NEW ORLEANS – Urban South Brewery is celebrating its ninth anniversary on April 19 with an all-day, family-friendly, Louisiana-themed party featureing three new beer collaborations and the debut of a new THC root beer collaboration.
The announcement of yet another popular THC product to the market comes at a time when the Louisiana legislature is slated to consider two new Bills raising taxes on hemp products.
Currently, Louisiana imposes a 3% excise tax on consumable hemp products, with the revenue allocated to the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund. House Bill 187, introduced by Representative Bryan Fontenot (R-Thibodaux), proposes increasing this tax to 15%, maintaining the revenue allocation to early childhood education.
In contrast, House Bill 235, introduced by Representative Michael Echols (R-Monroe), seeks to raise the tax to 20% and redistribute the revenue as follows: 15% to the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund, 30% to the Criminal Justice and First Responder Fund, 30% to the Drug Abuse Education and Treatment Dedicated Fund Account, and 25% to the newly established Consumable Hemp Testing and Regulation Fund.
Meanwhile, the beverage industry continues to innovate and grow. Attendees at the Urban South Brewery anniversary event will have the opportunity to sample not just special new taproom releases, but the new THC-infused root beer called Street Chicken.
Street Chicken is a collaboration with Chicken’s Kitchen, the award-winning Gretna restaurant recognized by the New York Times as one of the top 50 restaurants in the U.S. The product meets the current legal single serving size of 5 mg of hemp-THC, reduced from 8 mg when new legislation came into effect on Jan. 1 this year.
The special taproom releases will include collaborations with well-known breweries and restaurants:
Black Bayou – A black pilsner made with Southern Prohibition Brewery
Oh, Possum – A double IPA made with HAAS hop supplier and Odd Colony Brewery
Lil Bandit – An ube, plum, and vanilla ice cream sour created with Super Witch Ice Cream Co.
“Our ninth anniversary is a testament to our impact in the beer industry and how we continue to push the boundaries of what beer is for our loyal customers,” said Jacob Landry, Co-Founder of Urban South Brewery. “Our new releases, expansion into different markets, and award recognition are largely thanks to the support we have received over the past nine years, and we cannot wait to celebrate this milestone with our community.”
The celebration will include exclusive, limited-edition anniversary glassware available for purchase. Live music performances will include T Marie, Bayou Juju, and Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers. Food will be available from Gonzo’s Smokehouse & BBQ, Super Witch Ice Cream Co., a crawfish boil, and Urban Smash.
Besides the new beverage collaborations, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy appearances from Neuty the Nutria, live music, and food offerings while celebrating Urban South’s nine years of success.
The event is free and open to the public.
More information is available here or by following @urbansouthbeer and @urbansouth_nola on social media.
About Urban South Brewery
Founded in 2016, Urban South Brewery is an award-winning Southern craft brewery with locations in New Orleans and Pensacola, Florida. Known for producing high-quality, affordable beers such as Paradise Park American Lager and Holy Roller IPA, Urban South also brews fruited sours and THC seltzers. Notable awards include the 2024 World Beer Cup (Silver), 2023 and 2022 U.S. Open Beer Championships, 2021 Can Can Awards, and 2020 Great American Beer Festival. Urban South is committed to community and believes that beer is a family affair.
