PUNK ROCK BREWING

By Ian Guevara

“Hey look,” Jonathan harps with a finger pointed, “It's a Gnarly Barley family.”

I look toward the large garage doors that open into the tap room and I see the living impact that Gnarly Barley has had in its community. A full family rolls into the tap room each of them, father, mother, two kids, and dog fully clad in Gnarly Barley merch. The dad, I’m assuming, reaches for the Skater Aid while the kids begin to paint in their little paint-by-numbers sets.

Along the walls of Gnarly Barley rests works of art to amuse any soul. From the trippy artwork that has become the brewery’s calling card to portraits, drawings, and scribbles created by the patrons.

The wild and colorful artwork transcends the decor and infuses itself into the spirit of Gnarly Barley. This is never more so exemplified than the artwork on each can of beer. Some of the cans are psychedelic trips. Staring at a can may induce a flashback or two, but have no fear, the beer and atmosphere is a safe place. Jucifer’s juicy devil tubing down the river inspires a mischievous yet mellow feeling. Skater Aid’s clashing yellows and purples and hands raised to an angelic skateboard encourage rebelliousness. Salvador Dali would be proud of the work. I mean maybe, I didn’t know the guy, but I imagine he would

As the kid’s work through their own works of art, I’m now more convinced than ever that they’ll be affixed upon the tap room’s walls as well.

“This place is bumping for a Wednesday afternoon,” Jonathan says as he sips into beer.

Jonathan is my partner in crime in this brewery writing and website adventure. His media creativity and savviness are unparalleled. The logo? Jonathan. The website? Jonathan. Keeping my sanity? Beer… and Jonathan.

Moreover, Jonathan has been a part of many of my wild adventures out in the wilderness, in the city, and obviously through breweries.

Every beer is its own adventure, its own journey, and its own story. With each taste comes a different memory and with each smell comes a different emotion. It’s the recall of those thoughts that fuels my quest to taste beer. And in this particular moment, as Jonathan graciously uses his down time to help me, I recall a time when he needed my help on his journey. But like all things, helping him impacted me in profound ways too.

I had just spent my first year as a teacher and was planning to spend a summer at a camp where I spent nearly thirteen summers of my youth and early adulthood cheerfully laboring under the brutal Mississippi sun. My plan was simple, work inside as the commissioner and run a program that caters to the adult volunteers.

All that changed when Jonathan bursted through the door at our mutual friend, Mike’s house.

“How’s it going, my future Aquatics Director?” Jonathan exclaimed with a smile.

I took one look at him, then turned my head to see if he was talking to someone else in the house of whom I was not aware.

“Who the fuck are to talking to?”

“You man, you’re going to be great!”

From there my life changed tremendously. I discovered a love for all things water-related I never thought I possessed. In the thirteen previous summers I worked in various areas from Shooting Sports to the Dinning Hall and served in multiple director positions from Ecology/Conservation to Scouting Skills. But never… NEVER… in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to don the red bathing suit and whistle.

I now love swimming, boating, and have an irrational obsession over safety at every pool I visit. But the swimming part has been the real life changer. It's the reason why I’ve lost nearly eighty pounds in the last six years. And maybe why I’ll live past the age my dad passed. Forty is not far away, I better keep swimming.

Gnarly Barley Brewery sits in a spacious open warehouse only a mile or so from downtown Hammond, Louisiana. If a brewery could be labeled “punk rock” this would be the place. Magnificent gonzo artwork created by the owner, employees, and patrons displays at every corner of the tap room. It’s an inviting environment that just beckons for craft beer and camaraderie.

We sit down for an interview with the owner, Zac Caramonta (stay tuned for that exclusive in the future) and I taste my first beer from the multitude of taps that display every delicious brew.

Skater Aid is a light Italian Pilsner that deserves a place in the “Dad Beers” hall of fame. Incredibly crispy and light, it’s the perfect beer to guzzle on a hot summer day. It also has egalitarian notes as a portion of its proceeds go to fund skate parks and programs throughout the New Orleans area.

After the interview I settled into my first flight, a beautiful rainbow display of craftsmanship and art. “Cherry Bounce” Berliner Weisse, “Cerveza Your Facea” Mexican Lager, “Jucifer” Hazy IPA, and “Peanut Butter Korova Milk Porter” a Baltic Porter. Cherry Bounce is another light and crispy beer that’s tarty and slightly fruity making it a perfect “outside beer”. Cerveza Your Facea makes for a flavorful Mexican lager that has a lingering and wonderful aftertaste. If there was ever a beer to drink during a ballgame, this is the one. I can clearly down several of these to gather the confidence to let professional coaches and athletes know what they’re doing wrong.

I never thought I’d say this in my life, but I’m coming around on IPAs. I guess the more I drink them, the more I’ve begun to appreciate their quality and flavor profiles. Jucifer, the flagship of Gnarly Barley, is already one of my favorite IPAs. This beer is one of the most popular beers in Louisiana for a reason. All the hints of the fruits are there and none of them are battling for supremacy. They all get along. It has only a slight bitterness, which is a plus for me.

The Peanut Butter Korova Milk Porter is a good swing at a Baltic Porter. The smell hits you first before the lips lock into the flavor. Both are excellent combinations for sweet and smokey. The peanut butter stands out more than the chocolate and hits on all cylinders with its aftertaste.

My final flight consisted of “Good Seed” Berliner Weisse Sour, “Catahoula Common” American Lager, “Planet Juice” New England Hazy IPA, and “Mocha Moon” Imperial Stout. Good Seed is a guava, blueberry, and raspberry sour that was excellent and my hands down favorite of the afternoon. Good Seed strong sour beer with a punch that's not overpowered by the sweetness of the guava, blueberry, and raspberry. And the raspberry is definitely the dominant flavor.

Catahoula Common is hands down another “Dad Beer” great. It’s a crispy California Common Lager that every dad can drink all day and never walk away from. Planet Juice is a pleasing Hazy IPA with a tropical punch that’s not crazy bitter, but definitely has that IPA bitter hit.

If you don't like coffee then stay away from the Mocha Moon, but if you do, you’ll be pleased and over the moon (buh dum tiss). The coffee flavor is NOT understated, it's THERE and doesn’t go away. There’s no bitterness from the coffee because it’s balanced out by the chocolaty mocha sweetness.

Gnarly Barley is open everyday from 12pm - 7pm from Sunday through Thursday and 12pm - 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It has a spacious outdoor venue that is perfect when the temperature is not equal to the face of the Sun. They deploy multiple food trucks and have live music every Friday and Saturday. And you can book a tour between Tuesdays and Fridays, but have free tours with no reservations on Saturdays at 1pm and 2pm. But the artwork on display throughout the tap room is an experience all in of itself.

Why go to an art gallery? Salvador Dali’s spirit lives here and he’s staying for the beer.