BATON ROUGE, La. (NBC Local 33) (FOX 44) – Tiger Stadium serves seven different types of beers during the games now. But only one is a local brew. Now, Louisiana breweries are asking for more inclusion.

Kevin Whalen says it was about 11 years ago. That’s when he started crafting his own beer concoctions inside of his house.

“It’s a hobby that turned into an obsession,” Whalen said. “It’s really fun to create flavors.”

He took bits and pieces of older recipes and created his own flavors. And it’s that raw Louisiana authenticity that Whalen wants to share with craft beer lovers.

“We have two distinct markets we’re trying to reach. One is craft beer lovers and the other is sports fans.”

But lately, Whalen says it’s difficult for local breweries to expand their reach to the sports fans they need for business, especially since Lsu has limited local options at Tiger Stadium.

Cary Koch, executive director Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild

“Drinking beer is a big part of the tailgating process. And we really wanted to focused and apparently that has not been their initial launch,”
Cary Koch, executive director Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild.

When LSU announced that they would start serving alcohol at the games, they sent out a survey of several alcoholic beverages. In the end, the school ended up serving seven different beers and two wine selections. But only one of the beers was a local brew.

“When I saw the list it was just a deflating feeling. I know we’ve got some great breweries and great brewers in the area.”

We reached out to LSU but they were unavailable for comment. But according to published reports, the athletic department is looking to expand their alcohol selections which could include more local brews.

The craft brewers support LSU. We hope we can continue to work together and work out some common sense changes that would include Louisiana brewers in the future,” Koch said.

Until then, both Koch and Whalen say they’ll continue to serve Louisiana one beer at a time.