Ragin’ Cajuns™ Genuine Louisiana Ale has won a 2016 Southern Living Food Award.
It will be featured with other award winners in a special section of Southern Living magazine’s June issue, which will hit newsstands on May 20.
The best Southern-made food products were chosen by a group of Southern Living editors.
“Over the past year, our editors have canvassed the South, from Atlanta to Austin, sipping and sampling hundreds of artisan-made products; we've finally narrowed it down to one delicious list,” a brief article posted on the Southern Living website states.
“Brewed with Louisiana-grown rice that keeps it snappy and slightly sweet, it’s a must-serve at your next crawfish boil,” the article states about Ragin’ CajunsTM Genuine Louisiana Ale.
The craft beer is the result of a partnership between Bayou Teche Brewing of Arnaudville, La., and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Stephanie Knott and Karlos Knott are the manager and president, respectively, of Bayou Teche Brewing.
Stephanie Knott said she was thrilled to learn about the 2016 Southern Living Food Award.
“Ragin’ CajunsTM Genuine Louisiana Ale really ties in with our brewery’s philosophy. We’re making this beer to highlight our Cajun and Creole cultures. It’s great to see Ragin’ Cajuns on that Southern Living list of award winners because it’s a great list,” she said.
When UL Lafayette began looking for a company to produce a craft beer that could bear the Ragin’ Cajuns’ name, it wanted a Louisiana brewery, preferably one in Acadiana. It also wanted a brewery that would offer an original recipe, not jut put a label on an existing product.
In addition to Louisiana rice, the Kölsch-style beer’s ingredients include barley and multiple additions of German-grown noble hops. That combination has been described by Karlos Knott as “a magnificent balance of hop bitterness, taste and aroma. It is an easy drinking beer perfect for tailgating in our hot and humid climate.”
The craft beer was launched on tap in September and in bottles in late October. Bayou Teche Brewing is expanding its facility to keep up with customer demand for it.
To be eligible to compete for a 2016 Southern Living Food Award, a product must originate or be made in the South, which the magazine defines as Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Part of the proceeds from the new craft beer sales are used to support the University’s academic, research and athletics programs.
View a complete list of the 2016 Southern Living Food Awards