Friends Brad Andersen, Alex Shillings and Derek Stewart opened Ascension Parish’s first craft brewery, Gilla Brewing Company, off Highway 44 in Gonzales this month.
The 2,400-square-foot brewery has high ceilings with dangling string lights, high-top wooden tables and a long rustic bar that seats roughly 16-to-18 people. In the tap room, there are arcade and board games and a jukebox. The walls feature vibrant art by local artist Marc Fresh and a quote from Shillings’ late father, Kevin “Gilla” Shillings, above the door, which reads, “Thank you for your time this time. Until next time.”
“When my dad was in high school, he was a big guy,” Shillings says. “He was a quarterback, so they started calling him Magilla Gorilla after the cartoon, and eventually his nickname was shortened to Gilla. He was kind of a community staple. He did sports talk radio and TV locally.” Pointing to the quote on the wall, he adds, “That was his sign-off every time he signed off from doing a broadcast.”
Andersen, Shillings and Stewart had all been avid homebrewers for more than eight years before opening their brewing company. The small-batch brewery has 12 taps, serving exclusive Gilla Brewing Company beers and guest beers from regional brands like Gnarly Barley Brewing and Parish Brewing Company.
Since the nano-brewery produces in small batches, it has the freedom to experiment without wasting too much beer, Andersen says. The Thrilla of Vanilla Milkshake is a New England IPA brewed with oats and lactose sugar and Madagascar vanilla beans fermented on top. It has a smooth, creamy taste and is palatable for even non-beer drinkers. The sour beers, known as the Lush line, include fruit profiles like mango, blueberry, passion fruit, pink guava and tangerine.
The brewery plans to offer canned options in the future, so people can pop into the taproom and purchase beers to take home.
The nano brewery is hosting its grand opening this Saturday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. The event will feature free jambalaya and the LSU football game playing on three flatscreen TVs.
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