up on Friday afternoons. Not sure if they ever started a real tour, there seemed like there were probably over 100 people, so it would have been hard to hear them anyway.
(5)Megan M.
I went here on a recent visit to my favorite city. At 2 PM on Fridays they have a beer tasting, which consists of full glasses of free beer in a bar atmosphere with tons of happy people. That, my friends, is difficult to beat. The tour is not difficult to beat - the guide tried valiantly, but he wasn't mic'd and no one could hear him. It also wasn't so much a "tour" as a casual "wander" through the small brewery. Which was fine. It's hard to complain with a glass of free beer in your hand. All-in-all a great experience.
(4)Jennie J.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!!! Drink your beer straight from the source! Bar service is fast and very low key, well priced too. They could certainly invest a little more in the seating outside (the big circles of lawn chairs is kind of an awkward set up), maybe some more picnic tables?? It's just a few blocks from my house so I will certainly be a regular fixture there! Now if only they would invite a few food trucks....
(5)Christine D.
This is an amazing little brewery pumpin' out quality New Orleans beer! They offer a popular NOLA blond ale, brown ale, hopitoulas, saison (in season), and the newest 7th street wheat. Go on Fridays for a free tour from vicepres Dylan and try all the beers for yourself!
(5)Jeremy L.
It's so awesome to have a local brewery here in New Orleans that can actually make great beer. My favorite regular lineup is Hopitoulas and seasonal is Flambeau Red. On Fridays you can stop by the brewery at 2pm and get a tour of the brewery which is cool. Yeah but don't be that douche that just shows up just to get free beer every Friday though. It's kind of lame actually. The least you can do is actually support the brewery and buy some merchandise and buy their beer out at bars. SUPPORT LOCAL!!!
(5)Liz B.
All you beer lovers out there better check out this brewery! Some friends of mine and I heard about the (apparently super secret) brewery tour and free tasting today and had a blast! When we entered the main office we were promptly greeted by intern, LJ, who very enthusiastically introduced himself and poured us some beers. After hanging out with the other 20 or so visitors, we headed into the warehouse and LJ explained the process. Very interesting to know that all of the used hops and barley are sent to local farms to be fed to the cattle. This brewery seems to really care about their carbon footprint, a plus in my book! Great opportunity to try all of their beers and meet some good people. I will totally come back again. P.S. - They also have a merchandise room filled with lots of goodies: t-shirts, pint glasses, beer scented soaps, etc.
(4)Carla G.
NOLA Brewery was the first place we witnessed how different brewery tours/tastings are in Louisiana. Most breweries are required by their state liquor boards to pour the beer for the patrons and to tightly regulate how many beers each person has. Not so here. At their weekly tours (2:00 pm on Fridays), they pretty much let you pour your own unlimited free beer. You can take the tour if you want or not. They usually have a food truck available for nibbles too. The whole thing usually lasts for about 2 hours. Parking on the street is limited, but many people bike or cab there.
(4)Erin R.
Free beer and tour Friday's from 2 to 3 pm! They open up the "garage door" and check your ID and hand you a cup...self serve taps with about 5 options.
(5)G. B.
What a great company. They open their place every Friday, give you a nice tour, and then let everyone sample all their excellent beers for an hour. So.... you locals, be sure to buy their beer too (don't just drink the free stuff) and buy a tee shirt while you're at it. We were from south Florida, so unfortunately, we won't be able to get any of their beer. So........... have a few Hopitoulas' for us. Love em!
(5)Jeff S.
mmmm.....beer! Being from Austin, TX & touring the local microbreweries there, I am used to having a limit on how much you're allowed at a tour. Not here! Louisiana is a whole other experience. You can have as much & as many as you want! It's awesome! $5 buys you a pint glass & the sky's the limit of how many you have. NOLA makes a very diverse range of beers so there's something for everyone. My favorite was the Mecha Hopzilla (8.7%ABV) Double IPA. If you find that to be a bit too strong, the Blonde is 3.7% & there's others varities that go up from there. The tasting room opens @ 2pm & stays open for approx 90 min. They do offer an actual tour & I can't really say how that went because we spent the entire time in the tasting room, as did the majority of the others there! Tip: Get there early, stand in line. The place fills up so fast you need to secure a table ASAP!
(5)Karen T.
Amazing! Great beer choices, great experience! Went for Friday afternoon tour, popular destination so arrive on time. Expanding business, don't forget to ask for NOLA on tap or in cans around town.
(5)Lynn T.
Two words: FREE BEER. I didn't believe my husband at first when he told me about NOLA. I mean, seriously... Who gives away free GOOD craft beer? Well, NOLA does. I had the Blonde and it was great. There was a big crowd but the facility was large enough that it was not so crowded. A must-stop if you are visiting New Orleans.
(5)Kennith H.
No tour today. Came from Atlanta.Checked Facebook and their website no information about tour cancellation. At the Tap Room no information about cancellation. Was overlooked by the bar staff.I asked a female staff the the tour. She gave me none even when I told her I was from out of town. I came last year before this tap room was open. The beer is good no free tour beer today Friday September 11 2015. 2-3pm.
(2)Davis J.
ATTENTION: For my 300th review, I want to praise something I hold near and dear to my heart. BEER. Fun fact, I like to drink. I know, big surprise (right Morgan?). Not only do I like to drink it but I also like to bathe in it. Why you ask? Because it's awesome, that's why. Now throw some bacon into said bath... and Ill never leave. Never. Ever. So why do I 5 star these renegades? Ill tell you why in 2 sweet little words: FREE BEER. I repeat, FREE BEER. And we ALL know what that spells out at my house: D-R-U-N-K. Every Friday. 2 - 3 PM. Rain or shine. Hotter than balls. Colder than a witches titty. Free Beer. Now lets be real here. How saucy do you think you can really get in 1 hour? I never really know? It is one of life's little secrets. One thing is for sure though, I always get my money's worth. Free Beer brings out all walks of life. College kids. Frat brahs. Hipsters. A couple homeless folk (but they do magic tricks to earn their keep). Beer enthusiasts. Unemployed individuals (cause who is actually free at 2pm on a weekday?). Food Trucks. ...and me and my lovely wife. So if you find yourself playing hooky at work or just generally bored on a Friday @ 2. Get your ass over to the Nola Brewery and enjoy some tasty and free beverages. This concludes my PSA. You're Welcome.
(5)Andrew D.
The rest of the Bachelor Party & I were so stoked we were able to spend Friday Happy Hour at Nola Brewery! Good luck trying to find a brewery with free beer like this anywhere near Chicago... Tip the bartender, get free beer for two hours. What a novel idea! We meandered over here following a boozy 3-martini lunch at Commander's Palace and were not disappointed. The place was packed, and while we were stuck outside in the heat, it was totally worth it. The joint was crawlin' with pretty co-eds from Tulane (who knew, college kids like free beer!). We debated on doing the free tour, but just sat around drinking for free and shooting the shit, instead. My favorite beers were the Hopitoulas I.P.A. (after the street, got it...) and the Rebirth Pale Ale, which was the perfect dose of refreshment on a steamy, humid, Nola day. Great little Friday Happy Hour!
(5)Edward C.
Great beer! Too bad they offer limited selections on cans and growler fills. The bar servers were a little rude when I ask questions about their beers, but I kept the stars high due to their taste and quality of beers.
(4)Jude M.
Free Beer (Friday 2pm to 3pm) and Free Parking, this place is the best brewery in all of New Orleans! The staff is kind and helpful, they have a deck for everyone to go out onto while they are enjoying their beer, and did I mention the beer is really damn good?? If you're going to New Orleans, and want to experience the flavor of the city, definitely go here!
(5)Stephen K.
Free beer AND free parking? Where is this mythical land? Apparently it exists every Friday at the NOLA brewery. I visited recently expecting to find 30 - 40 beer afficiandos interested in beer tasting and brewery tours. I don't know if attendance was influenced by Mardi Gras, but there had to be at least 300 people there. It was a beautiful winter day, 60 and sunny. The party had expanded from the tasting room into a couple of warehouses and outside into the courtyard. 5 beers were being served at two separate bars. There were lines, but they moved quickly. Good job by all the folks pouring beer. There was a food truck doing a brisk business. The crowd was eclectic - a scrufty magician working the crowd, a wedding party dressed as penguins (or maybe it was penguins dressed as a wedding party), parade riders in costume, baby boomers, Gen X, millenials, students, ex-students and a sampling of the local social strata all brought together by the love of free beer. The only thing missing was a live band. I was familar with the Nola Blonde, but hadn't tried any of the other choices (brown, red, stout, wheat). I liked the brown. The Girl Stout Cookie has a cute name but nothing I could drink on a regular basis. Of course, this is the fun of a beer tasting event. Three disappointments - I was actually looking forward to a tour. I thought there would be an opportunity to buy beer. Finally, I would estimate there were bathrooms for maybe 30 people. Still and all, can't argue with the price or the experience. I would highly recommend. I'm just planning to go back when they are charging for beer and the crowds are smaller to get that tour.
(4)