Tin Roof to launch new brew honoring ‘Chinese Bandits’

On Wednesday, Tin Roof Brewing Co. will launch its third brew since beginning operations a year ago. Bandit Blonde Ale—named for the famous defensive unit responsible for helping LSU football bring home its first National Championship, in 1958—will be available at many Baton Rouge area bars and restaurants. It’s a “light-bodied, crisp American blonde ale,” according to a release, and “perfectly suited for Tiger tailgating.” Official collegiate licensing for Bandit Blonde is still in the works. However, Tin Roof says the company has been working closely with LSU on the deal, and that students have begun attending regular brewing sessions at Tin Roof as part of a new brewing-based food science course. The brewery also provides the LSU AgCenter with cattle feed. Thousands of pounds of spent grain from the brewing process are sent to the dairy on a weekly basis. Tin Roof has pledged 10% of its Bandit Blonde sales to the LSU Foundation until the licensing reaches final approval. “This beer has been tied up in the licensing process for quite a while,” says Tin Roof co-founder William McGehee. “We really wanted to get Bandit Blonde to fans this football season, and a draft launch was the only way to accomplish that goal.”