Southern Breeze 2007 Holiday Issue

Picking up the pieces Kendra Bruno and Dixie brewmaster Kevin Stuart (below) sift through the ruins of the Dixie Brewery building left by Katrina floodwaters and looters (left). Cool Collection L Pierre McGraw claims what could be the world’s largest collection of Dixie Beer memorabilia. The massive assemblage fills McGraw’s Uptown New Orleans garage. Large aluminum signs, clocks that once hung in bowling alleys, trays, bottle openers, coasters, and more—all emblazoned with the company’s green and gold logo—represent a lifetime of tracking down Dixie paraphernalia. McGraw started amassing Dixie gear as a teenager, when he found his first sign. “After I got a few (signs), I had to get more,” he says. He hasn’t stopped yet. Highlights from his collection include the rare bowling alley clock and a draft beer backpack dispenser that vendors used in New Orleans’ Tulane Stadium. Of course, McGraw covets a few hard-tofind items. He’s on the lookout for a Dixieadorned cigarette lighter that was produced only as a prototype and a certain Dixie tray. Along with the items in his garage, McGraw commands an extensive oral history of Dixie, reeling off stories about the breweries opening and little-known trivia about the brand. Like most locals, McGraw is anxious to see Dixie return. “I wish they’d get back on Tulane Avenue,” says the collector. “That’s where they belong.” 50 s o u t h e r n b re e z e . c o m Last spring, the Brunos reached a contract brewing agreement with Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin, to produce Dixie. The Midwest brewer, which boasts a past that stretches back to 1845 under the name Huber Brewery, began producing Dixie Lager and Blackened Voodoo in February, just in time for Mardi Gras. They have since sent two batches of beer to the New Orleans area; according to Kendra, both shipments sold out quickly. “We had spare capacity and open hearts for those of New Orleans,” says Tyler Peters, brewery development manager for Minhas. While Dixie’s signature cypress tanks didn’t make the trip to Wisconsin—”They were looted right out from under our noses!” Kendra says—Minhas uses Dixie’s time-honored recipe to re-create the distinct flavor. “If you can tell the difference (between the old and new brews), let me know,” Tyler says. Minhas is producing the two Dixie beers for distribution throughout the country. “We will continue to help them until they get back on their feet,” he adds. At this point, however, no one can say how long that will take. looking to the future Two years after the storm—just as Dixie’s centennial should be the biggest party in town— the brewery is still a shell of its former self. But after a completed environmental study of the property, the Brunos are ramping up to get the suds flowing again. Like longtime Dixie fans, the Brunos cannot imagine Dixie Beer brewed anywhere other than New Orleans. “Since it’s been here for 100 years, Dixie is so much a part of everyone’s memories,” says Kendra. “It’s as much a part of New Orleans as anything else, like red beans and rice and Mardi Gras. It’s interwoven into our psyche.” Also interwoven into New Orleanians’ psyche is a celebratory streak. And on Halloween night that’s just what the Bruno’s did. Joe and Kendra hosted an intimate gathering at the brewery for a few hundred of their closest friends, Dixie Beer lovers all. “Our security people estimated it was between 450 and 500 people,” says Kendra. “We asked folks to RSVP but New Orleans is not an RSVP town!” Aside from being a 100th birthday party, the Halloween event was a celebration of Dixie’s resurrection. Just as the immortal phoenix rose from the ashes, Dixie too is lifting itself from the rubble of the looted building on Tulane Avenue. Kendra says that the new vision is for a more “compact, state-of-the-art brewery” that will still use cypress tanks and will feature a gift shop, reception center, and even a rooftop beer garden. She hopes the new and improved Dixie Brewery will be running within two years. “We still have a lot of hurdles to cross,” says Kendra. “We’re pretty determined, but we’re taking it a day at a time. The two years will fly by pretty fast when you’re having fun!” Mark A. Newman contributed to this story. http://southernbreeze.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Southern Breeze 2007 Holiday Issue

Editor's Letter Contributor Gumbo Words & Notes Coastal Calendar Storefronts Sweet Dreams Art of Living Fixtures Our Backyard Make Yourself at Home Beach Bam! A Big Easy Christmas Upwardly Mobile Can't Drive Old Dixie Down Rock On! The Play's the Thing Cheers Dish Chef's Table Let's Eat Reader Services Last Bite

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