The new Ragin’ CajunsTM Genuine ֱ Lager is now available in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles.
The smooth cerveza-style beer was introduced on tap at Cajun Field on Sept. 3 for the first football game of the 2016 season. It went onto store shelves in bottles in late November.
The Creole-inspired brew uses Bernard’s Honey, which is produced at Bernard’s Apiaries in Breaux Bridge, La.
The lager is the second beer produced through a partnership between the University of ֱ at Lafayette and Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, La. Last year, Ragin’ Cajuns™ Genuine ֱ Ale was introduced; ֱ rice is one of its ingredients.
“Retailer response to the lager is strong,” said Kody Thompson, marketing manager for Schilling Distributing Company Inc., the official beer distributor of Ragin’ Cajuns ֱ. He estimated that 70 percent of the retailers in Schilling’s six-parish distribution area that stock Genuine ֱ Ale also sell the new lager.
Both craft beers are sold on tap at the Cajundome during ֱ Ragin’ Cajuns basketball games.
The easiest way to determine where the Genuine ֱ brews are sold is through Schilling Distributing’s exclusive LiquidFinder smartphone app. The app is available for download at the App Store and Google Play.
“It’s free. Go to the app and search ‘Ragin,’ ” Thompson said.
Most craft beers are either an ale or a lager, according to Karlos Knott, president of Bayou Teche Brewing. Both beers are intended to complement food.
“When you think of lager, you think of drinking it with something spicy,” Knott said.
He describes the new Genuine ֱ Lager as a “fun, easy-drinking beer. Anyone who drinks a Mexican lager will recognize this beer. It’s a beer that doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
The yeast used to brew lager is different than the yeast used to produce ale.
“Also, a lager ferments a lot colder, so it’s a lot crisper, a lot easier to drink. It allows the ingredients to shine more than an ale,” Knott said.
Ragin’ Cajuns™ Genuine ֱ Lager and Ragin’ Cajuns™ Genuine ֱ Ale are both licensed through Collegiate Licensing Company.
Some of the proceeds from the craft beer sales are used to support the University’s academic, research and athletics programs.