A cheer erupted from the onlookers gathered around the Tasting Room of Louisiana’s bar on Saturday when Father Steve Brandow sipped the beer he had just blessed. This action officially inaugurated pouring for the patrons who were eagerly awaiting with tickets.
This was one of two beer blessings performed by Brandow in the vicinity on Saturday, one day prior to St. Patrick’s Day.
This tradition of blessing has been a long-standing one at the Tasting Room situated downtown Alexandria pub, even before it came under the ownership of whiskey sommelier and current proprietor, Melissa Scarborough. Back in the day, it was known as Finnegan’s Wake and the blessings started around the mid-2000s.
According to Brandow, beer is blessed as it is considered a food item that forms an essential food group for beer enthusiasts. In the same way that some individuals express their gratitude to God for everything in their lives, they also thank Him for the beer.
“It’s a social event,” he said. “Catholics have always been social people.”
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Over at a table, Jerry Liberty and Betty Chavez, both sporting green shirts and green and white beads that had been left on tables, snapped cellphone photos of Jody Skeltoe, who was wearing a green hat and multi-color glasses. The women hail from New Mexico, visiting friends who live here.
They mentioned their enjoyment and anticipation for a “crawdad” boil scheduled for later on Saturday.
The one responsible for the crawfish boil is Bob Pulaski, who made his presence known with a leprechaun hat, green shirt and red kilt, stationed by the bar.
Pulaski acknowledged his wife as the originator of the boil – a tradition dating back many years, he claimed.
His role? “To sip on beer, leading up to my cooking responsibilities.”
Hours later, Brandow made his way to Pineville’s Fighting Hand Brewing Company for the second blessing of the day. Although the brewery has been operating for three years, this is their second time hosting a blessing of the beers.
Standing behind the bar and flanked by owners Chris and Tiffany Lindsey, Brandow invited the gathering to join him as he shared about the first people to craft beer.
However, it was not what people today recognize as beer. It was purely wild grain mixed with water.
“They hadn’t tamed grain yet. That development would happen soon thereafter, but after they relished the first beer, they decided they needed to recreate it, whatever it was,” he narrated, prompting laughter from the crowd.
And he provided them a succinct recounting of St. Patrick’s story and accordingly named them honorary Irish.
“Welcome to the family. If you’re not already Irish, it’s high time.”
Tiffany Lindsey expressed the sentiment that the blessing was an enjoyable event for the community, and since Brandow was a regular participant, he was the probable choice to perform the blessing.
“Upon hearing about other locations engaging in similar celebrations, it occurred to me that we already produce beer,” she pointed out. “Let’s participate.”
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: St. Patrick’s comes to Rapides with blessings of beers at pub, brewery
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