Faubourg Brewing Company
| File:Faubourg-Brewing-Co-logo-01.jpg | |
| Formerly | Dixie Brewing Company (1907–2021) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Founder | Valentine Merz |
| Defunct | 2024 |
| Headquarters | 3501 Jourdan Road, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Products | Beer |
Production output | 1,000,000 cases (pre-Katrina) |
| Owner | Gayle Benson (majority owner) Joe and Kendra Bruno (minority owners) |
| Website | faubourgbrewery |
Faubourg Brewing Company was a brewery established in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 31, 1907, initially known as Dixie Brewing Company. Its operations were based on Tulane Avenue until closure in 2005 due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Brewing was outsourced to facilities outside Louisiana until November 2019, when a new brewery was inaugurated back in New Orleans. The company adopted the Faubourg Brewing Company name in 2021. After the conclusion of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May 2024, the brewery announced it would cease operations and auction off all equipment from its New Orleans location.
History
Valentine Merz founded the brewery in 1907, with the original brick facility at 2401 Tulane Avenue designed by German architect Louis Lehle. During Prohibition, it operated under the name "Dixie Beverage Company." In 1983, Coy International acquired the brewery, which was then sold to Joseph and Kendra Elliott Bruno in 1985. Following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 1989, the company restructured in 1992 and introduced specialty brews such as Blackened Voodoo and Jazz Amber Light.
The brewery endured extensive damage and looting during the levee breaches caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Although initial attempts were made to restore brewing at the original site, it never resumed operations there. Production was relocated to contract brewing at Joseph Huber Brewing Company in Monroe, Wisconsin. The historic Tulane Avenue building was later integrated into a new Department of Veterans Affairs hospital complex, retaining its distinctive brewery tower as a landmark.
In 2017, Tom Benson—owner of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans—acquired a controlling interest with intentions to revive local brewing. After his passing in 2018, ownership transitioned to his wife Gayle Benson. A new brewery was constructed in Eastern New Orleans featuring architectural nods to the original plant, including a replica brick tower and metal lettering salvaged from the former site. The 80,000-square-foot facility houses a taproom with a vintage fermenting tank bar, event spaces, a beer museum, and outdoor areas such as a beer garden and walking trails.
Mid-2019 saw production shift from Wisconsin to Blues City Brewery in Memphis before finally returning to New Orleans in November 2019—the first local brewing since Katrina. The new brewery officially opened its doors to the public in January 2020.
In November 2020, the company changed its name from Dixie Brewing Company to Faubourg Brewing Company to move away from the contentious connotations linked to "Dixie." The new brand draws on a French term meaning "neighborhood," honoring regional culture. By early 2021, signage and packaging had been updated to reflect the Faubourg identity.
Popular culture
This brewery and its beverages have been featured in a variety of films, including Red, Southern Comfort, Steel Magnolias, Stone Cold, Tigerland, and Tightrope. Additionally, its presence is noted in literary works such as A Confederacy of Dunces, American Psycho, and the series True Blood.
See also
External links
- Defunct brewing companies based in Louisiana
- Buildings and structures in New Orleans
- Food and drink companies of New Orleans
- Manufacturing companies based in New Orleans
- Tourist attractions in New Orleans
- American companies established in 1907
- Food and drink companies established in 1907
- American companies disestablished in 2024
- 1907 establishments in Louisiana
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment