Arnaudville-based beer makers Bayou Teche Brewing recently won an award at the World Beer Championships in Chicago. Considering the brewery’s small size, an international silver medal poses Bayou Teche Brewing as David to commercial beer’s Goliath.
“Loup Garou,” the latest installment to Bayou Teche’s already expansive beer selection, was released after brewing only one batch. It received a silver medal in the Wood Aged Ale category of the 2013 World Beer Cup.
In the brewery’s mere four years of operation, crafting beers with unique flavor combinations and aging techniques has become a staple of the Cajun brothers’ business.
Bayou Teche Brewing is operated by Karlos, Byron and Dorsey Knott along with Gar Hatcher and Louis Michot. Karlos Knott, president of Bayou Teche Brewing, shared his excitement for the silver medal with The Daily Reveille and offered insight about what’s to come.
The Daily Reveille: What was it like to take home the silver this year for “Loup Garou?”
Karlos Knott: It was really exciting. It’s a new beer, the first time we brewed it, and just to have it recognized in the Wood Aged Ale category was really exciting for all of us.
TDR: What does it mean for other beers in the future for Bayou Teche?
KK: Well, we have a few coming out. In April we have one, it’s a French ale aged in Chardonnay barrels, and that’s called “Beau Soleil.” It’s another wood-aged beer that we’re doing. It’s a direction we’re going in with a lot more barrel-aged beers. We have one we’ll do again this year called “Miel Sauvage,” which is brewed with local honey, Bernard’s Honey, which usually comes out in the summer. And then we’re doing one with agave and some aji lemon peppers from Peru, and that beer is barrel-aged in Chardonnay barrels. It’s going to be called “31 Hombres.”
TDR: It sounds like you guys are pulling out all the stops with experimentation.
KK: The direction of the beer industry in general is changing. People want, basically, higher-end beers, barrel-aged or sours. And they want every month a different kind. So, in addition to doing our core beers, we’re doing a lot of single releases. Last year, we had six single releases, and this year we’re probably going to do around 13. And they’re all going to be single batch, where we release it and then go on to the next. It’s fun when you’re visiting bars or restaurants, doing events there, people are always looking for something new and so, now, with our current pace, we can say every month, “Hey we got a new beer coming out.”
TDR: Can devoted customers of Bayou Teche expect anything soon?
KK: The current beer we have out for January is called “Saison D’Écrevisses.” We just released it all the way through May, the end of crawfish season. One we have coming out is called “Bière Joie.” It’s a Belgian Double brewed with French Roast coffee and aged in bourbon barrels with chile de árbol and cocoa nibs, which is what they make chocolate out of. It’s a real complex beer, but it’s really balanced and easy-drinking at the same time. That should be out around March.
“Loup Garou” is the fifth beer to win silver by Bayou Teche in the local operation’s four-year span. Karlos Knott said he was excited both for the win and for the future of the brewery.
“I’ll talk your ear off about beer,” Karlos Knott said.
Bayou Teche Brewing is a family-owned and operated business located in Arnaudville, Louisiana. If you would like to find out more about Bayou Teche Brewing and their products, visit www.bayoutechebrewing.com.
