March 17 not only marked St. Patrick’s Day, but also another celebration the Irish and IPA enthusiasts alike could appreciate – the one year anniversary of Urban South Brewery.

Just in time for it’s anniversary, the New Orleans brewery has partnered with Mockler Beverage Co. in Baton Rouge where it is planning to takeover local taps and begin distributing its craft beer throughout town at local bars, restaurants and grocery stores starting this week.

Founded by University alumni Jacob Landry and his business partner Kyle Huling just a year ago, Urban South Brewery has the bestselling IPA in New Orleans dubbed the Holy Roller IPA, which is described as “a big, bold IPA for all of us caught between best intentions and bad behavior,” on the company’s website.  

“We probably had a bigger first year than any other brewery that has started in Louisiana,” Landry said.

The pair serendipitously met in New Orleans about two years ago after graduating from the University about ten years ago.

All of Urban South’s flagship beers are made for the southern climate, Huling said, whereas in other parts of the country local IPAs tend to be a little heavier and have a higher alcohol content.

Urban South Brewery’s beers are made with two hops, citra and mosaic, that when blended together create a tropical bitterness to accommodate Louisiana’s hot and humid climate so that drinkers can have a few of them in each sitting without feeling overly heavy.

Another crowd favorite is Charming Wit, which is reminiscent of the taste of a cold Blue Moon. Charming Wit is a little spicy and has a touch of lemon, Landry said, and it’s a good beer for people who aren’t heavy craft beer drinkers, but it still meets the flavor needs of craft beer fans.

The name “Urban South” is an homage to the culture and juxtaposition of old and new buildings often found in urban south cities such as Nashville, Charleston and Austin, which were all potential locations for the newly started business until Landry decided on New Orleans.

“I grew up Cajun and if you came to our house growing up, you were bound to leave with something, whether it was a jar of pickled peppers or brownies,” Landry said. “When I thought about what I wanted to spend my life doing, it was making something to share with other people.”

After graduation, Huling moved back to his hometown of New Orleans where he settled into a craft beer brand management position at Southern Eagle while Landry started a career in Hawaii where he worked for Teach For America and later moved to Seattle and then Louisiana where he continued to work in education management.

Brainstorming ideas for a career change, Landry decided to plan the creation of a craft beer business and reached out to Huling who was working at Southern Eagle at the time.

“We got along so well it was like a match made in heaven,” Huling said of their meeting.

Urban South Brewery’s craft beer will be sold at The Bulldog, The Chimes East and Highland, Tiger Tavern, Beausoleil, Driftwood Cask & Barrel, Whole Foods Market, Albertsons and a number of other locations throughout the year starting this month.

Curious beer drinkers can grab a cold glass of Urban South’s crafted beer at the Tiger Tavern tap takeover on March 23 at 6 p.m.  

Urban South Brewery also has two internships available, including one for digital media and public relations.