Louisiana is home to a thriving craft beer scene, with new breweries popping up across the state and putting their unique spin on classic beer styles. From New Orleans to Shreveport, you can find an impressive selection of craft brews ranging from crisp lagers to robust stouts.
In this article, we’ll highlight five of the top craft beers and breweries that you must try if you’re visiting Louisiana. Whether you’re a local looking to expand your horizons or a tourist exploring the Pelican State’s beer culture, these picks offer some of the finest examples of Louisiana craft beer that you can sip.
Abita Brewing Company – Abita Purple Haze
First up on our list is Abita Brewing Company, Louisiana’s oldest and largest craft brewery. Located just north of New Orleans in Abita Springs, this brewery has been crafting quality beers since 1986. Their flagship brew is the Abita Purple Haze, a unique raspberry lager that delivers bright fruit flavors in a crisp, refreshing body.
This brew starts off with a Pilsner malt base and features a subtle hop profile from Willamette and Cascade hops. But what makes it stand out is the addition of real raspberries at the end of the fermentation process. This creates a sweet, tart flavor that balances the light malty character. The 4.2% ABV makes it easy to drink in the Louisiana heat. For a fruit beer, it’s exceptionally well-balanced and smooth.
In addition to the Purple Haze, Abita offers a lineup of over 13 beers including their Amber Lager, Light Lager, and seasonal offerings like Mardi Gras Bock. You can enjoy Abita’s brews by visiting their brewhouse for a tour and tasting or by picking up a six-pack at local stores across Louisiana.
Parish Brewing Company – Ghost in the Machine DIPA
Parish Brewing Company opened its doors in 2010 in Broussard, Louisiana and has quickly become one of the state’s best craft breweries. Under the guidance of renowned brewmaster Andrew Godley, Parish specializes in American and Belgian-style ales. One of their standout beers is the Ghost in the Machine Double IPA.
True to its name, this hop-forward brew is deceptively easy to drink at 8% ABV. It features a complex blend of Citra, Amarillo, and Galaxy hops layered over a clean malt profile. This creates huge tropical fruit notes of mango, pineapple, and tangerine. There’s also a pleasant bitterness to balance the juicy hop character. Overall, it’s bright and well-balanced despite having a higher alcohol content.
Beyond their selection of IPAs, Parish also brews hefeweizens, saisons, and stouts along with rotating seasonal offerings. Grab a pint or four-pack at their taproom in Broussard or find their beers at select retailers in Louisiana and beyond.
Gnarly Barley Brewing Company – Korova Milk Porter
Located in Hammond, Louisiana, Gnarly Barley Brewing first opened in 2012. They’ve quickly earned acclaim for their creativity and bold flavor profiles. One such example is their Korova Milk Porter, an award-winning brew that features milk sugar, chocolate malt, and vanilla beans.
This full-bodied porter pours an inky black with a creamy tan head. The aroma is an inviting blend of roasted coffee and chocolate. Taking a sip reveals complex mocha flavors, a touch of caramel sweetness, and a delicate vanilla finish. Despite being opaque in color, it maintains a surprisingly drinkable medium body at 6% ABV. They also offer a bourbon barrel-aged version for an extra oak and spirit-forward kick.
In addition to their milk porter, Gnarly Barley serves up saisons, fruited sours, juicy IPAs and an array of ever-changing seasonal releases. Swing by their Hammond taproom for fresh pints straight from the source.
Bayou Teche Brewing – LA-31 Bière Pâle
Since opening their doors in 2009, Bayou Teche Brewing has celebrated the Cajun heritage and joie de vivre culture of Louisiana through their craft beers. Brewmaster Karlos Knott draws inspiration from local ingredients and traditions in his flavor profiles. This is perfectly exemplified in the LA-31 Bière Pâle.
As the name suggests (“bière pâle” means pale beer in French), this classic French ale pours a bright, burnished gold with a frothy head. It’s unfiltered, creating pleasant cloudiness reminiscent of a Belgian bière de garde. The aroma offers light cereal notes and a touch of peppery spice. Each sip provides bready malt flavors, delicate noble hop character, and a dry, thirst-quenching finish. With 6.2% ABV, it’s packed with flavor yet easy drinking.
Beyond their flagship pale ale, Bayou Teche also brews ales, lagers, and seasonal favorites like their King Cake Ale. Swing by their taproom in the heart of Cajun country in Arnaudville for a true taste of Louisiana beer culture.
NOLA Brewing – Hopitoulas IPA
Rounding out our list is NOLA Brewing, a staple of the New Orleans craft beer scene. Launched in 2009, this brewery has introduced local drinkers to bold new flavors like their iconic Hopitoulas IPA.
This India pale ale takes its name from the Hopitoulas neighborhood of New Orleans which lies along the Mississippi River. It pours a bright orange hue with thick foamy head. Aromas of tangerine, grapefruit, and pine leap from the glass. Each sip bursts with citrusy, tropical fruit hop flavors balanced by biscuit malt as a backbone. It finishes crisp and dry with medium bitterness at a drinkable 6.8% ABV.
In addition to their standout IPA, NOLA offers a constantly rotating lineup of creative brews. Try their year-round Irish Channel Stout, seasonal offerings like Miel Vert Belgian-style Table Beer, or limited releases that push stylistic boundaries. Swing by their expansive taproom just north of downtown New Orleans to sample the full range of their beers.
Sip Through Louisiana’s Emerging Beer Scene
As you can see, Louisiana’s craft beer scene has plenty to offer for beer lovers everywhere. Unique local ingredients, cultural influences, and creative brewing philosophies combine to yield some truly standout brews. From the classic Purple Haze that helped kickstart craft beer in Louisiana to complex, barrel-aged stouts, there’s an impressive range of flavors to experience.
We hope this overview of five of the top craft beers and breweries has showcased some of the best the Pelican State has to offer. So next time you’re traveling through Louisiana or looking for a taste of local flavor, be sure to check out these picks to sip a refreshing sample of Louisiana’s emerging craft beer culture. Let us know in the comments if you have any other favorite Louisiana beers we should try!
