Best Craft Beer Bars
in New Orleans

A nanobrewery with outsized ambition in the Warehouse District. Courtyard Brewery makes 12 beers on-site and brings in 12 rotating guest taps from around Louisiana and the Gulf South. The titular courtyard hosts food trucks Thursday through Saturday. Belgian-influenced styles are a specialty; the Saison de Nola is a benchmark for local farmhouse ales.

A Magazine Street institution with 50 draft taps and one of the best beer gardens in Uptown. The Bulldog splits its crowd between serious beer drinkers and the after-work neighborhood regulars, and it serves both well. The pool tables in back stay busy until closing. Dogs are welcome on the patio, which explains the name and the loyal repeat clientele.

Miel uses local honey in many of its beers, a nod to the Louisiana apiaries that supply some of the country's finest clover and sourwood. The taproom is small and welcoming, the beers are thoughtful, and the prices are the fairest of any New Orleans brewery. The Honey Ginger Wheat is the gateway beer; the Barrel-Aged Barleywine is the destination.

Urban South is the fastest-growing craft brewery in Louisiana and the tap room reflects that energy. The main space holds 200 people, there is outdoor seating for another 100, and live music runs on weekend evenings. The Paradise Park Lager is a city staple at this point; the rotating sour program is where the brewing team pushes its technical limits.

The only craft beer bar in New Orleans that never closes. The Avenue Pub has 40 rotating taps, a bottle list of 300, and the most dedicated beer nerd clientele in the city. The upstairs balcony on Magazine Street is among the finest spots to drink beer in the city at any hour. The staff are encyclopedically knowledgeable and genuinely want to find you something you will love.

Parish Brewing originates from Broussard, Louisiana, and its CBD taproom is the best place to understand what the Cajun Country brewing tradition looks like when applied to modern craft beer. The Ghost in the Machine double IPA has won national recognition; the Envie Amber is the easy-drinking anchor of the lineup and pairs with any New Orleans meal.

Named for the New Orleans brass band tradition, Second Line brews beers with unexpected ingredients pulled from the city's food culture: dark roast chicory coffee, Louisiana praline, and Creole spices. The Mahogany Chicory Porter is a year-round standout. Small taproom, big personality, and the most distinctly New Orleans beer brand in the city.

The only brewpub in the French Quarter and a useful anchor point when the Quarter's cocktail bars feel like too much. Crescent City brews 5 house beers year-round plus 2 seasonals; the Red Stallion Amber is the house standard. The balcony overlooking Decatur Street is a compelling argument for arriving before dinner and staying through dessert.

Bywater's most comfortable craft beer destination leans on Belgian and German imports alongside the Louisiana craft selection. The Bistreaux philosophy: drink well without spending extravagantly. 28 taps, a covered patio with ceiling fans, and a kitchen that makes the best muffuletta sandwich in the neighborhood. A neighborhood bar that invites strangers in.

A Marigny newcomer with a strong focus on barrel-aged and sour beers that has quickly built a following among the neighborhood's more adventurous drinkers. 20 taps, all rotating, with a standing commitment to stocking at least 6 Louisiana craft breweries at any given time. The barrel-aged selection changes monthly and rewards regular visits.