An Afternoon Enjoying Lake Charles’ Brewery Scene

Perfect spots for a bite and a brew.

Visit Crying Eagle Brewery in Lake Charles

Crying Eagle Brewery in Lake Charles.

Rikenjaks Brewery in Lake Charles Louisiana

Rikenjaks Brewing in Lake Charles.

2016 Winter BeerFest

Lake Charles Winter Beer Fest

Southwest Louisiana’s culture is one that celebrates good times with great people. It’s home to more than 75 annual fairs and festivals, a number constantly growing. Each year, Lake Charles hosts the Winter Beer Festival, bringing in breweries from throughout the state to showcase their products. The people here celebrate their passion for good food, a love for Cajun and Zydeco music and now, craft beer. 

Crying Eagle Brewing Co. is Lake Charles’ first craft brewery! It’s become a great hangout and their brews have become local favorites. The craft brewery scene in Lake Charles has people excited, to say the least. Along with a fun and interesting tour, Crying Eagle offers an onsite restaurant – The Bistro – serving up hand rolled pizza, sandwiches, small plates and more to pair with your brew. Choose a spot outside in Crying Eagle’s outdoor beer garden and play a few games of washers and bean bag toss while listening to a great local artist.

A Lake Charles favorite from years past, Rikenjaks Brewing Company, made its debut in the 1990s and was the first in the area to offer craft beer with its famous Old Hardhead Scottish Ale. It offers a cozy indoor restaurant space complete with a bar featuring several Louisiana brewed favorites on tap. Another major highlight is the outdoor bar area lined with flat-screen TVs, spacious patio seating and bar games like a giant version of Jenga, cornhole and ping pong. Rikenjaks is a great place to see local artists perform live music seven days a week on both indoor and outdoor stages.

Both Crying Eagle and Rikenjaks are great representations of the culture in Lake Charles, bringing together everything that makes this city such a special place. These craft brewery options are not to be missed when you #VisitLakeCharles!

For more information, visit www.VisitLakeCharles.org