There are brewpubs. There are microbreweries. And then there is the Zony Mash Beer Project, an ongoing social experiment where the worlds of music, art, theater and beer collide in the retrofitted environs of the historic Gem Theater near Pumping Station #1 in Broadmoor.
“For us, this is an ongoing project. Hence ‘Zony Mash Beer Project’,” said owner Adam Ritter of the name, which references an album of B-sides by the iconic Meters, also known for mashing up a thing or two. “We are always tinkering with it and trying to have fun with something.”
A peek at their calendar confirms this. Every day offer a new surprise, staged in their cavernous main brewing room flanked with imposing stainless tanks. Acts like Rebirth Brass Band are sandwiched in between Lucha libre-inspired Wrestling Nights and food popups from a rotating cast of kitchens, which recently featured Zee’s Pizzeria and Johnny Sanchez. The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, Trivia Nights, and the theatre group Radical Buffoons all compete for attention; this is home-grown New Orleans entertainment writ large. “And we also make beer,” Ritter adds.
About that. At any one time up to 25 different brews will be on tap, all orchestrated by head brewer Mitch Grittman. Refried Confusion, its name a homage to Dr. John, presents a hazy IPA. Tiny Bubbles is an Australian Sparkling Ale. Loose Booty is an imperial stout – the list goes on and on. An in-house canning line packages up some of the options with label art by local artists worthy of a stand-alone gallery show. “We have a barrel-aged program where we tinker with long form stuff and we also do a line of seltzers for people who are not really into beer but still want to hang out,” Ritter said.
If you can’t make it to Zony Mash for the beverages – and, really, you should – you can also buy their wares in groceries, bars and restaurants around town. But as the name explains, this is not simply a brewery but a project to be experienced. And as we round the corner into Carnival season, this is one place you’ll want to have on your list.