Bottoms up for new brewers
Lindsay Hellwig, a design project coordinator at Tulane University, taps beer in her spare time at what she says is the Crescent City"s first nanobrewery that she and her husband launched this fall. (Photo by Sally Asher)
When Lindsay Hellwig and her husband, Scott Wood, started brewing craft beer in their tiny French Quarter courtyard five years ago, their brewing supplies quickly took over the small space. Hellwig decided that they needed not only a larger area but their own brewery.
After two years of working with the city and state, the couple opened the city"s first nanobrewery, the Courtyard Brewery, in late October. Located at 1020 Erato St., the brewery has a small, 3BBL or three barrel brew house and experiments with barrel-aged beers and different varieties of hops. Currently, they are serving a carefully curated list of other craft beers until their own beers finish fermenting.
“The great part about being small is that every pint that we hand out is going to be served by someone who cares about your experience.”—Lindsay Hellwig, owner of the Courtyard Brewery
“I like that it"s becoming a comfortable neighborhood place that makes you feel like pulling out your lawn chair, bringing your dog and staying awhile,” Hellwig said.
Aside from catering to craft beer aficionados, the cozy neighborhood brewery also utilizes Hellwig"s skills as a licensed interior designer, honed in her work for Design Services (a part of the former Office of the University Architect and Campus Planning) at Tulane University.
Hellwig and her husband built almost everything in the bar using primarily recycled materials, including the steel box tube frame bar in-filled with found wood covered in epoxy resin, giving the bar a rustic and modern vibe.
Hellwig, who also schedules food trucks and organizes neighborhood friendly events, strives to keep the atmosphere relaxed and inviting.
On a recent Thursday night, friends gathered around catching up on the week"s events, drinking a “Baby IPA” or “Stone Hibiscusicity” while a couple"s pit bull, George, gave out kisses to passers-by.
“The great part about being small is that every pint that we hand out is going to be served by someone who cares about your experience,” she said.
Hellwig and Wood are also working with the city and state to change regulations to make it easier for other small breweries to open and spread craft beer and cheer across the city.
