Brewery Tour: Bayou Teche Brewing

When you pull into Bayou Teche Brewing’s property in Arnaudville, expect some genuine Cajun hospitality. The brewery is named after the neighboring waterway, the Bayou Teche and is right outside Lafayette, Louisiana, arguably the epicenter of all things Cajun.

Bayou Teche Brewing is a family business – Karlos, Byron, and Dorsey Knott and their families live on the surrounding properties and all work together every day to bring their beer to the community and to educate folks about Cajun culture. The beers are specifically crafted and brewed to complement the region’s cuisine and showcase local ingredients. Like much of Louisiana culture, the brewery has a distinct European influence, with the predominant use of French and German malts and hops.

Karlos Knott calls his family’s business “a cultural brewery.” The Knott brothers link the beer they make and drink with the food they eat, the music they play and listen to, the dialect they speak, and the Cajun culture they love.

Right: LA 31 Biere Pale is Bayou Teche's top seller.

Although the brewery’s taproom is open all week long, the best and most joyous way to experience the Bayou Teche Brewing experience is to show up on Saturday for tours, music, and a general good time. Locals and visitors alike mingle while sipping beer and listening to local bands like Sweet Cecilia, Diego Martin-Perez, Linzay Young & Joel Savoy, Beausoleil Trio, Jimmy Breaux, the Blake Miller Band, and, on special occasions, the Grammy-nominated Lost Bayou Ramblers. (Founding member Louis Michot is also an employee at the brewery.)

The weekends have become too busy for the informal crawfish boils and pig roasts of days past, but Lafayette area food trucks fill the niche with food like jambalaya, Cajun-tinged BBQ and creative burgers.

You’ll see people spread out on the side patio of the brewery at picnic tables or folding chairs unpacked from the back of the car, drinking beer, talking to their friends, meeting new people, and, in some cases, doing a two-step to the live music that’s playing. (The shows are always free, but the hardworking musicians appreciate tips.)