E-Malt.com News article: USA, LA: Great Raft Brewing to debut in New Orleans in November

Within the past year, New Orleans has seen the arrival of craft beers from California, Georgia, New Mexico, Michigan, Georgia and Mississippi, but not from the northern end of Louisiana. That's going to change in early November, when Shreveport-based Great Raft Brewing adds its brews to local taps, nola.com reported on September, 23.

Shreveport natives Andrew and Lindsay Nations founded Great Raft Brewing nearly a year ago. Since then, the brewery has boasted "expectation-breaking sales."

"We are excited to introduce our beers to new consumers in the southern part of our great state," Great Raft co-founder and president Andrew Nations said in the release. "We produced more than 2,000 barrels of beer in our first 11 months and think New Orleans will enjoy our beer just as much as Shreveport has."

The brewery, which is partnering with Crescent Crown Distributing to distribute locally, plans to introduce several flagships to New Orleans bars and restaurants in November, including Reasonably Corrupt black lager, Southern Drawl pale lager and Commotion pale ale. Great Raft's seasonal and small-batch offerings will be selectively available as well.

The distribution plan does not initially include the north shore or Baton Rouge, but Nations said Great Raft Brewing hopes to expand into those markets in 2015.




26 September, 2014