SweetWater extends distribution to Louisiana

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SweetWater will flow in Louisiana.

The Atlanta-based SweetWater Brewing Company announced plans to expand distribution into three Louisiana markets and will begin serving its beer on Monday. The now 250-barrel brewhouse recently underwent a $19 million expansion, allowing the company to increase its footprint.


SweetWater also recently began distributing in Kentucky, the first new state the company has entered since 2008. Louisiana is the eighth southeastern state the brewery has tapped, and Virginia is on deck.

The company has five year-round brews highlighted by the popular 420 Extra Pale Ale, their award-winning IPA and Blue, a blueberry-flavored wheat ale. The company presents an additional five seasonal releases and intermittent release of high-gravity beers via its Dank Tank series.

The brewery has inked distribution deals with Southern Eagle Distributing in New Orleans, Champagne Beverage Company on the Northshore and Mockler Beverage Company in Baton Rouge. Samplings and sponsored events are on Aug. 21 in Baton Rouge and Aug. 22 in New Orleans. Exact peddling locations will be announced on www.facebook.com/SWHeadyPeddlersLouisiana.


For more information about SweetWater, visit www.sweetwaterbrew.com.

TIME TO TAKE THE TASTE TEST: 

Staffers Eric Besson and Casey Gisclair accepted the challenge and offered their views on the new SweetWater beers.


 SweetWater Blue

Billed as a breakfast beer with a subtle blueberry taste, SweetWater Blue lives up to its name. The blueberry flavor is subtle, alright, and doesn’t mask the natural flavor. The problem here is said natural flavor is tepid. More of a glass of flavored water than a brew, there’s not much to it. Only on a hot day on the lake do I give SweetWater Blue consideration, and then I probably just go with Gatorade.

– EB


The bottle touts from the start that this is a breakfast beer. Upon a sip, immediately, the images of blueberry pancakes crosses my mind. The SweetWater Blue holds a lot of fruit flavor. It doesn’t taste much like a traditional beer, and holds a bit of a kick of a carbonated drink. To me, it was a treat. It was a bit of a changeup from the norm.

– CG

420 Extra Pale Ale


If my spirits were down after sampling Blue, 420 elevated them. With this brew, it’s all about the finish. On the first sip, the bite swells for moments as an aftertaste while I’m wondering at what level it will top off. Before I’m acclimated to the sensation, each taste is pleasantly jolting. I don’t detect the floral/fruity flavors commonplace to pale ales. Because it’s not too heavy or light, I could drink several over the course of a lazy day.

– EB

I admit up front that when it comes to beer, my preference is that lighter is better. So from the first sip of 420 Extra Pale Ale, I knew that this wasn’t my kind of brew. But to its credit, the beer’s taste is unique and was different from anything that I could detect from my other experiences. I wouldn’t purchase with my own dollars – but that’s not a fault to the beer. I just am not a fan of this style.


– CG

SweetWater IPA

This is a beer to swill and savor. More than floral, it’s … root-al? It’s a concoction that proves those silly “Bitter Beer Face” ads I saw in my youth were merely an attempt to direct drinkers away from flavor and toward a cheap mainstream brand. Where 420 successfully focuses on the finish, this India Pale Ale is full-flavored from the moment it leaves the glass. Welcome, oh welcome, to Louisiana, SweetWater.


– EB

Much like the Extra Pale Ale, I knew going into this one that I wasn’t going to want a second serving. But I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The SweetWater IPA has a taste that is clean and distinctive. It doesn’t have the aftertaste I experienced with the 420 Extra Pale Ale – it’s distinctive from the earliest drops. If out and wanting something different, I think I would put this one in my repertoire.

– CG


SweetWater Brewing Company’s 420 Extra Pale Ale, IPA and Blue are pictured. With the company’s announcement that it is entering the Louisiana market this month, staff writers Eric Besson and Casey Gisclair sampled their most-popular brews.

ERIC BESSON | TRI-PARISH TIMES