Gilla Brewing Company began with Alex Shillings and fellow home brewers and craft beer enthusiasts who shared a dream. Opening its doors on Oct. 26, 2019, Gilla became Ascension Parish’s first brewery. The microbrewery specializes in fruited sours, New England IPAs, pastry stouts, traditional ales and lagers, with small-batch brewing allowing the team to regularly introduce new beers.
“It started like most breweries,” co-owner and header brewer Bobby Hoyt says. “The three original owners were some home brewers that got together and were hitting all the homebrew circuits and all the beer festivals, just trying to make a name for themselves and get their product out there.”
According to Hoyt, Gilla started with a one-barrel brewing system, an unusually small setup that required the team to brew three or four times a week to keep up with demand. Hoyt joined the brewery about four months before the COVID-19 shutdowns, when Gilla relied heavily on its taproom for sales. When restrictions closed the taproom, changes in state regulations allowed the brewery to begin canning its beer for off-site sales. Customers placed preorders and picked up 16-ounce cans outside, helping Gilla remain open during the pandemic.
“That’s basically how we survived the pandemic, just because there was enough loyal people to come buy the product,” Hoyt says.
The brewery eventually expanded to a five-barrel system. Today, Gilla remains a small, mostly family-owned operation. Hoyt oversees brewing and production, while Shillings assists with brewing and other brewery operations. Shillings’ mother, Becky, is also an owner and helps manage the company’s books and taxes.
Gilla’s taproom has become about more than beer. Weekly trivia, music bingo, monthly comedy shows, food trucks, book fairs, charcuterie classes and other events help attract customers. A partnership with neighboring restaurants also gives Gilla customers access to food without the brewery having to operate a restaurant.
As Ascension Parish grows, Gilla continues looking for ways to attract new customers while maintaining its regulars. Hoyt says the brewery is experimenting with products such as seltzers, frozen drinks, spiked teas and hard lemonades to appeal to customers who may not drink beer.
Rather than pursuing a major expansion, Gilla is focused on adapting to changing customer preferences, creating events and strengthening its presence in the local community. For the small brewery, staying creative and connected to Ascension Parish remains central to its future.
“Getting our name out in Ascension Parish, for one, is kind of my main goal,” Hoyt says.
