Peter Cadoo
Brewmaster – NOLA Brewing
3001 Tchoupitoulas St
New Orleans, La.
https://www.nolabrewing.com/
Below are answers to the five questions from Peter, as taken down by Jack. Note: Jack’s note taking skills are weak, so please refer to Peter for clarification.
- How did you start brewing?
While attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Peter joined the CIA’s Beer and Ale Society. Though mostly a beer styles tasting group, they did have some brewing equipment donated by the previous president. In his first attempt at brewing, Peter and colleagues used this equipment to brew an extract batch of lager one weekend. On the following Monday (December 8, 1980), John Lennon was shot, so they named the batch Lennon Lager.
- How did you get into commercial brewing?
Around 1984, while Peter was a homebrewer and member of Crescent City Homebrewers, he and a friend tried to get a job at Dixie. On that first attempt, they were offered positions working at a new small operations ethanol plant, which was outside. Noting the heat, Peter declined. Years later, Guy Hagner, then the brewmaster of Dixie, attended a CCH meeting and said he was looking for volunteers to come work as replacements for union workers who were about to go on strike. At the time, Peter was working as a chef at Commander’s Palace. But Peter took the job at Dixie, and promptly told Emeril that he was leaving. He worked at Dixie from 1987 to until the whole crew was laid-off in March of 2005, with promises that that would be temporary. Katrina hit, and the rehiring didn’t happen. Peter recalled that the idea for NOLA Brewery came about in 2007, and became an official business in April 2008. The first two beers, NOLA Blonde and NOLA Brown, came out March 3 in 2009.
- Which style(s) are you most interested in brewing and why?
Peter said that Dunkel lager is his favorite style – “malty, tastes good, normal alcohol around 5%”. His least favorites are hefeweizen and hazy IPA (though noting that the latter is not really a true beer style)
- What is the most challenging aspect of being a commercial brewer?
“Consistency. Having the beers come out the same every time, even when the grains and hops can change every year.”
- What advice do you have for homebrewers?
“Don’t take it too seriously. And try not to get too intoxicated when you’re actually brewing. But if it doesn’t come out perfect, no big deal.”
Crescent City Brew Talk 