Conservation on Tap: 40 Arpent Brewery

Recently, Vanishing Paradise and coastal restoration supporters headed to 40 Arpent Brewery in Arabi to hear a presentation from Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Posted on June 8, 2017
By Erin Brown, Sportsmen Outreach Coordinator-Louisiana

For our latest Conservation on Tap event, which was co-sponsored by the Meraux Foundation, we headed to 40 Arpent Brewery nestled right next to the Mississippi River levee in Arabi. More than 60 Vanishing Paradise (and coastal restoration!) supporters heard a presentation from Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s Bren Haase on the 2017 Coastal Master Plan – including an overview of the plan, funding and how it would impact the sportsmen and women of St. Bernard Parish.

Louisiana’s master plan will be valuable to both fishing and duck hunting. Our coast is home to 10 million migratory birds and waterfowl annually, along with world class fresh- and saltwater fishing – exactly what earned our state its nickname of “Sportsman’s Paradise.” In order to keep this rich tradition of hunting and fishing for future generations, we must restore our coast.

Now that the 2017 Coastal Master Plan has been approved by the state legislature, we must continue progress on project implementation as efficiently as we can. 

Chef Nathan Richard from New Orleans restaurant Cavan, prepared a delicious alligator grillades dish. The American alligator was once endangered in Louisiana during the 1960’s due to over-harvesting and freshwater habitat loss. However, it was removed from the endangered species list in 1987 when the state developed a conservation program for the species. Now as a thriving coastal inhabitant, the state of Louisiana grosses $90 million dollars annually from the American alligator. Chef Richard chose to highlight alligator in his dish, because it is one of many Louisiana species that will benefit from restoration projects in the master plan. Chef Richard’s alligator grillades recipe can be found below.

Another highlight of the night were the brewery tours guided by Michael Naquin of 40 Arpent Brewery for our guests. Attendees learned how Naquin’s signature Louisiana beers on tap, like the Vanilla Orange Blossom O-possum and the New Basin Milk Stout, were crafted. Vanishing Paradise cannot thank our partners and sponsors for this event enough! Stay tuned for information on our next Conservation on Tap even, coming soon.