Hello, Great Beer Now readers! This is the first in a multi- part series highlighting the Great Beer Now Boozy Bayou Beer Tour 2018, a beer and booze excursion that took me on a journey through the Lake Charles, Louisiana region and southeast Texas. It’s an area rich in local culture and customs and also home to some great breweries and distilleries. Cheers, and have fun following me on this Cajun- style adventure!
Lake Charles, Louisiana is a tourist- driven town popular for its casino gambling and taste of Louisiana culture. The resorts are large and you could easily devote an entire vacation to the resort itself, since they have everything you need all in one fancy package. But Lake Charles has much more to offer than roulette wheels and slot machines- there is also some excellent booze and craft beer just waiting to be tasted. If the latter is what you crave, then the place you want to visit is Crying Eagle Brewing, located at 1165 E. McNeese St., Lake Charles, Louisiana.
No More Tears
Crying Eagle Brewing is a large brewery with a 30 barrel system, multiple seating levels, and a beer garden. The brewery first opened in May, 2016 and has quickly caught on with local residents and tourists alike.
Crying Eagle Brewing takes its name from the local Parish in which it is located. The Parish, Calcasieu, loosely translates into “crying eagle” and if you look closely at the brewery’s logo, you will see a tear drop next to the eagle’s eye.
With its 30 barrel system, Crying Eagle is a larger than expected operation and this is apparent once you enter the doors and walk inside. They presently brew about 1,500 barrels of beer per year and distribute to Louisiana and east Texas, but they have enough capacity to expand this number many times over.
Eagle Beer
Guests who visit Crying Eagle Brewing will find about 12 to 15 beers on tap at any given moment. Here are the beers I tried when I was there, listed in alphabetical order by name, followed by the style and my Untappd rating on a five point scale:
- Acadian Coffee Common, California Common, 4
- Barrel Aged Dunkelweizen, dunkel, 4
- Hop Blooded, American IPA, 3.5
- Oatmeal Stout, stout, 3.5
- Ready to Mingle, Patersbier, 4
- Scottish 80, Scottish Ale, 3.25
Overall Average Rating: 3.71
Crying Eagle Brewing serves solid, agreeable beers overall. I was partial to the Acadian Coffee Common and the Barrel- Aged Dunkelweizen, as these were the most unique in the bunch, but there is much to be liked overall.
Spread Your Wings
Crying Eagle Brewing is Lake Charles, Louisiana’s only full- fledged brewery at the moment. I don’t live very far from Lake Charles but in spite of my close proximity and my knowledge of the beer landscape in the adjacent state of Texas, I had not previously heard of Crying Eagle. I was anxious to visit this fledgling brewery, learn about its past and present, and discover if Lake Charles had yet another reason to consider it for vacation travel.
My initial impression of Crying Eagle Brewing is that it was larger than expected. From the outside, the brewery gets your attention and entices you to step inside and find out more. Once you’re in the facility, you quickly see that Crying Eagle is larger than you previously thought, with multiple levels, a 30 barrel brewing system, a side restaurant, a gift shop, and much more.
Talking with Crying Eagle personnel, I learned that head brewer Bill started as a homebrewer, which is a common occurrence among professional brewers. I also learned that the owner, Eric Avery, got his inspiration to open Crying Eagle following a visit to Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewing. He loved the spirit of community on display at Saint Arnold and how everyone seems to put their differences aside as they enjoy finely crafted brew. He knew that this was the type of business he wanted to own, and Crying Eagle Brewing was born.
Crying Eagle Brewing packages its beer in cans and also has a bottling line for specialty beers. They are not presently using the bottling line, but the plan is to use it in the future, once these specialty beers are developed. The brewery has the foundations for greatness in place and from tasting the beers, I am convinced it is only a matter of growing awareness for the brand, setting up more distribution deals, etc. before Crying Eagle becomes known on a larger scale. They have the capacity, an attractive tasting area, and everything else necessary to propel the brewery to greater levels of success.
Lake Charles, Louisiana is popular for its casinos but as Crying Eagle Brewing has proven, there is more to Lake Charles than a quick game of poker or blackjack. Crying Eagle Brewing has only been around for a short time, but the commitment to quality brew and the cool facility means that Crying Eagle has the potential to stretch its wings far and wide in the coming years. Pay a visit to Crying Eagle Brewing the next time you’re in the Lake Charles, Louisiana area. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
I’ll have to keep this place in mind when I finally make it down that way. Would love to try a place that has this much to offer. Maybe I will stop through someday on one of my baseball tours.