Ragin' Cajuns Genuine Louisiana Lager Now Available in Bottles

Ragin’ Cajuns Genuine Louisiana Lager is now available in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles.

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 Louisiana at Lafayette and Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, La. Last year, Ragin’ Cajuns Genuine Louisiana Ale was introduced; Louisiana rice is one of its ingredients. 

“Retailer response to the lager is strong,” says Kody Thompson, marketing manager for Schilling Distributing Company, the official beer distributor of Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics. He estimated that 70 percent of the retailers in Schilling’s six-parish distribution area that stock Genuine Louisiana Ale also sell the new lager.

Both craft beers are sold on tap at the Cajundome during Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns basketball games. 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 Louisiana 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 continues. 

Ragin’ Cajuns Genuine Louisiana Lager and Ragin’ Cajuns Genuine Louisiana 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.