by Brad Rhines

NOLA Brewing will soon add two new beers to their krewe of brews, and they’re celebrating with a couple of upcoming parade parties.  On Saturday, the Uptown brewery rolls out their seasonal Flambeau Red Ale with a Krewe du Brew Bar Crawl in the French Quarter, and next weekend at the Avenue Pub they’ll release Pour Me Somethin’ Mistah Imperial Porter, a collaboration with California’s Stone Brewing Company.

This weekend’s bar crawl starts at 1:00 p.m. at the R Bar, and makes a few stops before landing at Molly’s at the Market at 5:00 p.m.  Bars will be pouring $3 pints of Flambeau Red, NOLA’s spring seasonal ale.  The crawl officially ends at 6:00 p.m., just in time for revelers to stake out a spot for Krewe du Vieux.

NOLA’s Red Ale is a twist to the classic style with the addition of rich malt bill and hops.  In a press release NOLA Brewing founder and president Kirk Coco said, “We feel the hop addition plays well with the mix of pale and dark malts to create balanced, hoppy red ale.”

Next Saturday at the Uptown beer bar Avenue Pub, the release party goes from 12:30pm to 9:00pm, as NOLA Brewing and Stone Brewing unveil their new porter, brewed with Steen’s molasses and local satsuma orange peels.  The Krewes of Pontchartrain, Sparta, and Pygmalion are all rolling that day and drinking NOLA or Stone will get partygoers access to the bar’s balcony to watch the parades.

The Pour Me Somethin’ Mistah Imperial Porter is billed as “Louisiana’s first collaboration beer,” and NOLA Brewing couldn’t have picked a better partner.  Stone Brewing is known among beer lovers for their bold, aggressive brews, like the popular Arrogant Bastard Ale.  Unlike the Flambeau Red, which will be available throughout the season, the porter will be a more limited release.

For more information about the Krewe du Brew Bar Crawl or the Avenue Pub release party, visit NOLA Brewing’s website.