Goin' to New Orleans! Where's the Good Beer?

[BluesHarp]

The BluesHarps are making New Orleans their annual vacation this year; we are planning going the first week of April to squeeze between festivals and get the decent hotel rates.

I need the wisdom of the Realbeer community...obviously, NO is not lacking in places to have a beverage or two, but my question is:
Does anyone have any recommendations of establishments that have a really good beer selection? I really don't want to drink macroswill or Voodoo Lager all week and there are too many bars to do this on a trial and error basis!

We will be spending a good deal of time in the French Quarter and perhaps the Garden District.

Thanks in advance for any insight...

[bluesnbrews]

It's ALL good Markus.. It's ALL good...lol...JBS:D

[chazwicke]

Crescent City is over across the street from the river and near the old Jax plant. I think it's on Decater Street. I've had a few there on different occasions. Most bars will serve Abita beers. If the NO branch of DBA is hald as good as the NYC location I definitly look them up too. I wouldn't really call NO a "family" town.

[chazwicke]

Also the Harrah's casino there is about as good as any outside of Vegas as they get.

[Stodbrew]

I'd agree with chazwicke. You should check out Crescent City. And everywhere else will have Abita on tap. You could even check out the Abita Brewery across the lake in Abita Springs, only about a half hour to forty minutes away from NO. And the food in NO is absolutely amazing. Turtle soup, gator bites, gumbo, etc. You'll have a blast!

[chazwicke]

Abita's brewpub had some pretty darn good food when I was there as well.

[Wilson]

The Cresent City Brewhouse is definetly a good one, you could also swing by The Bulldog on Magazine--they have a pretty good selection, its small and you can get bar food. Lagers in Metairie is good, but is kinda out of your way from the Quarter. While downtown eat at Mothers and get a Debris po-boy, a NOLA classic. Have Fun!

[threecb]

I've been to Cresent City and thought it was pretty decent. Beer snobs tend to dis it, but I thought the beers were good. Mostly lagers, I think.

Also, I haven't been, but I've heard good things about Zea Rotisserie and Brewery in Metairie, which is one town over on the way towards the airport. Not far from downtown NO.

[Wilson]

Thats right forgot about Zea's. Its good too, a bit more trendy than Cresent City if I remember correctly. (a trendy brewhouse?)

[threecb]

Originally posted by Wilson
(a trendy brewhouse?)

Oh, they're out there. Thirsty Bear in SFO, Triumph in Princeton NJ, and from what I hear, the new incarnation of Times Square Brewery are a few that come to mind. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with that! As long as the beer is good, I like some variety in the restaurants surrounding the brewhouses.

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by bluesnbrews
It's ALL good Markus.. It's ALL good...lol...JBS:

Heh,Heh...Good to see you , my Bruthuh! :D

Welcome aboard to my cousin and fellow hoister...you've heard the old commercial "I'd walk a mile for a Camel"?; this man will drive 300 miles for a Darklord!!

Steveh...this is the guy who will be accompanying me to Libertyville.

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I wouldn't really call NO a "family" town.

No worries...just me and the Mrs :) ; I've done my homework and enough of my relatives have been there that I know the "rules" pretty well; such as don't go much North of Bourbon after dark!...Rampart St. for example.

[chazwicke]

One of my employees, a nice young lady, was shot through the leg after parking her car on Rampart. Definitely stay south of it. I usually stay at the Ritz Carleton on cana and I tend to head towards the river. Eat some oysters while you are there!

[BluesHarp]

Chaz...we are staying in the ajoining hotel to the Ritz; The Iberville Suites.

I will eat oysters, I can assure you! ;)

We may do the cemetary tour, but only with a guided group.

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by chazwicke
If the NO branch of DBA is hald as good as the NYC location I definitly look them up too.

"DBA" ??

...never mind, found their website...yeah, I WILL be going there!

Thanks!!

[chazwicke]

Let us know how DBA is. I have been to the one one in New York. Harrahs is just a short walk down canal from where your staying. I'm heading out in a few hours to Costa Rica I fear it will be a beer wasteland but the sail fishing is supposed to be superb.

[MeridianFC]

New Orleans is a city seemingly defined by cheap liquor, that said:

The dba (618 Frenchmen Street) in NO is good, though it struck me as not quite as good as the one in NYC. Still definitely worth a visit. Be advised that it can be packed at the weekends. It's on strip with several other bars away from the action of the Quarter.

Crescent City (527 Decatur) is of course a must. The Black Stallion lager is quite good. As has been mentioned beer snobs may turn up there nose, but get you a bowl of gumbo or some oysters a few of the fine beers from CC and let the Big Easy happen. There's a few good liquor/beers stores on Decatur, which you'll find no problem.

Flaherty's (508 Tolouse Street) is not bad for the standard Oirish style pub, though this joint has far more history than most. Sessions in the evening and they show soccer, amongst other sports, if that's your thing.

My favorite haunt is the Circle Bar (1032 St. Charles Avenue). It's at one of the turning points for the streetcar line. It's got a younger hipper crowd, which tends more towards natives. Great alternative/rootsy music at night. It doesn't open 'till 5pm IIRC. When I was there in May they had decent bottled selection with a couple of micros on draft. You'll get a lot of PBR drinkers rubbing shoulders with those supping Hoegaarden if that gives you any idea. Happy hour is dirt cheap. The staff is the friendliest I've encountered in just about in watering hole anywhere. It's just down the street from one of the 3 Emeril restaurants (Delmonicos IIRC). It's a bit away from the Quarter, which is good. Tell Lefty that Kelly say "howdy".

To reinforce what was said above, NO is to me one of the least family friendly/oriented places I've ever been. That's why you go there.

You say you're not going to drink one of those things out of the slurpee machines, but trust me you will.

Pack some aspirin.

Seriously.

[Tweek]

Originally posted by MeridianFC

You say you're not going to drink one of those things out of the slurpee machines, but trust me you will.

Pack some aspirin.

Seriously.

ROFL. I almost had beer come out of my nose on that one. Very funny, but very true.

[BluesHarp]

Meridian...

Excellent suggestions; I will try to hit them all (I'm gonna have to be REALLY nice to Mrs. Harp ;) )
dba and Crescent City are definites...and I will certainly try to check out the Circle Bar; sounds very cool.

I think a slurpee drink is obligitory, isn't it? ...aspirin will be packed, along with Motrin, Aleve, and whatever else I find in the medicine cabinet...

I can't wait to get some good Cajun and Creole food in me, and a good amount of oysters and hot sauce...damn, I'm getting hungry.

Thanks for the ideas! I suppose I will need to give a report when I return.