New Orleans’ cocktail scene is world-renowned. Some of the most famous cocktails ever to be made were created right here in the Crescent City. Plus, food and drink are integral to the culture here, so it’s no surprise that the beer scene has seen a huge resurgence. From local breweries to tiny-but-mighty micro-breweries, and award-winning beer bars, this city is heaven for beer lovers. We’ve mapped out all the ways you can explore NOLA’s beer scene below.
Jump to: Breweries & Microbreweries | Pubs & Biergartens | Brewery Tours
Breweries & Microbreweries
NOLA Brewing Tap Room
Come for the beer, stay for NOLA Pizza Co. NOLA Brewing Tap Room, located on Tchoupitoulas Street, is a locally famous brewery - you can find their beers in lots of restaurants and bars outside of the brewery itself. But coming to the brewery means you can taste every variety, get a tour of the facilities, and order some NY-style pizza to accompany your brews.
Urban South Brewery
Urban South Brewery is another local brewery with beers that you may have sampled outside of the brewery itself. But the interior of Urban South is worth a trip to the location on its own: it’s spacious, and aside from the actual brewery, Urban South is filled with tons of tables, arcade games, and corn hole. They're also known for being especially family-friendly, offering juice boxes for the littles, as well as a steady rotation of food trucks and pop-ups. Check their Instagram for more details.
Brieux Carre
Just on the edge of Frenchmen Street, sample beers unique to New Orleans and as interesting as the city itself, as Brieux Carre likes to put it. Every week, the taproom features new flavors of craft beer. They also have a lovely courtyard to enjoy when the weather is nice. Start your afternoon or night here.
Parleaux Beer Lab
Parleaux Beer Lab is a microbrewery and an oasis from city life in NOLA. It’s nestled in the very end of the Bywater, on the corner of Lesseps Street. Inside, you'll find the brewery offers a selection of constantly rotating beers. Enjoy your drink inside or head outside to the spacious garden, where you’ll find swings, board games, patio furniture, and hanging lights.
Second Line Brewing
Named after the beloved New Orleans tradition, Second Line Brewing encompasses the spirit in their beers. It's located in Mid-City and features a large outdoor patio that is family- and dog-friendly. Food trucks and pop-ups frequent the beer garden, from fried chicken sandwiches and Vietnamese tacos to burgers and more.
The Courtyard Brewery
This small-batch nanobrewery in the Lower Garden District is a perfect hangout for day or night. Inside you don’t get to tour the brewing facilities, but you can taste their ever-evolving varieties of beers, stouts, IPAs, and more, and then enjoy it outside along with their rotating food options.
Miel Brewery & Taproom
Miel is an Irish Channel-based independent microbrewery that focuses on environmentally friendly production and local ingredients. Seasonal beers are served in their taproom and outdoor space, which is great for a night out with friends. The area is both dog and kid-friendly with a variety of pop-up vendors.
Broad Street Cider
Dry cider and mead are made in their New Orleans taproom. Participate in their Cider Club for curated bimonthly selections.
Port Orleans Brewing Co.
Port Orleans Brewing Co. is aptly named, as it is located on Tchoupitoulas Street near the Port of New Orleans. The brewery’s motto is “brewed below sea level,” and they're committed to serving the local community excellent craft beer. The outdoor patio is dog-friendly, and the brewery room is kid-friendly. You can also grab tacos, guac, and more from Avo Taco, their on-site restaurant.
Zony Mash Beer Project
Zony Mash is more than just a brewery—they regularly host food pop-ups and live music weekly. With 21 taps in the tasting room and a large outdoor space for relaxing, Zony Mash is a beer destination.
Skeeta Hawk Brewing
Skeeta Hawk is located right on the Lafitte Greenway next to Flour Moon Bagels. Bring the pups and the kids—Skeeta Hawk is a hang-out space for all. Their two specially designed lagering tanks allow them to present a variety of European-style lagers, as well as a rotating set of ales. The brewery also regularly hosts food trucks and pop-ups on-site.
Brewery Saint X
Located right around the corner from the Superdome and Smoothie King Center, Brewery Saint X is the perfect spot to pregame a Saints or Pels game. Enjoy German and Czech-inspired lagers, British cask-style beers, hop-forward brews, experimental sours, and full-flavored ales as well as food from Devil Moon BBQ next door.
Pubs & Beer Gardens
Avenue Pub
If you’ve heard of Avenue Pub before, it’s because the bar has won tons of awards and accolades for its beer selection (yes, it was named one of the Top 100 Beer Bars in America). You can enjoy your selection on a balcony overlooking St. Charles Avenue, inside the bar, or at an outdoor table, and you can order food as well. But the best part about Avenue Pub is its extensive selection of beers from New Orleans and beyond. Great beer, great location, great people watching.
Wrong Iron
Located on Lafitte Greenway, Wrong Iron is a fun stop in the Mid-City neighborhood. They serve over 50 beers on tap and have a variety of food trucks on site. There is plenty of outdoor space for you and friends, as well as games. Biking there is a great option, as they have 60 bike parking spaces. You must be 21 to enter.
The Bulldog
The Bulldog has two locations: one Uptown on Magazine Street and one in Mid-City. Both offer dog-friendly patios that feature beer-tap fountains, and a seemingly endless menu of beer options (and mixed drinks, too). Every weeknight has a different special, so be sure to check the official website for details. The pub fare at The Bulldog is award-winning: we recommend cheese fries for the table, at least!
Ale on Oak
Located in the Riverbend, this Oak Street bar has an extensive beer and ale selection by the glass or pint. They feature a variety of Southern craft brewers and savory snacks. It is a small, neighborhood gem, great for watching sports or catching up with friends.
Bayou Beer Garden
Bayou Beer Garden is just steps away from the beautiful Bayou St. John. The atmosphere is lively, with a large outdoor garden that hosts crawfish boils and other events. Bayou Beer Garden is great for groups, as you can order buckets of beer or each taste your own favorite after a day of kayaking on the bayou or exploring City Park.
Bratz Y’all
Bratz Y’all, conveniently located next to Pizza Delicious, is a casual beer garden in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. There’s a small indoor area, but really, the atmosphere is best enjoyed during lovely weather so you can sit at the outside tables, play a game of cornhole, or listen to live music when the venue hosts musicians. Bratz Y’all is a German beer garden, so you can have traditional German food (the pretzels are a must) and German beers like pilsners.
Brewery Tours
If you’re in town for a short visit and want to experience as much of the craft beer scene here in NOLA as possible, check out one of these brewery tours around the city. You’ll either meet a tour bus/truck or it will pick you up, and you’ll have a designated driver and tour guide take you from brewery to brewery so you can have a local show you around, and you can taste tons of beers.
One great way to do it? The NOLA Beer Bus, a hop-on-hop-off-style shuttle system specifically built to safely and responsibly transport brewery hoppers from location to location. With multiple routes throughout the city, GPS-tracking, and onboard refreshments, it's the perfect way to visit even more breweries and taprooms without having to worry about ordering rideshares in between. The shuttles run on their loops Friday-Sunday and can be booked in advance.
These are just a few of the ways you can try beers around New Orleans. There are plenty more bars and breweries to visit, which you can find in our listings here.